Where do you aim?
Contributors to this thread:Turkey
From: cnelk
14-Feb-17
Thoughts?
From: Buglmin
14-Feb-17
I always try to break the hips/drumsticks.
From: Paul@thefort
14-Feb-17
Dead center will kill the majority of the toms. I like to aim just above the thighs where they connect to the body thus shooting then in the gut pocket and disabling the legs. Sometimes that area is not discernible, so a dead center shot will surely get the job completed.
From: Paul@thefort
14-Feb-17
From: Paul@thefort
14-Feb-17
From: Brotsky
14-Feb-17
A broadside strutter looks as big as a barn, but the actual kill zone is very small. Straight up the legs and even with the beard is my preferred shot on a broadside bird. However, I rarely take that shot. I generally wait for them to face directly away from me or directly at me. My favorite shot is right between the beard and the waddle on a bird facing directly at me like the one in Paul's last pic above.
From: Bowfreak
14-Feb-17
Use a big mechanical and he is dead. I might move my shot a touch back but he is a dead tom walking.
Use a big mechanical and he is dead. I might move my shot a touch back but he is a dead tom walking.
Big mechanical, get your knife ready.
Big mechanical, get your knife ready.
This is the most difficult shot to gauge of the 4 IMHO. Not because of angle but because we cant see the legs. I would use the vent as reference.
This is the most difficult shot to gauge of the 4 IMHO. Not because of angle but because we cant see the legs. I would use the vent as reference.
This is a difficult pose too. I might even slip my arrow a tad lower because he is standing upright. At this angle, with no wings to stop my arrow, I wouldn't shoot as I would hit the bird behind him too. Big mechanical again.
This is a difficult pose too. I might even slip my arrow a tad lower because he is standing upright. At this angle, with no wings to stop my arrow, I wouldn't shoot as I would hit the bird behind him too. Big mechanical again.
I like to shoot the hip joint but an easy way to shoot a gobbler is to cut the tail, legs, wings and head off and shoot a little high of the center of the ball. This is a pretty good rule of thumb but not 100% exact. I will always cheat high and use the legs as reference to pass my arrow through the hip joints.
From: cnelk
14-Feb-17
Mark Where would your POI be on the skeletal view?
From: Bowfreak
14-Feb-17
As you can see the circles are not 100% perfect but give you a rough area quickly where you can fine tune.
From: jcneng
14-Feb-17
I got tired of losing birds and/or looking for birds, I now aim for the head with a Magnus Bullhead! You either kill them dead in seconds or miss, nothing in between!
From: trkyslr
14-Feb-17
From: Glunt@work
14-Feb-17
The middle. Not being a smarty pants. I have shot my share and lost my share and for me, aiming for the center of mass in strut or out has yielded the best results.
From: Julius K
14-Feb-17
Trkyslyr is right on.
From: midwest
14-Feb-17
DRT
DRT
Ditto Bowfreak and trkyslr.
From: Hawkeye
14-Feb-17
+3 bowfreak, Midwest & trkslyr :)
From: cnelk
14-Feb-17
I used my 'elk rig' for the bird above.
35yds. Aimed high center mass. That SlickTrick went right thru him and that folded him like a cheap lawn chair without even a flap of wings
As I found him and the arrow
From: Paul@thefort
14-Feb-17
When I comes right down to it, there is not a very big target being presented, and being off an inch or two can result in a wounded and or lost turkey.
From: Bohunner
14-Feb-17
If possible I like to be a cheap shot. When they turn away I break their back. If they are in full strut I give them the Elton John.
From: Buglmin
14-Feb-17
Love shooting them strutting away. Want to shoot one head one...
From: Buglmin
14-Feb-17
Break their hips, they don't go no where!
From: Two Feathers
14-Feb-17
I'm a head shot guy.
From: t-roy
14-Feb-17
Just slightly above here.
From: Native Okie
14-Feb-17
Lots of good info here. Up the legs above the drummies.
