I moved to a more rural area and the local fish n game club is having a turkey shoot?

What’s a turkey shoot?

You should have read the 'living in the country guidelines' before you moved. Cardboard target +shotgun=pellets closest to the bullseye. And you might win a turkey.

The one I went to had one shot at target with birdshot. Most pellets inside the circle won.

I'm sure there are plenty of score keeping deals.

Typically a turkey shoot is conducted using shotguns at a specified range with the resulting shot patterns on a paper target determining the winner. In most cases the contestants will all use the same ammunition (so a 12-ga. competition, a 16-ga. competition, a 20-ga. competition, etc, each contestant using the same ammunition).

The object of the exercise is to place the greatest number of pellets onto the paper target, with each contestant shooting from the same position and range using the same ammunition.

At my club the prize is typically a frozen turkey (ready for the oven) for each round of a dozen or so shooters. After the guns are put away we frequently have a few adult beverages, maybe a little lunch. A good time is the goal, and we usually accomplish that goal.

I am both fortunate, and unfortunate, to own a shotgun that repeatedly wins at the turkey shoots, whether I am using it or anyone else uses it. Consequently, there is always at least one round in which everyone gets to use my shotgun. The scoring is lots of fun.

All the ones I went to way back when were 10 people on the line each shooting at their own 8 X 10" piece of paper with an X drawn in the middle at 40 yds. The one that had a pellet closest to the center of the X won the turkey. Of course, the one that put the most pellets in the target at that range had the best chance of winning. My grandfather's old Fox Sterlingworth with the 30" full chokes would load that target up. After a few shoots those old timers wouldn't shoot if I went up to the line. Those guys hated getting beat by some scrawny kid with a 1920 vintage shotgun.

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There are variations as to how a Turkey Shoot works. Most common use shotguns and paper targets "Closest to the center of the X" and "Most pellets in a circle". Sometimes both, shooter's choice. It's largely a matter of luck as to how tightly your shotgun patterns with a specific shell and shot size being provided by the club in the Shoot for most pellets in a circle. You can't use your own shells for obvious reasons. Closest the center of the X is even more luck. Most shooters use a full choke 12 gauge shotgun. At least I have not known of any other gauge shotguns being used. I have seen Turkey Shoots which require that all shooters must use only the same shotgun (and ammo) supplied by the club, not their own shotgun. Back in the "Old" days, Turkey Shoots usually involved using a rifle, shooting at a live turkey's head as a target at some distance, say 25 yards (body of the unfortunate bird was protected behind a log barricade). I doubt that is done anywhere these days. I have also heard of Turkey Shoots using .22 rifles and "Closest to the center of the X" targets at some distance but haven't seen one.

Back when I lived in rural western Maryland almost 50 years ago, there were always some roadside turkey shoots in the area that operated every day during the period leading up to Thanksgiving. Anyone driving by could stop, pay the tariff for a shot, and shoot, winner to be determined later. Almost universally, a Turkey Shoot is principally a fund raising activity either for some charitable purpose or for the club. Marksmanship skills have little to do with who wins a frozen turkey (or sometimes a ham).

I thought it was like the Sargent York movie the one closest in the V?

I was going to shoot my 1907 Swede Mauser 6.5/29” barrel. I’m not going now my body won’t shoot 12 ga.

That was when they were shooting for a beef critter . The turkey shoot you shot a live turkey, if you could get him to stick his head up .

Being from a place where there are no wild turkeys.

The only "turkey shoot" I remember is this one:

Battle of the Philippine Sea - Wikipedia

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‘He’s got a 16 gauge choke down like a rifle.’
I’ve known folks up in the Midwest, like Indiana who had barrels custom choked for Turkey Shoots.

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I don't doubt that may have been done, but as one who has patterned many shotshells for use in trap shooting, I know a shell of some specific brand and shot size and weight may shoot a uniformly tight group, but not necessarily if that same shotgun is fired using a different brand of shell having the same shot size and weight. If you want opinions regarding performance of different brands of shotshells, talk to a top-level competitive trap shooter or live pigeon shooter. Those guys will always use only the brand that they have determined to shoot the best in their shotguns.

