Get More Pellets in the Kill Zone

“If you have never missed a wild turkey, you haven’t hunted long enough,” laughed my crotchety hunting guide. “They sneak in silently, duck in a heartbeat, and get you so excited, you can blow “easy” shots.”

Those words would haunt me the next day as if prophecy. My guide and I spotted a longbeard with several hens. We crawled nearly in range and my guide’s calling lit that tom like a candle. It unleashed booming gobbles, but suddenly became silent. The next thing I knew that beast was seven yards in front of me. I took the snap shot, sending the bird straight up like a rocket. It landed, and I missed…

How it Happens

Wild turkeys are among the wiliest of game animals. Because they strut, gobble, spit, and drum, they create enough excitement to trash the skills of even the most experienced hunter. Worse yet is the tom that gobbles and struts just out of range, circles, and silently sneaks in behind you.

This heightened excitement causes many hunters to short circuit their normal aiming procedure. Instead of carefully sighting down the barrel of their tightly choked shotgun, they put the front bead on the gobbler and pull the trigger. Invariably, this causes the pattern to shoot over the tom’s head.

TruGlo to the Rescue

The standard bead of a shotgun is an adequate sighting system if a gobbler walks into range, pokes its head up, and stands still. In such circumstances, you can take your time, aim carefully, and make a lethal shot. However, gobblers that behave this way are probably in a freezer or have become tasty nuggets by now. With public land or late-season toms, you’ll need to make a quick, very accurate shot, while maintaining your best shooting from.

TruGlo’s Tru-Point Xtreme Universal Shotgun sighting system is quick and easy insurance that you won’t lift your cheek from the stock in a moment of excitement. This system “accurizes” looking down the rib of a shotgun by adding a rear sight and a front bead for precise target acquisition. You can choose from either military style or a small peep sight that makes for instant aiming.

A Complete Sight System

The Tru-Point Universal Shotgun Sight has numerous points that make it quick and easy to install. First, it’s universal so that it fits all popular rib sizes. It’s all metal construction insures durability as does the solid attachment with an Allen wrench. The rear sight has full windage and elevation adjustments and an optional peep is available. Best of all, these fiber optics have the same incredible glowing ability that TruGlo has made famous. Whether that tom approaches before sunrise or in the heat of mid-day, the rear dots and the front sight will grab your attention and keep your aim true.

Tune Your Pattern

Improper sighting is the number-one cause of turkey misses, yet technical problems can also occur. How does your shotgun pattern at 40 yards? It’s not uncommon for a shotgun to produce an irregular pattern or for the pattern to print high or to the side.

If your shotgun has interchangeable chokes, and most modern shotguns do, consider replacing it with a TruGlo turkey choke tube. The Head Banger, for example, improves shot grouping and consistency. Made from heat treated steel and CNC machined, it provides optimal performance with all of today’s specialty turkey loads. Since these shotgun loads can cost up to $10 per shot, you want to make the most of each discharge. Paired with the Tru-Point Universal sighting system, you can assure that your shot pattern is dead on.

Sum Game

A pellet-free breast is a side benefit of precise shotgun performance. It’s best to shoot a turkey with its neck extended, yet that isn’t always possible. A good friend and I were hunting when a strutting tom turned kamikaze and he was able to kill it in full strut at 20 yards without putting a single pellet in its breast by using the Tru-Point sighting system.