As an avid hunter, I am always trying to find ways to tweak or modify some part of my equipment to provide better chances of success. This ritual of continual improvement is especially evident in the way I hunt the eastern turkey. Over the past several seasons my equipment has been honed to make it ultra functional and effective. This slightly retentive pursuit of perfection is in few places more evident than in my choice of firearm. Out of the box and using the provided full choke, the Browning Pump Shotgun (BPS) in 10 gauge is capable of firing a 3 ½ inch copper plated buffered magnum round of number 4 shot out to a lethal distance of 50 yards. With careful modification, however, this range can be slightly increased. This is accomplished by carefully matching a specialized long-range full choke (Wad Wizard) with a shot size and brand name that will consistently pattern the gun out to your maximum effective range. With distances beyond 40 yards most turkey hunters are going to begin to encounter difficulties in maintaining a high level of accuracy. This issue can be corrected in a variety of ways including the addition of scopes and more exacting sighting systems.
This past spring’s turkey season I was fortunate enough to be able to field test a sighting product by UniDot. The Luma Ring Shotgun Sight is an extremely useful product that uses fiber optic technology to provide a luminescent ring and sighting dot around your intended target. Not only is the ring useful to insure you are on target but additionally a turkey will fit in the ring perfectly top to bottom at 40 yards allowing you to easily calculate distance. The system is comprised of two basic plastic parts that are easily installed on a variety of shotguns with ribs measuring 1/4", 5/16” and 3/8”. When ordering the Luma Ring it is critical that you accurately measure you shotguns rib to insure a good fit. The included directions are straightforward and will allow you to complete the install in a matter of minutes. The Luma Ring Shotgun Sight is available for purchase through Middletown, Connecticut based company Lyman. For more information see them online at: www.lymanproducts.com.It would be my recommendation that you re-pattern your gun after the installation and use the new site system in the field during a couple practice sessions before taking it out into an actual hunting scenario. This preparation will allow you to get comfortable with the new shooting system and build confidence in calculating your effective range. Tune in this fall turkey season as I continue to improve my shooting system by instituting the use of various heavier than lead shot alternatives!
