What's the deal with bullheads for turkeys?

[acolobowhunter]

I use the same setup for turkeys that I use for elk, deer, javelina, mt. lions, etc.  A good 2 blade broadhead (Zwikee) and have never lost a bird.  Pick a spot at the top of the drum stick and you have a dead bird.

[KSdan]

After shooting 45 birds (all boom stick!) I am convinced that the vitals and the head are the same size (Palm of hand). One reason I never shot one with a bow yet- just too small a target and I hate to lose one.  1" one way or another and you have a lost bird. One guy I know lost 6 last year.

I think the head shot is a good way to go. I have concerns with energy as well. Thinking of the smaller bullhead OR maybe a head shot with an actual broadhead if I decide to do it.  Only body shot I will take is the the Texas heart shot.

Of course- after reading of all this success on TG, you all have me thinking.  I would love to know true percentages on losses.  

Dan

I talked to a compound shooter last year that hit a turkey with the bullhead and it did nothing. He was shooting a 45 pound compound with carbon arrows. I figured my 55 pound longbow had less power than he did, so they won't work for me. I put an apple on a paint bucket for practice. amazing how easy a paint bucket with an apple on is to hit, no harm came to the defenseless apple. I have the same problem with turkeys, the head shot is tough, they move it around too much. he told me that a game warden down south of here recommended using bludgeons.  He said he dropped a turkey stone dead with one of those. Once again, I think that also would take more power than what I am using. I will stick with my Deadheads.

[2Blade]

Im body shooting this spring. Now a head shot with a 2blade would be something to talk about  

[Bowwild]

I've killed two turkeys with 3-blade mechanicals. The only two I hit I killed, right off.  Hit one above the thigh and  middle of the back on the other -- my aim points on both.

A very good friend who is a great shot and has killed 20+ turkey's with a bow advised me that I will, if I keep shooting at the turkey body, eventually lose a bird even with what appears to be a perfect hit. Most of my friend's birds have come with non-bullheads. He is a strong proponent of the bullhead and head-shots these days.  That got me to thinking.

I bought bullheads last year. Shot em to make sure they'd go where my broadheads do...no problem there. I packed them in a foam lined "Lock and Lock" (QVC is good for something I guess?).  I did not shoot at a turkey last year. So the bullhead is untested with me.

This thread, and some of the bounce-off stories have me concerned now. Of course I continue to respect my friend's experienced opinion above anyone else I know.

I too shoot moderate draw weight bows (44-48#'s).  Looks like I'll have only about 5 days to turkey hunt this year (I hear them gobbling every morning out my back door). I still get WAY excited killing a turkey with a bow and the thought of losing one bothers me more than it probably should.

[KSdan]

I have considered a bludgeon as well- long before they came up with bullheads, etc.  I have raised wild turkeys, and if you whack them on the head they are stunned and collapse for a few minutes.  I really thought that could work, of course you would have to then go kill them quick.  Good news- hit or miss.  No wounded birds.

[Bowwild]

Of course you need to check regulations. Blunts and bludgepons are not legal in all states.

With the larger bludgeon with washers glued to it with hot melt to the weight up, we tested them on domestic turkeys. With my 64lb. at 26" Schulz and 650 grain arrows at twenty yards the turkey did not go any where. With my 53 pound longbow and 500 grain arrows not good enough results to use for hunting, used a  broadhead to finish the job. We are smoking a turkey this weekend. I am sticking with big broadheads.

[Friend]

If a big ole bore turkey shows up, he may find himself being introduced to a Big 3 backed by a 100 grain insert...400 gns up front...608 gns total and 32% Ultra-EFOC

[Gen273]

 I don't get it, a turkey's head never stops moving.

[Buxndiverdux]

I've killed 4 turkeys with bullheads and wheels. I'm going to try them with my longbow this year. I'll be sure to post my results. The bullheads are awesome.

[Friend]

***Just my opinion only***

Harvesting game with trad gear is on playing field of a much higher plane. Taking a gob with trad gear is personally a consumate challenge and gambling on whether something may or may not successfully harvest a gob, to me, is not worthy of any type of consideration.

Gobs are one of Kentucky's Big 5 and they both deserve and command that respect. When I loose an arrow and it finds it 'mark', then no gob should be gobblin "where's the beef"?

My enflamed passion and devout respect for this magnificant bird stimulates me to assume an outspoken stance.

