APPEARS IN News Game Turkeys

Rio Grande Turkey Hunt with Carlson's Choke Tubes

by Shawn Skipper - Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Gallery

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On Target

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If you're going to kill a turkey, you need to pattern your shotgun. We did just that on Carlson's custom patterning range. The company's set up is a sight to behold—trust that there'll be more coverage on that down the line, potentially in a print issue of American Hunter.

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Cutting Edge

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While we were in town, we also stopped by the Carlson's headquarters to get a closer look at the company's operation. Here's an inside look at the laser engraving process. Those are Hevi-Shot Extended Range waterfowl chokes getting a little detailing.

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Watching the Corn Grow

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We tried a couple different set ups over the course of the weekend, but my success would come from the pop up blind pictured here, which we placed along the fence line of a cornfield.

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Tools of the Trade

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After much debate as to my shotgun, I settled on a Weatherby SA-459 Turkey. I wanted an optic, in case I had to reach out a bit, and I ultimately topped the scattergun with a Weaver Kaspa.

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Loaded with Long Beard

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My ammunition of choice? Winchester's revolutionary Long Beard XR. Though I never had to take a shot out to 50 or 60 yards, it's more than capable.

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Making the Call

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Being a novice turkey caller, I needed something that I could pick up on the fly. The Primos Hook Up made for a good start, and brought me my second bird.

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First Bird

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It was early on Saturday morning that I tagged my first ever turkey, seen here. It took him the better part of an hour and a half to cross the cornfield and approach our decoys before finally meeting his end roughly 40 yards away from our blind. That's Carlson's Choke Tubes owner Scott Carlson on the left.

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Daily Double

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My second bird came in the same spot as the first, though just a few yards closer—I let him reach 32 yards before squeezing the trigger. I'm admittedly probably still a little impatient. On the left in this photo is fellow NRA employee Courtney Olson, who nailed a tom of his own on Sunday morning.

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The Spurs

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My second bird had the finest set of spurs of the three Courtney and I harvested over the weekend. Here's a look in comparison to a 3" Long Beard XR shell.

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Moonrise Over the Prairie

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That's not the sun you see rising—it's the moon creeping over a nearby rock face as dusk fell on the next to last day of our hunt.

Entering the spring 2015 turkey season, Web Managing Editor Shawn Skipper still hadn't harvested a thunder chicken. That changed during a weekend with Scott Carlson of Carlson's Choke Tubes. Get an inside look at Shawn's hunt—during which he was armed with a Weatherby SA-459 Turkey, topped with a Weaver Kaspa and loaded with Winchester's Long Beard XR—with this gallery.

IN THIS ARTICLE

turkeys turkey hunting shawn skipper carlson's choke tubes choke tubes hunting long beard xr weatherby weaver rio grande

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Rio Grande Turkey Hunt with Carlson's Choke Tubes

Gallery

On Target

Cutting Edge

Watching the Corn Grow

Tools of the Trade

Loaded with Long Beard

Making the Call

First Bird

Daily Double

The Spurs

Moonrise Over the Prairie

More Like This From Around The NRA

Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

Quick Links

Rio Grande Turkey Hunt with Carlson's Choke Tubes

Gallery

On Target

Cutting Edge

Watching the Corn Grow

Tools of the Trade

Loaded with Long Beard

Making the Call

First Bird

Daily Double

The Spurs

Moonrise Over the Prairie

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