As a turkey hunter, one of the most common questions you’ll encounter is “How far can you shoot a turkey?” It’s a simple question with a not-so-simple answer. The maximum ethical and effective range depends on many variables – your firearm ammo, skills, and hunting conditions all play a role. In this article we’ll break down the key factors that determine effective turkey shooting distances so you can make informed decisions in the field.
Ideal Range for Most Setups: 30-50 Yards
For the majority of hunters under normal spring turkey hunting circumstances, 30-50 yards is considered the realistic maximum range for killing shots. Here’s why:
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Under 30 yards – Patterns are so dense that it’s hard to miss the vital head and neck area. Shots inside this range are basically guaranteed kills.
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30-40 yards – Within this range, you’re still getting excellent pattern density with most turkey loads Hitting the small head/neck kill zone is very doable, especially if you know your gun’s patterning
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40-50 yards – Now you’re pushing the limits of most setups Patterns rapidly start thinning out past 40 yards At 50 yards, even quality ammo is only putting a fraction of the pellets in the kill zone. Shots past 50 become very prone to error.
So realistically, 30-50 yards is the sweet spot balancing pattern density, margin for error, and your effective skills. Passing on birds further than 50 yards will usually do more harm than good.
Extending Range to 60-70 Yards
With rigorous patterning and practice, some hunters can stretch their maximum range out to 60 or even 70 yards using top turkey loads like TSS, Hevi-Shot, or copper plated #4-6 lead. But shooting past 60 yards requires supreme confidence in your gun’s patterning and your shooting abilities.
Even with dense tungsten loads, pellet impacts rapidly diminish at 60+ yards. And wind drift becomes a much bigger factor affecting your precision. Judging distances also gets very difficult past 60 yards in hunting conditions. For most, shots past 60 yards turn into Hail Mary’s. Stick to more ethical ranges.
Shots Beyond 70 Yards – Don’t Do It
While some extreme shooters have reported kills out to 80 or even 90 yards, most experts consider this unethical and irresponsible. At 70+ yards, pattern density is simply too sparse for tungsten or lead loads to ensure clean kills.
Misjudging distances also leads to crippled birds and ruined hunts. Chasing maximum distance focuses on the wrong goals. You should be focused on getting turkeys into bow or shotgun range through skillful calling, decoying, and setups.
Key Variables Affecting Max Range
Many interconnected factors determine your effective turkey shooting range:
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Shotgun & Choke – Tighter choke constrictions retain denser patterns. Some guns shoot 50 yard patterns equivalent to 70 yards through more open chokes.
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Ammo Selection – Heavier payloads with more pellets extend useful range. Tungsten and dense lead loads excel here.
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Pattern Density – Denser patterns up close = denser downrange patterns. Ammo choice is key.
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Pellet Size – Larger pellets (#4-7) penetrate better than smaller #8-9s at distance. But smaller pellets pattern more consistently.
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Gun Fit – A properly fitted shotgun you can swing smoothly improves accuracy, especially at distance.
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Shooting Skills – Your experience and composure shooting live targets at distance is crucial. Know your realistic abilities.
Key Takeaways on Maximum Range
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For most setups under normal conditions, 30-50 yards is the ethical limit. Shots beyond 50 yards are prone to wounding birds.
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Extending range past 60 yards requires rigorous patterning and practice. Even then, accuracy declines sharply.
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Shots over 70 yards exceed ammo capabilities for clean kills. Avoid these low percentage “hail marys”.
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Many variables impact your maximum effective turkey shooting range. Know your gear, ammo, and skills through patterning.
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While modern ammo has pushed capabilities, getting birds in close is still vital. Limit shots to your ETHICAL maximum based on realities.
The “how far can you shoot a turkey” question has no single answer. Every hunter’s effective range is different. Master your specific shotgun, ammo, and abilities through patterning. Be honest about your limits. Resist pushing unnecessary long shots that risk wounding these magnificent birds. As long as you stick to ethical shot decisions, your turkey hunting will be rewarding.
You’ve got a tom strutting at 30 yards. Should you take the shot or let him get closer?
A strutting gobbler appears deceivingly huge. Take the feathers away, and he’s about the size of a watermelon, and his kill zone is about the size of a baseball. That’s a tough target, especially at distances beyond 25 yards. by John Hafner
In my overconfident teen years, I bow-killed two spring gobblers beyond 40 yards — one at 43, the other at 45. Both collapsed in their tracks, and the well-placed arrows didn’t hit their marks by chance. Back then, I shot my bow incessantly without adulthood distractions. However, I look back on those shots and consider them less than ethical.
