Great Gobbler Gear: Ten Top Picks
By: Joe Byers
Gear matters, especially when turkey hunting, so don’t get caught short when filling your tag. Here are 10 great gear items that will make you more successful during this spring turkey season.
APEX TSS Turkey Loads are denser in lead for maximum range.
Apex leads the industry with the design and manufacture of the ultra-high-density Tungsten Super Shot (TSS). Denser than lead, hard hitting tungsten is like comparing the impact of a baseball with that of a tennis ball- the denser the object, the more energy it delivers. According to Apex, TSS is made from 18.1 g/cc density tungsten alloy, which means more shot in the same traditional payloads, more pellets down range, more consistent patterns, and increased pattern density. Apex uses tungsten shot in its Turkey TSS loads that can make a 20-gauge shoot like a 12. I’ve seen hunters kill turkeys at 40 yards using 410 TSS loads. Team an Apex TSS load with a modern turkey shotgun, and your lethality in the woods will become legendary. www.apexmunition.com
Alps Ambush Sling Pack fit over either shoulder and keeps your callers within easy reach.
Designed to be worn cross-body, the Ambush Sling Pack utilizes a single over-the-shoulder cross-body strap versus the traditional two shoulder straps found on most hunting packs. The ambidextrous strap allows the hunter to wear the pack in multiple positions—right shoulder or left shoulder, front carry, or back carry. The diverse carry configurations allow the hunter to keep the pack on at all times without interfering with shotgun mounting or the shotgun’s length-of-pull. The pack can be worn in front of the torso for easy access to calls while on a sit or be slung across the back for those quick hustles through the woods or long belly crawls. The pack has a dedicated slate call pocket for securing two slates and three strikers, as well as a silent box call pocket. Other features include side mounted MOLLE straps for accessory attachment, shoulder strap shell loops, and a removable diaphragm call pocket. The Ambush Sling Pack is available in Realtree Timber™ and Mossy Oak® Obsession. www.alpsoutdoorz.com
The Weatherby 18i is made in Italy and carries on the legacy of Weatherby rifles.
Built in Italy, the Weatherby 18i uses a proven inertia operating system to deliver an evenly weighted gun with dependable reliability. Instead of porting off gasses from the combustion like a gas-operated shotgun, this action harnesses the energy of the recoiling gun to run its bolt. Because no powder gets re-routed into the gun, the result is a cleaner-running, low maintenance gun. Designed for shooters who want consistency of performance for high-volume shooting, the 18i combines engineering and superior material composition to provide reliable operation in the harshest of environments. The one-piece receiver is precision machined from billet aluminum for strength and simplicity. The 18i is shipped with five choke tubes and a proper choke tube wrench. Weatherby rifles are legendary and now this same performance is available in a shotgun. www.weatherby.com
The author took this big tom during Maryland's afternoon turkey hours in 2021.
Kuiu Valo Camouflage jacket is the perfect weight for cool spring mornings.
Active synthetic insulation was developed to provide enough breathability for comfortable wear during a variety of activity levels and in a broad range of temperatures. The Versa collection features Toray 3DeFX+ continuous fiber insulation, allowing use of an uncoated fabric for a quiet, highly breathable, and low sheen garment. The Versa is reversible and offers 80g of 3DeFX+ insulation and a windproof fabric on the camouflage side to keep a hunter warm and comfortable when the temperature drops and the wind blows. The sleek stitch-through baffle design compliments the body shape and will make the Versa jacket a favorite for everyday adventures. I bought this jacket last fall and found it to be very versatile in a wide range of conditions. Since spring weather can change from cool to snow, it’s the ideal weight and the camouflage patters blends perfectly with the subtle greens of spring foliage. www.kuiu.com
RMHC Turkey Strutter Box Call is small, compact, and ideal for firing up a reluctant tom.
According to Rocky Mountain, this wooden box call contains the V.E.T.T. system with a spring placed inside the box. This helps with volume enhancement, note quality, and pitch when operating it to get the desired putts, yelps, and cackles that will set that gobbler off more readily. The compact size of the box fits in any turkey vest or most hunting jacket pockets. Box callers are ideal for locating turkeys and prompting that first gobble that is so critical to success. Don’t let the name fool you, this caller has caused the demise of many a mountain Merriam but works equally on eastern species. In times of great excitement, the ease of use and consistency of tone, allow you to settle your nerves and have the confidence you will make the perfect call. www.buglingbull.com
Merriam's have distinctive white feather tips.
Red dot sights are ideal for turkey hunting, and the Sig Sauer Romeo 5 will meet every hunter’s need. Turkeys are masters of the unexpected, which is one of the reasons so many hunters miss a bird that approaches silently, suddenly steps into range, or moves through trees. At times of great excitement, it’s an instinct to lift your cheek from the stock, put the shotgun bead on the bird’s head, and fire high. With the Sig Sauer Romeo, once the red dot is on the target, pellets will fly there regardless of your position.
