Turkeys are tough. They’re covered in dense feathers, and their vital area is deceivingly small—this is especially true for strutting toms. Because of all this, you must shoot a tom in the head and neck in order to kill him cleanly and ethically. Quite simply, putting the core of your shotgun pattern on a tom’s neck and head will drop him in his tracks.
But it does get slightly more complicated than just “put it on his head!” Turkeys move constantly, and their heads move the most. Shot distances vary, which changes the spread and density of your gun’s pattern. Then there’s the challenge of turkey hunting with a bow, which requires a whole different type of shot placement. In order to simplify turkey shooting and help you make the quickest, cleanest kills possible, I’ve put together an in-depth guide on where to shoot a turkey.
As a turkey hunter, one of the most important things to know is what you should use to shoot your bird. Having the right firearm or archery equipment is crucial for an ethical clean kill. In this article we’ll go over the best tools and shot placement strategies for taking down a turkey.
Shotguns Are the Go-To
The most common and effective turkey hunting firearm is a shotgun loaded with turkey specific shells The pattern and power of a shotgun is ideal for hitting a turkey’s small head and neck kill zone at typical hunting distances
12 and 20 gauge shotguns are the most popular choices, with 12 gauge being the most versatile. Modern turkey loads in 12 or 20 gauge when paired with a turkey choke tube will provide excellent 40+ yard performance on gobblers.
For novice hunters, a 20 gauge shotgun is often easier to handle in terms of weight and recoil. Youth model shotguns in 20 gauge are great choices for kids and smaller-framed hunters.
The .410 bore shotgun is also gaining popularity for turkey hunting thanks to advances in turkey specific ammo like Federal Premium’s .410 Handgun and .410 shotshell loads. With a tight choke and careful shot placement, the .410 can take turkeys at moderate ranges.
Patterning Is Critical
Before your hunt, you must pattern your shotgun and ammo combination on paper turkey head targets. This will verify your maximum effective range and allow you to zero in on the proper point of aim for your gun.
Each gun and load will produce slightly different patterns. You need to conduct your own tests to see how your ammo patterns in your firearm. Things like pellet count, choke tubes, and shot size can all impact performance. Take the time to dial in your turkey shotgun.
Think Head and Neck Shots
A turkey’s head and neck contain the vital nervous system and blood vessels you want to damage. The mistake many hunters make is aiming right for the tiny head. This often results in clean misses over the turkey’s head.
Instead, aim at the turkey’s neck right where it meets the body. Focus on the lower red caruncles and keep the head above your bead. This gives you the best chance of peppering the head and spine with your shot pattern.
Let the turkey lift its head from behind an obstruction before shooting. Never shoot a strutting turkey – wait for it to come out of the strut before pulling the trigger.
Bowhunting Turkeys
While more challenging, it is possible to take turkeys with archery equipment like compound and crossbows. Use broadheads designed for turkeys that will open wide and cut major blood vessels.
Aim for the base of the wing on broadside shots. For head on shots, target the beard or upper breast. On strutting toms, aim for the base of the tail fan. Bowhunting requires careful shot placement and reducing draw weight to prevent pass through shots.
Rifle Seasons and Misc. Methods
Some states have fall turkey seasons that allow rifle hunting. Use extreme care here – rifle shots at the body often destroy too much meat. Take head and neck shots only with a rifle.
Turkeys can also be legally taken in some areas with muzzleloader guns and air rifles. But again, head and neck shots are imperative with these firearms. Take time to pattern your loads at various ranges.
Key Takeaways
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Shotguns with turkey specific ammunition and chokes are the typical go-to firearms. Pattern your gun ahead of time.
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Aim for the neck and head only – avoid body shots. Keep the head above your bead.
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Bowhunting turkeys requiresreducing draw weight and using cut-on-contact broadheads. Avoid high hit percentages.
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With proper shot placement and patterning, turkeys can be taken ethically and humanely. Do your homework before your hunt.
Knowing what to use for shooting your turkey and where to aim are vital to your hunting success. Follow these tips and you’ll be well prepared to bag your spring gobbler. Smart equipment choices and careful shot placement lead to quick, ethical harvests.
Where to Shoot a Turkey with a Shotgun
Decades ago, shotshell expert Tom Roster conducted the most in-depth turkey load lethality test of all time. In a report on that testing, he says that the fourth cervical vertebrae down from the head is the ideal aim point for killing a turkey quickly. Winchester copyrighted targets with an “XX” marking this aim point (which you can see circled in red in the photo below, left). Hitting a turkey here with a tight pattern ensures that pellets will strike the skull and vertebrae, which makes for a very quick kill. It essentially shuts the tom’s lights off.
