Turkey with late Grandfathers shotgun

Been wanting to take a bird with my grandfathers Steven mod 311 double barrel 12 ga. Last weekendI made up a batch of 1 3/8 oz nickel plated #6 for it that patterned really well at 35 yards with the full choke barrel modified wasn't to shabby either.
The second season here has been tough toms are hen'd up and not working plus it been raining off and on. This morning neighbors friend Brian got a nice bird at sun up and texted me that I could hunt their farm. So between rain showers jumped across the fence and got into his blind. About 2 hours later had a couple of jakes come from behind and I shot one at 15 steps as it was checking out my decoys.
I bought this gun from my uncle Fred for 30 bucks when I was in sixth grade back around 1978 have taken a bunch of squirrels and rabbits growing up. Havn't use it in awhile thought it would be fun to take a bird with it. The one pic is taken from the blind
J

That’s cool. Congratulations

Nice gun! I have one in twenty gauge I've been toying trying to take a turkey with. Birds aren't around this year.

Nice job!!

Great pics older I get more I like taking out an old gun

That's great, WTG!

Great story! Congrats

Nice job, nothing like getting something with an old gun. I killed a turkey last week with a model 1912 winchester manufactured in 1918. They were called 1912's before winchester shortened the name to model 12. I took it squirrel hunting last year so I could say I used a one hundred year old gun to kill squirrels. Now at 101 years old it's still getting it done. Nothing like the old ones.

Very cool ! Nice job !

I have my GF's Model 311 too... all he ever hunted was rabbits, every day the season was open in back in the 60's. I still remember he traded a guy his Model 12, his only shotgun, for a 311 because he "wanted a double". That Model 12 was just a "pump gun" to him. I was maybe 9-10 at the time thinking back. He took it over to his vise, put a rag around the barrels and cut 5 or 6" off with a hacksaw... took another year or so before he got around to putting a new bead on it. Things were different in those days....I have both of my GF's doubles, the other an old Springfield hammerless, and they are pretty much priceless... I'll bet yours is too... congrats on "making meat" with yours.

Thanks for all the replies. Next year going to turkey hunt with dads 16ga double and moms
J jc higgins 12 ga

I have my dad's Stevens 16 ga double. I might try for a turkey with it next year.


Dan

Great Job! Very Neat

Very cool.. Congrats..

Awesome hunt! Many years ago my Pappy (step-father) came and hunted fall turkey with me. He'd never hunted turkey at all because they'd been all shot off before he was born in 1925. (The last recorded Michigan "original" bird was kilt in 1897). We both shot young toms the first day of our hunt, me with my old 870 20 ga., him with a 12 ga. Lefever side-by-each his father bought the same year Pappy was born. All the way home from the farm we hunted my Pappy kept repeating "I can't believe I shot a wild turkey with the old man's gun, he'd never have believed it". It is one of my favorite memories of any hunt he and I had together. I'm sure, illinideer, that you'll also remember your hunt fondly decades from now too. Congrats on the hunt "with" your granddad.

Illinideer, I enjoyed your pictures. I have my grandfathers old SxS 12 ga. double. It has hammers and Damascus barrels so I don't shoot it any more. Gramps traded for it when he was a young man from a blacksmith in Macon Mo. It was used when he got it probably around 1912. Gramps was born in 1893. All my uncles learned to shoot and hunt with it. Even though I don't shoot it anymore I love to just handle it. Brings back lots of memories.
Sometime ago I read "When a man gets old all he has is his family and memories". I think that is enough.

Hows that full choke barrel reacting to the nickel plated shot?I have an old Spanish made Zabala 10 gauge.34inch barrels both full choke.Was wondering how they would be with other than lead shot.

Barrels look fine im sure the lead still gives a little when it hits the choke. I do put a shot wrapper down in the wad so the shot is surrounds in thin plastic . I didnt bother adding buffer it had a real good and even pattern
J

Good to hear.I have run copper plated lead through mine but nothing harder than that.

BBD...baby bird down. Haven't seen hardly anything for birds this year so I can't be too fussy. We're allowed two.


Twenty gauge with #6 shot at thirty yards or so.

Makes it all the more special when using a weapon handed down by family. Nice bird!

Congrats! My Dad passed away a couple months ago and I've been using his old 870. With the rain and wind the birds haven't cooperated yet but I still got a couple more hunts yet. My Dad never turkey hunted (there were none around when he was hunting) but hopefully I'll get a bird with him!