When you see people hunting upland game birds or turkeys, don’t think they are nice big easy target. The real target is much smaller and usually moving.

LocalFluff: I have done very little hunting. This was only the third time I have done it. However, the license for this particular hunt was specifically restricted to pistols/revolvers or muzzle-loads. I wasn’t allowed to hunt with any other weapons.

Anyway, what you know about pistols or revolvers and their accuracy is dead wrong. I can routinely hit the black bullseye of a target about 70% of the time at 50 yards using only one arm. And that is using either a 45 or 22 caliber semi-automatic. More important, among competition bullseye shooters my scores are not even considered much more than slightly above average.

Pistols can be very accurate. You just need to practice, make sure the gun is working properly, and have a good trigger.

@Robert Z
You hunt with a pistol?? How does that work? Only now do I see that you write that you hunt with a pistol. As opposed to a rifle. The little experience I have of using a pistol is that you have to get in very close range in order to hit anything intentionally. For self defense, or indoors attack by all means, rather than hunting. And why not a revolver instead of a pistol? It’s got a more reliable mechanism and is sexier.

Willi: A 1911, with ACP semi-wadcutter 45 ammo. I went out today with my competitive bullseye pistol because it is very accurate, has a scope, and a superb trigger. No javelinas however. I plan to post about it either today or tomorrow.

-shotgun shells are generally used for game-birds. Produces a “cloud” of shot. (Hit them with a rifle shell & they are just as likely to explode all over the place. Not a lot of meat on a wild-turkey.)

Yes– familiar with Aimpoint, but don’t have any of their equipment.
They have an on-line “Boar Hunt Game” you can play—
http://us.aimpoint.com/e-club/wild-boar-hunt-game/

I prefer hunting cows. They just stand there on the open field behind the electric fence while constantly processing grass. They don’t even have horns. It’s so easy, I don’t understand why not more are into it. With a couple of machine guns it’s done within a minute, so no holiday stress.

@wayne
Since you mention turkeys, I want to promote Aimpoint, a local company that manufactures red dot sights that for some patented reason lacks parallax. No matter from what angle you look into the sight, the bullet will hit where you see the red dot inside the sight (I tried it and it seems to work). No external laser pointer. Since I’m not at all into this kind of stuff I might have misunderstood him, but he told me it is popular among turkey hunters in the US. That they want to hit them in their throats(!), because if hit anywhere else they run away and die somewhere where they won’t be found. That one has to keep hunting the bird even after it is dead. Even with an aimpoint I still prefer cow hunting.

LocalFluff– we have so many Deer and Turkey in my area of Michigan, it’s hazardous to joy-ride at Dusk and Dawn. (We all have “deer-strike” insurance on our auto’s, it comes standard.)

My daughter visited Peru when she was in College. She said she really enjoyed eating Cuy from the street vendors, until she realized they were Guinea pigs.

and with that….

Walt Disney – “Pigs Is Pigs” – 1954 version
https://youtu.be/GYXlF3sa9xs
(9:43)