I have been to turkey shoots where a shotgun was used and I have been to ones where a rifle .22RF or center fire was used. The common thing was that a turkey was the prize.

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Can my S&W Mdl 10 shoot +P

My grandpa's got an old "jug gun" which was used in these sorts of shoots....

Some call them Card Shoots.

I had a 1950 vintage Superposed that would pattern very tight, and took a few prizes.

Just ran one at our club with the trap range. Hit the white clay bird and win a bird hah

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In my area turkey shoots are often trap shoots, with the best score winning a frozen turkey. Same theme.

This is a common fundraiser with many gun clubs in central Pennsylvania. Pellet closest to the X on a target wins. Shells provided by club. Not uncommon for shooters to have custom built shotguns and chokes, equipped with scope/red dot for the shoot. In response to shooters demands, some clubs are providing quality shells, such as Winchester AA, for the shoots in order to provide more consistent patterns. This can be competitive.

It is hard to keep it straight. There is "Turkey Shoot" and "Turkey Shot." The photo is of the later.

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That appears to be a shot turkey.... this would be Turkey shot....

You can draw shooters that are not very good by having numbered squares on a piece of square paper at 10 yards pistol or rifle with a 22. Turn the paper around to the blank side and fire 3 shots. High score wins. Not the best shot. All you do is hit the paper. The shooter doesn't know which direction <4 possible> the paper is turned. Usually you win a paid receipt for a frozen turkey at the local grocery.

When I would go the turkey shoots sponsored by the VFW you would a shell that they provided. Sit at a bench and shoot a cardboard target.
Whom ever pierced the bullseye or cane closest would win that round.
Sometimes it was cash, sometimes 10 lbs if bacon or whatever.
You don’t see them much anymore but they are still out there.

At a turkey shoot near Bois D’Arc, MO in the ‘70s was the first time I ever saw a muzzle-loading cannon fired. A local guy brought and fired one for a collection that he gave to the organisers.

Our club is 5 people line up at the 16 yard trap line and shoot 2 shots at each station. High score wins, ties shoot off at the 20 yard line. Club hot shots compete from the 27 yard line.

I've seen them using the card targets...either an X on a card or a printed turkey head with a spot in the eye that decided who the winnah is(closest to the spot) or as the previous poster said..2 shots each at 5 trap stations with two squads...Shootoff back yonder. I went to one one day and watched 'em shoot. Had a kid with a 20 ga in one squad...Beat up on the kid of course...so I took the ol Ithaca mag 10 out with some handloads of 2 1/4 ounces of 7s. They cried foul but I pointed it out about the kid with the 20. Won the match and gave the turkey to the young'un. They wouldn't let me shoot the 10 ga again, though. Didn't matter anyway. BTW that 10 ga obliterated clay targets. And it was a really pretty gun..Presentation grade. Ithaca made some really pretty guns

I know what a Henway is...

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James Fenimore Cooper wrote in his novel "The Pioneers" 1823, (info from the museum) of an old custom held on Christmas day where a turkey was buried in the snow up to its neck, with the objective being to shoot the bobbing red head from a distance of 100 yards. Only a shot in the neck or head was counted as good, and each shot cost a shilling.

I remember reading that novel about Natty Bumppo many years ago.

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Death? Smile back...

Several organizations have them locally as fundraisers. Numerous ways to compete and determine a winner. I've seen archery and rimfire but shotgun is most common. Here, the shells are provided (#8) and 12, 16, 20 and .410 (for the youngsters and recoil shy) are used. It's a luck of the draw, or shot I guess in this case with 12 ga. the preferred size due to more shot on target. The local American Legion has a 36" Marlin "Goose Gun" as a loaner that gets shot quite a bit.

What's a turkey shoot?
Not as good as I do.
He's for dinner this Thanksgiving.
I'm not.