Sig Saur Romeo 5 makes missing nearly impossible with a single red dot.
The 2 MOA dot is the perfect size to focus your attention without blotting out the target. With ten illumination settings, it’s perfect for any light condition. The inclusion of MOTAC (Motion Activated Illumination) means the sight’s power is motion is tied to motion, which eliminates having to turn the sight on and off while hunting. The battery life is rated at 40,000 hours, so you have plenty of power. It mounts with an integrated M1913 Picatinny interface for a wide range of applications and is fog proof and waterproof. Once you hunt with a red dot sight, you’ll quickly see its many benefits. www.sigsauer.com
The Ravin R26X is short, light, and fast. Topped with a Burris Oracle Sight, it should be a super gobbler-getter.
Ravin introduced the R26X for 2022, and I can’t wait to test it out in turkey season. Hunting turkeys with a crossbow requires extreme accuracy, and the Ravin excels in this department. The R26X gets its name from its short, 26-inch stature that is ideal for working around brush or moving from window to window in a pop-up blind. Like most premium Ravin models, the bow cocks with a crank and un-cocks with the push of a button and an unwind of the cocking handle. It’s simple and silent.
My R26X came with an excellent scope, but I’ll replace it with a Burris Oracle X rangefinding scope. I tested that optic on a hog hunt two weeks ago, and it proved to be ideal. The Burris provides a crystal-clear magnified view, and with the push of a button, it gives me a range reading and a tiny red dot for a & precise aim. www.ravincrossbows.com & www.Burrisoptics.com
Rio Grand Gobblers display copper-colored feather tips.
Micro Hades Packaged 150 gr. heads provide four cutting blades for maximum lethality.
Whether you hunt turkeys with a compound bow or a crossbow, the broadhead you use is very important. Because the kill-zone on a wild turkey is so small and difficult to detect, literally SIZE MATTERS. I live in the eastern United States, and our season will open in two weeks. I’ll be preparing by setting up a Primal Vision Blind and practicing with the best flying, largest cutting diameter, broadheads I can find. I heartily recommend practicing on a 3-D turkey target, so that you can practice picking a precise spot. On a strutting gobbler, half of what you see is feathers, and a hunter must exercise great patience to get just the right shot placement and angle. There are several great YouTube videos demonstrating where to shoot, and I encourage to research this issue and practice on your own. I’ll test three broadheads from the R26X: a Muzzy Trocar HBX Hybrid, the Grim Reaper Hadis 4-blade, and the Muzzy One fixed blade. https://www.feradyne.com/brands/Muzzy-Broadheads.html & www.Grimreaperbroadheads.com
Nomad's Hailstorm Jacket is waterproof, breathable, and ideal for spring season.
Nomad’s Hailstorm Jacket and Pant both feature 100% polyester construction with a fully waterproof, breathable membrane and taped seams to handle spring showers and storm. At the same time, fully articulated knees, gusseted crotch, and mechanical stretch shell fabric with DWR finish allows hunters ample range of motion when walking through the woods. The jacket and pants feature YKK AquaGuard zippers to provide a constant moisture barrier, while adjustable wrist and ankle hem tabs deliver all-day comfort. Both the jacket and pants are designed with anatomical shaping, that gives hunters the best in fit, comfort, and performance, especially in high-activity environments and severe weather conditions.
The pants are ideal for chilly morning in a blind or waiting out that first gobble of the morning. The jacket has a warm hood, that doubles as face protection when a turkey gets close. Mossy Oak’s new Drop-Tine pattern will work well in the spring woods and be equally valuable when deer season rolls around. www.nomadoutdoor.com
Primal Tree Stand View Blind allows full one-way vision of approaching game.
I’m really excited about using this blind with my grandchildren this year. I have three tags I’m hoping they’ll help me fill, and this blind will play an integral part, due to its magical vision process. The first year I used a hug blind with a 12-year-old, turkeys saw him raise the shotgun, and he missed. Unable to see the turkey approach and raise his shotgun smoothly, the bird spooked, and he couldn’t connect. The Primal Vision Blind is a total game changer. My grandson can rest his shotgun on a tripod for stability, so that he can swing along with the approaching turkey and shoot at optimal time. And by seeing the bird approach, I can coach him through the shot.
The Primal Vision Blind allows for 270 degrees of one-way see-through windows. Since I normally post a blind against a structure, there is no need to see what is directly behind me. Although the blind does have a window, should that be needed. It has brush loops, that are ideal for disguising the blind for turkey and deer hunting, and at 67 inches, there is plenty of room for bowhunters to shoot. www.primaltreestands.com
The author and his three grandsons will all be chasing gobblers this spring.
I hope these recommendations help you succeed this spring. My grandchildren and I will be using most of them very soon. Don’t hesitate to respond or give feedback. Be safe and best of luck!
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