Turkey Shoots
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2025 6:49 pm
Years ago in Warren County Pa. several of the local Gun Clubs would hold Turkey Shoots starting in the Fall.
Representatives from these clubs (I feel I’m omitting 1 or 2 more) Brokenstraw, Sugar Grove, Pine Grove, Kalbfus, Cornplanter, Tidioute, would gather and set dates for these events so we didn’t step on each other’s toes. This made for the greatest participation by the attending shooters. These shoots made significant money for the hosting clubs and the shooters all loved them. Unfortunately a few of these clubs no longer exist and more is the pity.
Typically you had to get there early and sign up for the events you wanted to shoot in for the remainder of the day. Shooting would usually start at 9:00 and continue as long as there were people that wanted to play.
Protection, Annie Oakley and an occasional Follow the Leader. Protections and Oakley’s were the favorites as they were the fastest to turn around.
Protection- 5 two man teams selected by drawing a card for position (2 aces, 2 twos, etc) on the 27 yard line. 10 targets with each shooter calling first once on each station. If the first shooter missed, the 2nd shooter would shoot. If either shooter broke the target it counted. If there were ties (always were) we’d move back in approximately 5 yard increments. It was not unusual to be 50 yards or more from the house before a winner was determined. Each of the winning team got a turkey
Annie Oakley- we would usually limit the number of shooters to no more than 30 to keep things moving. Line up would be made starting from post one to post 5 evenly spaced on the 27. If needs be, we would spread evenly out to outside of 1 and 5. To maintain control and safety we would start with no more than 3 guns up. 1st shooter calls for the target, if he hits it, the next 3 guns up. If the first shooter in any sequence missed the second shooter would shoot, if he broke it, the 1st shooter was out. If both the 1st and 2nd shooter missed, the 3rd gun would shoot, if he broke it, shooters 1 and 2 were out. If all missed, free pass then shooter 2 would be first with the next two guns in line up and ready. No riding the target for the 1st or 2nd shooters to keep from getting put out, had to give everyone a fair chance at it.
Once the field was down to 5 shooters, we would start moving them back as we did with Protections until winner(s) were determined. When there were only three shooters remaining, each got a turkey.
In both Protection and Annie Oakley if you shot at a target that the preceding shooter broke, it was scored as lost, or, you were out
Follow the Leader- to avoid issue with whose turn it was, each shooter shot in the order in which they signed up. This game is pretty simple. Everyone shoots from where the 1st shooter shoots from. Miss and out. If the first shooter missed, as soon as someone broke a target from the chosen spot, he was out. It was not unusual for the leader to start either standing on top of the traphouse or leaning against the back of it. Sooner or later it seemed we would end up on post 4 of trap 2 while shooting targets out of trap 1……..
Now, we had a few characters that got to loading some “Rhino Rollers” for when we got off the pads and were backing up into the parking lot. Seriously hot loads. Loads like 40 grains of Blue Dot that were lit up with 4 grains of Unique that had a Herter’s closed wad (no petals) and an ounce and a quarter of copper or nickel plated 6’s. These things would literally smoke targets from anywhere. Because of safety concerns we instituted a new shells only rule for when we were shooting from behind the pads.
This is when the Federal Papers and Winchester “silver bullets” reigned supreme. The field was basically even at that point and it was game on!
This was also a pretty good way to get new shooters involved in trapshooting. Often, we would have some non-trapshooters want to try. If there were enough of them, we would put them on the line and they would compete against each other. We would also sometimes pair 5 non-shooters with 5 experienced shooters. This was great entertainment as nearly always somebody would shoot a target that his partner had destroyed or even funnier, a non- shooter would back up an experienced shooter that missed…………those made for some fantastic poke the bear moments….
These games (and more) continue in certain parts of the country. Turkeys or money for prizes. If you get the opportunity, join in, you won’t regret it!
See You next time wherever it is. Travel Safe. Dan
Representatives from these clubs (I feel I’m omitting 1 or 2 more) Brokenstraw, Sugar Grove, Pine Grove, Kalbfus, Cornplanter, Tidioute, would gather and set dates for these events so we didn’t step on each other’s toes. This made for the greatest participation by the attending shooters. These shoots made significant money for the hosting clubs and the shooters all loved them. Unfortunately a few of these clubs no longer exist and more is the pity.
Typically you had to get there early and sign up for the events you wanted to shoot in for the remainder of the day. Shooting would usually start at 9:00 and continue as long as there were people that wanted to play.
Protection, Annie Oakley and an occasional Follow the Leader. Protections and Oakley’s were the favorites as they were the fastest to turn around.
Protection- 5 two man teams selected by drawing a card for position (2 aces, 2 twos, etc) on the 27 yard line. 10 targets with each shooter calling first once on each station. If the first shooter missed, the 2nd shooter would shoot. If either shooter broke the target it counted. If there were ties (always were) we’d move back in approximately 5 yard increments. It was not unusual to be 50 yards or more from the house before a winner was determined. Each of the winning team got a turkey
Annie Oakley- we would usually limit the number of shooters to no more than 30 to keep things moving. Line up would be made starting from post one to post 5 evenly spaced on the 27. If needs be, we would spread evenly out to outside of 1 and 5. To maintain control and safety we would start with no more than 3 guns up. 1st shooter calls for the target, if he hits it, the next 3 guns up. If the first shooter in any sequence missed the second shooter would shoot, if he broke it, the 1st shooter was out. If both the 1st and 2nd shooter missed, the 3rd gun would shoot, if he broke it, shooters 1 and 2 were out. If all missed, free pass then shooter 2 would be first with the next two guns in line up and ready. No riding the target for the 1st or 2nd shooters to keep from getting put out, had to give everyone a fair chance at it.
Once the field was down to 5 shooters, we would start moving them back as we did with Protections until winner(s) were determined. When there were only three shooters remaining, each got a turkey.
In both Protection and Annie Oakley if you shot at a target that the preceding shooter broke, it was scored as lost, or, you were out
Follow the Leader- to avoid issue with whose turn it was, each shooter shot in the order in which they signed up. This game is pretty simple. Everyone shoots from where the 1st shooter shoots from. Miss and out. If the first shooter missed, as soon as someone broke a target from the chosen spot, he was out. It was not unusual for the leader to start either standing on top of the traphouse or leaning against the back of it. Sooner or later it seemed we would end up on post 4 of trap 2 while shooting targets out of trap 1……..
Now, we had a few characters that got to loading some “Rhino Rollers” for when we got off the pads and were backing up into the parking lot. Seriously hot loads. Loads like 40 grains of Blue Dot that were lit up with 4 grains of Unique that had a Herter’s closed wad (no petals) and an ounce and a quarter of copper or nickel plated 6’s. These things would literally smoke targets from anywhere. Because of safety concerns we instituted a new shells only rule for when we were shooting from behind the pads.
This is when the Federal Papers and Winchester “silver bullets” reigned supreme. The field was basically even at that point and it was game on!
This was also a pretty good way to get new shooters involved in trapshooting. Often, we would have some non-trapshooters want to try. If there were enough of them, we would put them on the line and they would compete against each other. We would also sometimes pair 5 non-shooters with 5 experienced shooters. This was great entertainment as nearly always somebody would shoot a target that his partner had destroyed or even funnier, a non- shooter would back up an experienced shooter that missed…………those made for some fantastic poke the bear moments….
These games (and more) continue in certain parts of the country. Turkeys or money for prizes. If you get the opportunity, join in, you won’t regret it!
See You next time wherever it is. Travel Safe. Dan