From: SBH
14-Feb-17
What's the saying.......? Hit em high watch em die, hit em low and watch em go?!!
From: Grunt-N-Gobble
14-Feb-17
I head shoot them.
With a 12ga!!!!!! But i do roll my own shotgun shells with special kind of shot known as TSS. I just dont have the time to chase them with a bow.
From: wkochevar
14-Feb-17
x2 on Glunt...center punch the basketball (main mass)
From: Paul@thefort
14-Feb-17
I would bet after killing 44 toms with bow and arrow, that many of the kill hits were not EXACTLY there I was aiming. Near but not exact depending on the angle of the shot and the view of the bird when releasing. Not all shots are perfect broadside, etc.
I must agree, that aiming for the "main mass" dead center, will kill a lot of birds regardless of the angle and view of the bird.
my best, Paul
From: Ermine
14-Feb-17
Shoot for the bronze patch
From: DEC
15-Feb-17
Always up top ...
From: wkochevar
15-Feb-17
It's always amazes me how quickly a good archery shot will kill a turkey with hardly a flutter. My experience has been even if they run off it's seldom more than 10-15 yards and just stone cold dead. While a charge of lead to the head makes them flip-flop around for minutes sometimes. I suppose it's the neurologic trauma caused by the shotgun shot.
From: joehunter8301
15-Feb-17
Trkyslr might know a thing or 2 bout shot placement. And the guy who made them red dots :-) center mass is a pretty good rule for a novice without giving them too much to confuse them.
From: Hawkeye
15-Feb-17
I tell young hunters around here to, "Go right up the legs and aim where Bronze Meets Black :)'
From: Timbrhuntr
15-Feb-17
Before I shot my first bird with an arrow I watched a lot of youtube turkey archery hunt videos. I couldn't believe how many lost birds were posted with shots aimed at center body or that they posted them. I decided I would shoot for the base of the neck. I havent killed 44 birds with an arrow only about 15 but everyone I have hit in the base of the neck either dropped right there or went under 30 yards. The ones that got away were all clean misses. I find it easier to concentrate on a small area like that than the middle of a bird. A loud putt will get most birds to stand at attention and thats when I usually shoot. This shot can be taken from any angle also unless the bird is in full strut then I either shoot them straight on or texas heart shot style. I will add that most of these are shot over decoys at very close range and I know I could easily hit a quarter almost every time at that range.
From: joehunter8301
15-Feb-17
Scoot I'm dying to see the video as well. It's in the works.
Ps I only shot him in the head cuz another guy I know missed and dared me so I had to get a little braggin rights :-) lol
From: trkyslr
15-Feb-17
i bet he was letting you catch up as he's head wacked a handful ;-)
From: Dan Mallia
24-Feb-17
Great thread.
From: 32Timbers
25-Feb-17
I am with timbrhuntr. I also aim for the base of the neck and have had excellent success with it.
From: tradmt
27-Feb-17
I aim for the liver, gets 'em deader than dead.
From: PECO
27-Feb-17
"give them the Elton John" is that the same as a Texas heart shot?
From: Beav
27-Feb-17
I wanted to find one that I disagreed with trkyslyr on but I couldn't. He is spot on!
From: albino
28-Feb-17
WOW! Great thread. I love it. Even a plucked bird for reference. I have arrowed very many Turkeys and always seem to wait for broadside & go up the legs. I have had poor luck straight on & straight away. My birds seem to have a low hole. lol. I also can't seem to get a head cutter out of the blind without hitting the side. I'm guessing that I am concentrating on too many other things. I think one of the main things is to stay away from that big breast. I do like the neck idea and may give that a try this Spring. Looks like another banner year here in Wisconsin.
From: albino
28-Feb-17
OK, I looked back at some of the turkey pics I have and I don't know what I am looking at for the hole shot. The pics make it look almost a high shot.
From: Pete In Fairbanks
28-Feb-17
Where is TBM when we really need him?!!