Today, I don’t attempt shots like that at turkeys. In fact, it’s been years since I’ve bow-killed one beyond 15 yards. Just like every other game animal we chase, turkeys deserve our best. So, what is a responsible maximum distance for shooting turkeys with a bow? There are a few considerations that determine this, but even when everything is just right, we still must have a cutoff. We must have the willpower to say, “I can make that shot, but I’m going to pass because I’ve set my limit.”
To that end, let’s discuss a few points around shot distance on turkeys before I conclude with what I believe is too far. Follow along.
Small Kill Zone
A strutting gobbler appears deceivingly huge. How could you possibly miss? Well, strip the feathers away, and the bird’s entire body is comparable in size to a watermelon. I can hit a watermelon from 100 yards with my bow. But a turkey’s kill zone — the heart and lungs — is about the size of a baseball. Now, some folks aim for the top of the drumsticks, which immobilizes the bird and causes a bleed-out, but a tom’s lights go out fastest when his lungs or heart are sliced. That’s my target.
So, at what distance can you hit a baseball every time, while dressed in hunting clothes and shooting from a ground blind or seated against a tree? Oh, and don’t forget to add a spiked heart rate into the mix. Suddenly, what appears to be a very large target is unbelievably small. In other words, hitting the watermelon in no way guarantees a clean kill. You have to hit the baseball.
An Always-Changing Target
Turkeys rarely stop moving. Not only is a walking turkey an extremely difficult target with archery gear, but even turkeys that aren’t walking are constantly shifting angles as they strut or attack a jake decoy. Tracking of all of those movements while you’re aiming is almost impossible. Even a couple of degrees of angle change unaccounted for can turn a deadly hit into a marginal one.
Also, a strutting bird presents a different target than a non-strutting bird. So, you might be prepared to shoot a strutting bird as he’s coming in, but then if he smells fish at the last second and pops out of strut, you’re suddenly faced with a totally different target presentation. Simply put, turkeys are almost always moving and shifting angles. That’s why long shots, even if you have the skill to make them, aren’t ethical.
Bowhunting turkeys is all about a close-up experience. If you want to shoot farther than 25 yards, take a shotgun. by Bill Konway
Bow Poundage and Broadhead Setup
Turkeys are often dismissed as an animal that can be nabbed with minimal draw weight. At certain angles and at close range with a sharp broadhead, it’s true that it takes little draw weight to do the job. However, drumsticks and wing joints have prevented pass-through shots with my 75-pound Mathews, so just imagine the results with a 35-pound bow. Pound for pound, turkeys are tough as nails.
With ultra-lightweight setups, I suggest not shooting beyond 15 yards. Further, most who’re shooting such minimal draw weight are youths, and they should get used to shooting at birds in the decoys, not birds hung up at 30 yards. Powerful setups like mine will do the job at any distance given great arrow placement, but weaker setups have greater limitations.
Let Him Come Closer
When shotgun hunting, many turkey hunters shoot the moment he raises his head inside 45 yards. You can’t bring that same mentality to bowhunting. If the bird is coming closer, let him come. Why shoot 20 yards when you can wait a few more seconds and nail him at 10 to 12 yards when he reaches the decoys? Don’t rush. Cleaner opportunities come from being patient.
The Bottom Line, Regardless of Skill
We’ve covered some ins and outs of how different scenarios can affect shot distance while bowhunting turkeys. Last, I want to discuss skill. Some folks have enough trouble putting down a tom at 10 yards in the decoys and have no business shooting beyond that. Others are proficient archers to 40-plus yards. But even if you’re skilled with a bow, a line must be drawn in the sand, and the line must be informed by ethics.
I’ve taken dozens of toms with my bow. In doing so, I’ve seen just about every possible outcome, and that has helped me to draw some conclusions regarding shot distance. I believe that 25 yards should be the limit for the most skilled and accurate archers, and that those who’re less proficient should shoot no farther than 15 to 20 yards. Beyond that is asking for trouble. If you don’t have the patience to wait for a close, sure-thing opportunity, hunt with a shotgun .
What About Crossbows?
These are becoming popular tools for many turkey hunters, and the most advanced ones of today can shoot softball-sized groups at 100 yards from a bench. Forty-yard shots can seem like a cakewalk. Still, even crossbow hunters are best to keep it close on turkeys. You’re still shooting one projectile, and you still have to nail that baseball-sized target that’s usually moving. If you have a solid rest on a bipod or tripod and can squeeze the trigger without flinching, 30- to 35-yard shots are ethical with a crossbow — but don’t push it. Use your head, know your limits, and remember that 15 yards is still better.
