Muzzleloading Shotguns For Turkey

Back in 2006 i decided to scratch one off my bucket list and borrowed a TK-2000 from a friend of mine for turkey season. IIRC I worked up a 2 or 2 1/4 oz load of buffered hevi-shot over 90 gr of pioneer powder that was deadly to at least 50 yds (that's the furthest I tested). My ambush spot would be a pre scouted spot along a 4 wheeler trail where i knew within 30 minutes of sun up they'd fly down on a ridge top to my south, drop down into a little valley, directly in front of me, that led to a cut corn field crossing within 30 yds of me sitting on the opposing ridge top. So opening day I decided to go ahead and load her up (minus the primer) utilizing the light of the truck. I headed out with quite a trek ahead of me, and made it about 500 yds when I had to cross an old fence line with some low hanging branches and as luck would have it when I went to worm my way over the fence and under the limbs I hear a the distinct sound of shot rolling out of my barrel, great,I've lost my overshot card and now I have to load her up again in the dark.
I finally make it to my predetermined ambush spot marked by a huge old maple tree that I'll use for my back drop and begin the wait for sun up. Sun up comes and nothing, so as typical of me i get impatient and head out towards the field about 30 yd west of my maple tree to see if I can hear better, they HAVE to be here they're ALWAYS here...Nothing...owl calls, crow calls, still nothing. I decide to turn around and head about 100 yd east into the timber to a spot that overlooks the creek bottom because they HAVE to be there if their not here. I get just close enough to see down into the creek bottom and hit the owl call and you guessed it...nothing. Then just as im standing there contemplating trying another spot across the county GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE! There's at least 3 and their on fire straight south of my maple tree, LIKE ALWAYS. So I make a mad dash back and sure enough I beat them there. I set up on the south side of the big maple cause I KNOW they'll come right down into the valley in front of me like ALWAYS. It takes about 10 minutes for them to fly down and turn my way and about another five before I can just make out the first one. I decide it's time to give them a little sweet talk to keep them steered in the right direction, they all start screaming their heads off trying to cut off each others gobbles with what seemed like 5 solid minutes of gobbling. Quite the spectacle, enough so that I think I'd like to see that again so i popped in my mouth call and started into a series of soft yelps when out of the clear blue I get cut off with a gobble from a bird standing just to my left on the 4-wheeler trail at 15 yd! Oh crap now what? I decided my best bet is to just pull up and shoot but when I pushed the safety off he either heard it or saw it and he turned straight away from me preparing to either run or fly, but luck was now in my corner, cause the other 3 let out a series of gobbles that he just couldn't pass up a chance to respond to. BIG mistake, as it turns out that's exactly the amount of time it takes me to sit up, shoulder a gun, swing and squeeze. It seemed like forever for the smoke to clear so I could actually confirm the shot placement but it eventually did.

Hunting Update...

I shot a gobbler at 7 this morning in Kentucky with the 12 ga TK-2000! A 35 yard shot through some underbrush but the load of #6's found the target and dropped him like a sack of hammers! Back in the morning to try to take another with the muzzleloader. Good luck to all...BOB

Indiana Hunting Update....

Happy to say I took my Indiana bird on Saturday morning....the bad news is I didn't take the muzzleloader that morning! I took him with my dad's old Browning Auto 5 and my 10 year old grandson sitting beside me in the blind. It was his first hunt to "tag-along" and he's hooked for life now! All tags are filled so I can relax and wait for October and the fall turkey season to begin.