Turkey Shoot

We hosted an old-fashioned Turkey Shoot at the church yesterday, as part of our Fall Festival.  We got some prizes donated (Turkeys, hams, etc),  It's fairly simple in concept.  A shooter buys a target and posts it on the target holder, normally approx 25 yards away from the firing line.  The rangemaster hands them one shotgun shell and they fire at the target.  Then retrieve the target for scoring.  The scorer measures the closest individual shot pellet from the tiny X at the center of the target.   The closest shot wins.  Our target is down below, for reference. Any shotgun, any gauge is allowed, but every shooter uses the same shells.  I had a whole bunch of shells in my stocks, all in 7 1/2 shot, so I donated those to the match.

I had shells in four gauges (12, 16, 20, and .410) and ran a two-lane range so that I could control safety.  We shot men, women, and youth divisions, and we had a wonderful time.

This was the first Turkey Shoot I had done at this church, and the members were unsure what to expect until they saw it on the ground, then got into it with the sort of friendly competition that comes when you combine a beautiful day, firearms, and safe, friendly competition.  And yes, my scorekeeper was using a micrometer to score the targets.

When all the prizes were given away, we folded it up, did a quick police call, and went on to enjoy the rest of the day.