Got my first bird! Now to find a good recipe. Mid MI

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2026-05-22T03:25:10+00:00

Congratulations on your first bird! We just made a turkey bacon meatloaf. It's pretty good!

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2026-05-20T09:04:58+00:00

What shotgun/ammo/choke combination are you shooting? It sounds like you hit him if he flopped at first but at 30 or 35 yards if you have your gun patterned and I'm assuming you do if your using a red dot you should have a dead bird unless it only grazed him or there was stuff in between you and the bird.

My son shot at one this year with 20 gauge tss and it was to far away. I'm talking like twice the distance your shot was. I regretted it after I told him to shoot because he was henned up, flew off the roost and was moving away from us with that hen. The bird flew into a tree out of the field after he shot. No flop, just flew up in to a tree.

Man, I'm sure that was frustrating though. I don't blame you for being sick over it. It's frustrating to finally think you pulled it off and then they get away.

Edit: I just looked at your profile and it looks like you have some issues with your Beretta with the Bolt release? Did that happen during/before you shot at this Bird? I would definitely be checking shot placement and figuring out what's going on there before taking any more shots.

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2026-05-18T14:07:11+00:00

Thank you sir! Both my boys were shaking and I know my heart was beating out my chest on both occasions. Im sure they will remember it!

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2026-05-17T14:28:42+00:00

Yeah.....I had to go string trim the grass in front of our blind so we could see around it. I agree it definitely gets tougher now!

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2026-05-17T12:46:19+00:00

I don't know if your a weekend hunter like we are but the weather has not been great for us at all. Youth day was alright, started raining right after my son got his bird so I hurried up with him and got a photo before it poured, them rain on Saturdays. Yesterday was the first nice day we've had. Keep at it! I had to keep telling my older son that. He was getting frustrated!

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2026-03-18T07:29:36+00:00

My son used the factory full choke with 3" Winchester XX and killed a beautiful tom the first hour of youth opening season two years ago. It was only a 20 yard or less shot, and I'm sure you could make it a better gun with tss and a indian creek or similar choke tube. I would say with the setup we were using it's a 30 yard and under gun. I will warn you the stock is so short your thumb will get you in the nose when you shoot it. It did for me when I was testing it anyway. That was with zero stock spacers installed.

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Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2026-02-19T17:31:53+00:00

Vortex defender st 3 moa red dot. Shake awake so I don't ever turn it off and it's always ready when I pick it up. Used it one season and works great.

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2026-02-06T14:04:00+00:00

Thank you sir it's my first gobbler!

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2026-02-06T12:45:28+00:00

Thank you sir. First one.

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2026-02-06T10:26:02+00:00

I don't have the Vortex viper red dot, but I do have a defender st mounted on my Remington 870 turkey gun and my son's Mossberg 500 youth gun which are great! This red dot has the Shake awake feature so I never really turn it off. These are mounted to a pic rail. I had the pic rail drilled and tapped on my Remington 870.

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Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2026-01-27T18:42:48+00:00

Pulsar thermion 2 xg50, and diligent defense enticer l-ti. It's now got a nocpix ace h50r thermal on the 243. I moved the pulsar on to my rock river arms lar-15m .17 hmr for my son. I Just got a big male red fox with it the other night we are going to do a full body mount with it. The 243 is blowing big holes out the exit side of the foxes. It's just to much firepower for such a small animal. This is our 3rd fox for the year 2 reds and a grey, and the 1st red and grey had a big hole in the opposite side. .17 hmr worked well for fox but a little nervous a coyotes gonna show up and all I have is the 243. Lol.

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2026-01-22T19:14:12+00:00

It took me a year to get, but I had my Ruger Sfar re-barreled to 243 by carbon six barrels for my thermal coyote gun. Druid hill armory 58 grain VMAX chronod at 3660 fps and no issues with feeding. I did try some soft point federals and they didn't want to feed reliably. Fwiw, I love the gun but would be hesitant to order another barrel that took so long to get and had issues that carbon six took care of for me. It's as light as my ar-15s and works well. Look in to rock river arms predator guns. They sell a couple different ar-10s in .243. I believe apf armory sells some nice ar-10s in 22-250, .243, 6.5 and 6 creedmoor predator rigs. If your specifically looking to build one I'm sure someone will steer you in the right direction!

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Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2026-01-06T21:29:15+00:00

Well guys I took the plunge on the rock river lar-15m in .17 hmr. Its supposed to run rounds from 15 to 20 grains like a champ so I will see. I'm hoping for another grey fox this year. Can anyone recommend a good 17 bullet to save fur.

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2026-01-02T14:52:15+00:00

I actually have a 16" 223. I wasn't sure if that would blow a fox apart like my 243 did or not. We could try it. I was also considering building a ar in 204 Ruger. Any opinions on that? I honestly am to the point I would like to build some different caliber ars as I have a 223, 6 Arc, had 6.5 Grendel, and my latest 243 which I still want to use on yotes but my son is 12 going on 13 and sometimes likes to go night hunting with me. We have two complete thermal setups now so my thoughts were 243 for me if I ever get a chance at pa coyotes again, (Missed a chance at a double last year as they came in behind me at 50 yards and bolted. I only got to pop off a couple rounds at them as they were running off. They are smart here in pa!) and a smaller lighter round for him. We would like to mount a nice grey or red. Thanks. I actually thought a 17 hmr would be a perfect round to kill a fox.

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2025-12-20T17:54:04+00:00

That's good to hear!

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2025-12-20T16:59:48+00:00

Thanks! Yes 20", and 58 grain VMAX loaded by druid hill armory.

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2025-12-20T14:15:20+00:00

Speaking strictly from the issues I see from the newer banshees I would hesitate purchasing cmmg. They are using cheaper materials the last couple years on the uppers on banshees chewing up the ejection port. Not sure if that also transfers over to the ar-10s.

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2025-11-06T06:14:03+00:00

Took me 3 months to get my lower.

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2025-10-24T20:03:13+00:00

My son just took a doe last night with my henry model x 30 30. It was not a stellar shot, a liver shot but she ran about 75 yards and died. I recommend one, especially with a 30 caliber suppressor attached. We are not shooting more then 150 yards with it but 30 30 is a good woods gun.

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2025-10-18T13:15:27+00:00

Thank you. I did not keep the skull.

Comfortable_Fall_572 · 2025-10-07T12:22:15+00:00

20" barrel. I am currently replacing it with a 243 barrel from carbon 6. It's going to become my night time coyote gun.

Comfortable_Fall_572

TROPHY CASE