[KSdan]

Gen273- When in strut and standing they can be still.  On the other hand, I know guys kill them on body shots- no doubt. . . I would just really like to know the percentages of loss.  I know for a fact many of my friends have lost birds- quite common.  And I still maintain, if we are honest-  the head is the same size as the vitals (and I know there are other anatomical structures that can take them down).  The only guy I have heard of that consistently killed birds with no loss was a compound guy who always shot them at 10 yds or less at full strut- texas heart shot!

I really do hope you guys that do it have great success. Please post real results- I would love to hear.  I will probably give it a crack in the early archery only season here- head or texas heart shot.  Then out comes the boom stick.

[Overspined]

If you shoot with bullheads, it's a good idea to shoot where the skin meets feathers on the neck.  That part of the neck moves much less than the head, and it's what I aim at with any weapon.  Doing this gives you a little elevation deviation too.

[Skipmaster1]

Originally posted by kenn1320:
 

Originally posted by Skipmaster1:
I have killed a lot of Turkeys with Snuffers and VPA's. Never had any problems anchoring them quick. A few years ago i wanted to try Bullheads, I had a Jake come in under 10yds and let it rip while his neck was fully extended. Hit him dead center in the middle of the neck, the arrow bounced off and he ran away "putting" no blood, no bird. Had it on film and after reviewing it I could see I hit exactly dead center, with the "field point" part of the head. I figured it was a fluke and went out again in another spot in the morning. I had a replay of exactly the same thing, on film once again. I believe had my shots been just slightly to one side or the other I would have had 2 dead birds.  I was shooting a 50# shrew, had I been shooting a 60# or wheels, I may have had a different outcome as well. I just didn't like the idea of having to aim to hit the side of a turkeys neck. On a side note I took a great Tom later that second morning with a Snuffer, he didn't make it out of sight and was down in seconds

Youtube of photobucket will host your video, would love to see this! [/b]

One of these days I will sort through my tapes and pull those out, but it is quite the daunting task and when we updated the computer I lost all of my videos on Final Cut.

I'm not saying they don't work but they just aren't for me. I prefer body shots, especially facing straight away at close range. I set my decoys at 4-5 yards and usually shoot my birds at the dekes and a few times between me and the decoys, almost never over 10yds

[Jim Rocole]

great topic. Dan I know I am 3 out of 4 on body shots with recovery. I lost last years bird on what I thought was a good bodyshot and that bird ran almost half a mile and I lost him in a blueberry swamp. As far as the head shot I used the BUllhead two years ago and proceeded to miss a tom at ten yards three times trying to shoot him in the grape. He kept ducking. Anchored him with my 2 blade with my last arrow. I am a fan of the body shot, like previously said aim for the wing butt. All of my shots have been under 15 yds from a ground blind. I also use the same setup I use for everyy other critter. 56# Bears Paw LB with 200 gr Muzzy Phantoms and Grizzlysticks.

[Gen273]

This is a great topic, and like others I would like to know more real life facts about both body and head shots. I have only lost one turkey with a body shot, but I sure have missed a bunch. I do like the idea of "DEAD ON CONTACT" which would come from the head shot. However, it seems like the big bullhead would be a bulky in terms of your sight picture and if you were hunting out of a blind.

I am going to continue to think this over, and I may even buy a bullhead to see how it shoots.

[KSdan]

Agree.  This has been a GREAT thread. . . I too am reading and thinking. . . Just do not want to lose a bird.

Dan

[swp]

I shot one with a bullhead last year, hit him a little low and bent a blade. He walked behind a cedar tree but came back out a little later and was visibly bleeding out of his nose. Tried to get another arrow in him but couldn't. He walked away. I followed a GREAT blood trail for about 45 yards and then it just stopped. Never found the bird. Ended up killing three last year with Grizzlies and a string tracker.

[Kevin Winkler]

When I still shot wheels I used expandables on turkeys. When I switched back to traditional I just used my woodsman heads and they have done a great job. My last three birds have been with my trad bow and woodsmans. I did take a friend of mine out a few years back and he was using the guillotine head and he shot a jake not 15 feet from the blind and the tip hit directly on the spine of the neck and the turkey fell to the ground and then proceeded to get up and run in circles around the field until he caught up to the jake and did the WWF body slam on him. I got it on video and I was laughing so hard I was crying.
He was shooting 55 or 60lbs and I couldn't believe it didn't cut the head off, it only made a dimple in the skin on the birds neck.