[RalphS]

First I heard about this a few days ago in a gun shop. The man said that you cannot hunt turkey with a .410 gauge shotgun because there are so many turkeys that are just wounded by this type of ammo. I've heard of people shooting with a .22 and killing them so I would think this is a law somewhere as well. Have you heard of this or where can you find the laws that tell you what you can and cannot hunt with?

 

[preop]

you'd need to be inside of 20 yds and aim at the head neck, but then the 410 bore should work on turkeys, if it has a choked barrel. If it is unchoked, better make that 10 yds.

 

[LunaticFringeInc]

I realize this is an older thread but its a good question and spring turkey Season is just around the corner here.

Any shotgun that can put a number of pellets in the head/neck of a Turkey is a viable option unless prohibited by local game laws where you live. The problem you have with a 410 is that even a 3 inch magnum doesnt have a lot of pellets in it. As the limited number of pellets spread out as they go down range your odds of saturating the target area of a turkeys head/neck adequately enough to put it down for the count starts to become minimal as the range increases. If your using a 410 you will definitely want to pattern your shotgun and its load on a Turkey head target and not shoot beyond ranges that will allow you to get a couple dozen pellets to the head and neck. This could make it a fairly short range affair as a result of the light shot load capability the 410 has. It is for this reason that the larger gauges especially the 12 gauge with its 3 and 3 1/2 inch loads dominate Turkey hunting with shotguns. They throw a awful lot of shot and through the Xtra-Full chokes...that makes for some pretty good range capability too! Yes in some places folks use a 22 rim fire or 17 HMR or 22 Hornet. These folks are shooting very accurate guns and are superb marksmen and are taking head shots on Turkey. Talk about a challenge! Hitting a Turkeys bobbing head at just about any range is quiet a feat to pull off. I have missed a heck of a lot more than I have connected when using a rifle. I got mad respect for any old timer than can do that on a consistent basis and Im a pretty dang good shot. Thats why I use a 12 gauge!!!

 

[AquaHull]

Only poachers use rifles in Michigan

Michigan is the disclaimer here folks.

 

[Smitty901]

If SHTF the DNR, game warden will not be any where around shoot with what ever you want.
The .22 has been putting food on the table for a long time. More than a few deer have be taken with a .22. Little range time small game is not hard to hit

 

[AquaHull]

If SHTF the DNR, game warden will not be any where around shoot with what ever you want.
The .22 has been putting food on the table for a long time. More than a few deer have be taken with a .22. Little range time small game is not hard to hit

The OP isn't asking about a SHTF situation, the thread is about LEGAL Hunting Laws.

The State DNR would be a good place to look up legal , non-SHTF ways to hunt game. Or ask Smitty901 how , he'll probably tell you he likes his eggs, deer and turkey poached.

 

[AquaHull]

Link to Michigan DNR

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363---,00.html

 

[LunaticFringeInc]

IAW the link Aquahull provided it looks like any gauge of shotgun using #4 shot or smaller is legal if I read that right...

 

[AquaHull]

There used to be a disclaimer in those Digest stating that misprints happen and that there may be more laws than listed in the book.

Kind of like playing pool at a Honky Tonk, you don't know the rules until you break one.

 

[LunaticFringeInc]

There used to be a disclaimer in those Digest stating that misprints happen and that there may be more laws than listed in the book.

Aint that about like anything thats controlled or operated by a Government entity?

 

[Prince Humperdink]

My .410 has taken many critters and if I was under 20 yrds I would not worry about a turkey head shot.As far as a .22 I have seen several deer dispatched with a .22lr shot to the [email protected] yrds and they fell quickly and I've taken many turkey with a .22lr(Rifles are legal here in the Fall season),the last Tom I shot was a neck shot with one of my M1 Garands while Deer hunting.I really like the .17 cal for small game too.

 

[Smitty901]

The OP isn't asking about a SHTF situation, the thread is about LEGAL Hunting Laws.

The State DNR would be a good place to look up legal , non-SHTF ways to hunt game. Or ask Smitty901 how , he'll probably tell you he likes his eggs, deer and turkey poached.

Well then you can not ask that here because every State and even county's have different regs. The highway right on the edge of my property is an example you can use a rifle on one side and not on the other.
And to figure that all out requires some serious home work with the DNR because guess what it changes from time to time. I did not know for two years they moved the line they never bother to publish it.
I found out when a person ask to hunt and I allowed it he showed me the change on a web site.

 

[AquaHull]

Well then you can not ask that here because every State and even county's have different regs. The highway right on the edge of my property is an example you can use a rifle on one side and not on the other.
And to figure that all out requires some serious home work with the DNR because guess what it changes from time to time. I did not know for two years they moved the line they never bother to publish it.
I found out when a person ask to hunt and I allowed it he showed me the change on a web site.

I didn't ask the local laws. The OP did.

 

[AquaHull]

First I heard about this a few days ago in a gun shop. The man said that you cannot hunt turkey with a .410 gauge shotgun because there are so many turkeys that are just wounded by this type of ammo. I've heard of people shooting with a .22 and killing them so I would think this is a law somewhere as well. Have you heard of this or where can you find the laws that tell you what you can and cannot hunt with?

Quoted for your reading ease.