Darron McDougal arrowed this gobbler from about 12 yards as it posed next to his jake decoy. He hasn’t shot a tom beyond the decoys in years. by Darron McDougal
The One Time When You Should Shoot Long
There is one exception to the 25-yard limit — when you’re trying to finish a wounded bird after your first arrow was less than perfect. This will happen if you bowhunt turkeys long enough. In this situation, whether it’s 30 yards or 100, shoot if you have any chance of hitting the turkey.
I was faced with that situation this past spring when I shot a tom in my decoys at 10 yards. I struck the bird at the base of the neck as he strutted facing toward me. Rather than penetrate the neck and enter the body, my broadhead glanced off the neck on impact and didn’t enter the body cavity. It was great placement, but the glancing effect altered the arrow’s course. The blood loss was substantial, but the gobbler still made it to 79 yards before stopping. I nocked another arrow, ranged him and dialed my sight to 79 yards. I settled in and sent a long-range arrow to finish what I started.
Based on the bird’s alertness, I believe it would’ve taken my first arrow quite some time to seal the deal, but by putting another one in him, I didn’t have to face a perplexing tracking job. If that encounter proves anything besides the importance of a back-up arrow, it’s that the unplanned can happen even with a close-distance shot, therefore reiterating the importance of limiting shot distance.
Final Remarks
When you go afield for turkeys with your bow this spring, don’t take ridiculous shots. Even if you’re a great shot with the bow, you must remember that turkeys have a small kill zone that’s usually moving. There is no practice you can do that will perfectly replicate this, and that’s why keeping those shots inside 25 yards is always best.
How Far Can a 12 Gauge Down a Turkey? | TSS vs Lead
FAQ
What is the maximum distance to shoot a turkey?
My generic answer: 20-35 yards. The payload stays baseball tight with shots taken at under 20 steps, and misses are more likely, especially with that serpentine turkey head juking around. Then again, the swarm of pellets begins to open up when shot from farther out, especially beyond 40 yards. That’s no good either.
Can you shoot a turkey at 50 yards?
You may have the biggest, baddest bang stick with the tightest choke and the heaviest loads, capable of dropping a bird at 50 yards or more. That’s under ideal conditions, shooting off a bench at a stationary paper target.
How far can a turkey go after being shot?
Wounded turkeys seldom travel more than a couple hundred yards and will choose almost any type of hiding place.
How far can I shoot a turkey with 12-gauge?
With lighter, underpowered loads of soft lead pellets shot out of a 12-gauge shotgun with a full choke, 30 yards was the maximum range for a lethal shot on a …
How far can you shoot a wild turkey?
In that ballpark range, regardless of what you are shooting, shot density and energy are at their combined best. Based on recommendations from the Wild Turkey Task Force assembled by the National Wild Turkey Federation many years back, 40 yards has long been the suggested maximum distance for shooting at a wild turkey.
How do you shoot a Turkey with a shotgun?
When the bird turns back in your direction, you can break him out of his strut by giving an alarm putt with your mouth call. The tom will instantly extend his neck, giving you an excellent shot opportunity with a low likelihood of peppering the meat with shotgun pellets. When shooting a shotgun, you want to hit the turkey in the head and neck.
Can you shoot a wild turkey with a shotgun?
Deer and other big-game hunters have been groomed their entire hunting lives to aim for the heart and lung vitals of large-bodied hoofed animals in order to successfully bring them down. That may make shot placement on a wild turkey feel counterintuitive. Why? Because with a wild turkey, head and neck shots are the only way to go with a shotgun.
What happens if you shoot a wild turkey?
A bone-crushing shot to the head and neck immediately disrupts this flow and, except for the shattered avian reflexes of a dying bird, leaves the wild turkey feeling no pain and expiring within an instant. But don’t just aim at the turkey’s head. If your point of aim is slightly high, you could miss the bird entirely.
What happens if a Turkey is hit by a gun?
In other instances, if the point of aim pulls ahead of the bird from a slapped trigger or torqued firearm, the turkey will scramble to its feet, even when hit, and require a follow-up shot. Those shots are often panicked shots that turn into a chase where the bird can often escape.
Should you hunt a Turkey after the first week?
I’ve found that after the first week, birds become smart to hunters and are harder to kill. If you spend most of your time hunting when turkeys are less call-shy and timid, you’ll have better luck. Plus it will be more fun because turkeys will be more apt to be gobbling their heads off.