Long-range loads take turkeys at distances once considered unthinkable, but they are no magic bullet. Preparation and familiarity on the part of the hunter are essential. (Photo by Scott Haugen)
"Zero for eight so far ... great start!” came a text at the end of opening day of turkey season last spring. I called my longtime hunting buddy and one of the West’s top turkey guides, Jody Smith, to get the scoop, figuring he was going to tell me that multiple clients had all missed shots. Instead, what I heard from a frustrated Smith left me shaking my head.
“All the misses were from one guy shooting his brand-new 28 gauge with TSS loads,” he said. “I called in four toms in different spots, and all the shots were inside 20 yards. He fired eight shells and didn’t touch a bird.”
Other guides I’ve known for years echo the same...