However, I recommend aiming slightly below Roster’s point. See the red dot in the photo below (right) for my ideal aim point.
There are several reasons to aim here. First, there is a clear aim point: just above the large caruncles on the neck (which are usually glowing bright red on a fired-up gobbler). You can further bracket your aim point by holding where the black feathers meet red skin. Hit this area and the core of your pattern should strike the tom in the neck with a few pellets from the top of your pattern hitting him in the skull. This aim point is ideal whether a turkey is facing you, walking away, or broadside.
Second, turkeys move their heads frequently. At close range, your spread of pellets fired through a tight turkey choke is barely bigger than a softball. So if you aim higher at close range and the turkey bobs his head as you squeeze the trigger, you’re likely to miss. However, my aim point just above the caruncles on the neck stays relatively still, even while the gobbler’s head is bobbing back and forth. Just watch the Instagram video of a gobbler walking below. As the tom’s head rocks forward and back, the area we’re aiming for remains still, which makes for a much easier target on a walking bird.
Lastly, turkey hunters (especially those not shooting red dot sights) tend to miss high. With all the excitement of a gobbler strutting into range, many shooters fail to get their head down on the gun. Instead of looking down the barrel, they look over it, which causes them to hit high. An extreme version of this will cause a miss no matter where you aim, but it doesn’t hurt to shade just a little lower on the neck.
The downside of a lower aim point is that on longer shots, it’s likely that some pellets will hit the top of the turkey’s breast, which means that you might have some pellets in your meat. It’s pretty easy to pick a few pellets out when you’re butchering the bird, but you can also buy a small metal detector to make sure there are no strays left over.
If you shoot a tight turkey choke, don’t be worried about meat damage. I typically kill four to six toms a year with this aim point and rarely lose meat because it’s bloodshot.
Beyond knowing where to shoot a turkey, you should know a few things about ethically killing gobblers.
Don’t Shoot at a Turkey That’s in Full Strut
Shotgun hunters should avoid shooting at a strutting tom because his neck is curled and his head is tucked close to his body. This makes it easy to miss the core skull/vertebrae area. Turkeys that are hit in the body often roll over and then get up running. This is not an ideal result. To bring a gobbler out of strut, give him a few clucks on a mouth call (but be ready to shoot). If you’re not using a mouth call, simply moving your gun ever so slightly so that it covers the tom is often enough to catch his eye and bring him out of strut. But again, be ready to shoot.
Patterning your turkey gun is critical. Not all shotguns hit exactly where you aim them. You need to know your exact point of impact and the density of your pattern at all the ranges you intend to shoot. Don’t shoot beyond the capabilities of your load/choke/gun combo. For most hunters shooting lead turkey loads, that’s going to be a max of about 45 yards, but it could be less depending on your pattern. You want about 100 pellet strikes within a 10-inch diameter circle, or about 200 pellet strikes within a 30-inch diameter circle. Hunt with a rangefinder.
Read Next: Best Turkey Loads
WHAT FIREARM TO USE FOR TURKEY HUNTING | Hunters Connect
FAQ
What should I shoot a turkey with?
Turkeys are best killed with one shot to the head and neck, so an expensive semi auto is unnecessary–although if you can swing the extra cash, they do provide notable recoil mitigation. A pump-action gun like a Mossberg 500, Winchester SXP, or Remington 870 is perfect, and all are easy on the wallet.
What type of shot do you use for turkey?
A standard 2 ¾-inch or 3-inch magnum tungsten load is more than enough for killing turkeys out past 50 yards.
What kind of gun do you hunt turkey with?
The firearm most turkey hunters use is a shotgun, which is the only firearm allowed on most wildlife management areas (WMAs) during spring turkey season.
What is the best ammo for turkeys?
| Best 12 Gauge Turkey Load | Winchester Long Beard XR 2 oz. #4 Shot |
|---|---|
| Best 20 Gauge Turkey Load | Remington Premier TSS 3” 1-1/2 oz. #7 Shot |
| Best 410 Bore Turkey Load | Federal Heavyweight TSS 3″ 13/16 oz. #9 Tungsten Shot |
| Best 28 Gauge Turkey Load | Hevi-Shot Hevi-18 3” 1-¼ oz #7 Shot |