Editor’s Observe: Deer camp, fish camp, the taking pictures vary, or the gun store—irrespective of the place hunters and anglers get collectively, they’ll discover one thing to disagree on. And why not? There’s nothing like a great argument to get your blood pumping. So, to that finish, daily this week we’ll be posting tales designed to stir issues up round searching and fishing’s most urgent debates. And for selection’s sake, we’ll make some critters, cartridges, and weapons go head-to-head, too. Under, F&S taking pictures editor Phil Bourjaily and govt editor Dave Hurteau have it out over pistol grips on turkey weapons.
Why Pistol Grips Are Good on Turkey Weapons
Pistol grips on turkey weapons are ugly. Pistol grips on turkey weapons are extremely helpful. Whereas I’ll usually associate with the concept that you don’t shoot an exquisite chook with an unpleasant gun, turkeys are an exception. In addition to, beneath these beautiful, iridescent feathers, turkeys are kind of goofy-looking, what with the gaudy red-white-and-blue heads, the snoods, the caruncles, and the dinosaur ft. So, I’m tremendous taking pictures them with plastic-stocked, camo weapons dressed up with rifle sights and optics. And I used to be glad to make use of pistol grips for some time, though neither of my present weapons has one.
Tactical grips on turkey weapons have their benefits. When you’re sitting towards a tree, a pistol grip is way extra comfy to carry than a conventional shotgun inventory. It’s simpler to make a great set off pull with a pistol grip, too. As an added bonus, the grip is simple to seize because the gun begins to slip off your knee if you nod off or get absorbed by one thing in your telephone, not that I’m ever lower than 110 % awake, conscious, and alert within the woods, after all.
The adjustable, AR-style shotgun pistol-grip shares additionally allow you to shorten them to as little as 11 inches, making them very useful to shoulder if you’re sitting or twisting round a tree. A few of these shares alter so you’ll be able to elevate the comb to be used with an optic. A pistol-gripped turkey gun makes a number of ergonomic sense.
Throughout my tactical-turkey-gun section, I posted the image you see above on the previous Gun Nuts weblog, prompting an offended reader to deride the gun as a “cheater stick” within the feedback. I didn’t assume I used to be dishonest, though you probably have ever seen me turkey hunt, you’d agree that I would like any edge I can get. If that entails carrying a pistol-gripped gun once more sooner or later, I’m open to the thought. —Phil Bourjaily
Why Pistol Grips Are Terrible on Turkey Weapons
Man, I hate pistol grips on turkey weapons. It’s not that I don’t like pistol grips, as a rule, or that I believe they’re ugly. (They’re ugly.) It’s simply that they’re so silly and annoying on turkey weapons.
Isn’t it annoying when different folks inform you what you need? Looks as if half of the turkey weapons in the marketplace at the moment come normal with a pistol grip—as if it’s understood that all of us need one. I don’t need one. And but a few of at the moment’s turkey gun will not be even accessible with out a pistol grip. When you don’t need it, you must ask particular. Or, worse, you must purchase the plain inventory individually.
That’s like ordering lunch and having to say, “I’ll have a scorching canine, maintain the peanut butter and jelly.” (Do you know that there are individuals who put peanut butter and jelly on their scorching canines? That’s disgusting.) It’s like should you didn’t say “maintain the peanut butter and jelly,” then your scorching canine would include it. And you’d say, “That’s nasty. I don’t need that.” They usually’d say, “Sure you do. However should you actually don’t need it, we will take it off for an upcharge.”
Isn’t it additionally annoying when folks attempt to get one over on you? Like when a gun firm takes their normal semi-auto shotgun, places a pistol grip on it, and says, “Hey, have a look at our fancy turkey gun. You should purchase this. It’s a gobbler gun now. It’s only for turkeys.” I’m tremendous with the thought of getting a devoted turkey gun. I’ve two. However the pistol-grip trick nearly makes me not need one.
Plus, pistol grips on turkey weapons are silly. Do you keep in mind the unique Deer View Mirror? It was a mirror on the finish of a metallic arm that you just clamped to your tree or stand so you might see deer approaching from the rear. That doesn’t sound so dumb at first, till you must lug the factor, together with all of your different crap, up into your stand and clamp it on and get the angle good and fear about reflecting daylight—all to save lots of you the difficulty of turning your head.
A pistol grip on a turkey gun is like that; it makes the gun heavier, bulkier, and awkward to hold (and uglier)—all for a tiny and pointless ergonomic benefit when taking pictures from a sitting place. When was the final time you couldn’t get a bead on a gobbler for lack of a pistol grip?
After all, ultimately, should you like a pistol grip and need one in your turkey gun, that’s tremendous with me. Go loopy. Set up an electrical begin and a kickstand if you would like. What makes me hate them is that they’re normal on so a lot of at the moment’s turkey weapons—that it’s simply assumed we wish them. Once I was a child, my mom would put beets on my plate and after I didn’t eat them, she’d say, “However, David, you like beets.” However I don’t love beets, and I don’t need anybody placing them on my plate. And I don’t need a pistol grip on my turkey gun. —Dave Hurteau
