Bow/Shotgun/Or Muzzleloader....

Question

I just moved to MO from CO, and want to start hunting deer and wild turkey instead of elk and prarie birds, I need to know whats the best for these types of hunts...shotgun bow or muzzleloader, I can only afford one, so it's gotta be good for deer and turkey, I would think hunting turkey with a front stuffer may ruin alot of meat but I dont know, and bows can take alot of time to learn, but I am somewhat familiar with them.....any advice would be great! Thanks

Answer 1

CURTIS- shooting turkeys ain't that hard with a bow!!! i'm shooting 6 inch groups at 50 yards, and what the spread on your shotgun at 50 yards?? guarantee its more then a 6 inch spread!!

see the thing that i dont like about guns are that all you have to do is put the sights on the animal and put the saftey off and pull the trigger!! while with a bow you have to know the yardage, know the pin, pull back then shoot. Plain and simple its harder w/ a bow. Also with a gun you have to watch out whats behind the animal( other turkeys, deer hogs) while with a bow sometimes the arrow doesnt go through.

but anyway back to your question...... muzzleloader w/ turkey is out because you probably wont have much turkey left..... bow is good for both .... shotgun is good for both, but depending you might have to pull the bb's out of that turkey. shotgun is easier, bow is more challenging and its less expensive, its really up to you  

Answer 2

I would use the shotgun. You can easily kill a deer with in 100 yard with a slug and you can kill a turkey with it too

Answer 3

Grab a 12 gauge. Several different types of exotic and practical application ammo are available for it. Furthermore, it can be used for home defense as well. Don't try that with a primitive weapon.

Answer 4

You want a shotgun --- you need a shotgun.

Archery does take a long time to learn but once you're good at it, deer are pretty easy to kill. Turkeys with a bow...forget it. You might accidently kill one every few years out of your deer stand but it's a total waste of time to target them with a bow (considering our birds are call shy and very very spooky). I'm sure chuck is proficient with a bow but that's not typical of the average hunter. The success rate on turkey is only about 30% and that's with 99% of everyone using a shotgun.

If you receive mailers from Bass Pro (KC, STL, Columbia, Branson, and Springfield) they WILL run a shotgun special at some point in the next couple months that will offer a remington 870 (awesome) or mossy (junk) in both the smooth barrel and rifled barrel.

That's what you want.

MO regulations

- Turkey is shotgun or bow only

- Deer can NOT be shot with buckshot

EDIT

No, missouri is not shotgun only. It is a rifle, handgun, shotgun, muzzleloader, or bow state during rifle season. A lot of conservation areas are restricted to archery/muzzleloader only or you must use your Any Deer tag (no bonuses).

http://www.mdc.mo.gov/hunt/deer/

Answer 5

PIck up a copy of the MO Conservation Hunting Guide at your local 'Mart or gun shop. It will give you the extensive details you will have to know about the regulations.

For deer and turkey, you have conflicting requirements. A shotgun would fit the bill for both. Use a 12 guage with the tightest choke you have test patterned works, same as the ammo. You can't shoot pattern targets enough to find all the better combinations, but you can surf the appropriate forums, read up on shotguns, and get familiar with what works best.

For deer, the shotgun with a rifled slug barrel works great - but two barrels may not be in the budget. A rifled choke will do. Start with Hornady slugs, and again, shoot lots of targets as you test different rounds.  You will find out what works for you in your gun faster than listening to "experts" with no experience who rattle off something half remembered from a magazine writer selling the latest greatest merchandise. There is that much hype out there - just check the guy in the big new truck with all the camo doodads, you'll see a showoff more often than a real hunter.

Then you can pick up other stuff as you can. A bow is great and really extends the seasons, giving you a lot more opportunity to get out. For deer, the next thing would be a good lever action with a low powered scope. They are more than sufficient in the woods, and the biggest taker of deer nationwide in all history. The new Leverevolution ammo is a nice improvement for them.

Blackpowder can certainly be done for deer and opens another season for getting out. With an inexpensive sidelock and loose powder, the entry costs are low. Centerfire muzzleloaders with powder pills are a bit more expensive, but the accuracy seems to justify it.

MO bow opens in a few weeks, plan now before it sneaks up on you. Perhaps someone will loan you a bow and you can get them to give you a guided tour of the nearest good hunting spots.  

Answer 6

use a shotgun with a pistol grip and thumb holee    slugs work great on deer and im not positive but in your area you may be able to use buck shot for deer

you can buy turkey shot for turkeys

Answer 7

mossberg 835 utili mag combo 400.00  its designed specifically for deer and turkey.

Answer 8

Two ways to go, you can use a bow which is great with standard broadheads for deer but for the turkey you should use an arrow tip called the turkey guillotine it cuts the turkeys head off but otherwise I would go with the shotgun because you can use a buck shot for the deer and for the turkey you use a bird shot.

Answer 9

you can hunt anything  with any of them so i would just flip a coin

Answer 10

Since you have no gun yet, start out with the shotgun.You can do it all with that gun, turkey, deer, ducks and squirrels. Get a little hunting experience and then go to a rifle for deer hunting. After you've settled in and gotten more experienced  at deer hunting, make the switch from gun hunting to bowhunting for deer. I can't describe the thrill and the excitement that bowhunting gives you. Know that excitement that you get with a gun in your hand and a deer in front of you? Multiply that by a factor of 10 when you have a deer in front of you and a bow in your hand.Good hunting and enjoy yourself!