How to Set Up a Deadly Turkey Hunting Bow

Gobblers can be tough to anchor with a bow and broadhead. Having the right equipment helps your cause. Photo by Darron McDougal.

Two gobblers sounded off from the towering maple trees about 60 yards away as I carefully entered my ground blind in the pre-dawn darkness. About 20 minutes later, the birds landed 100 yards away, where they gobbled and strutted. I coaxed them with a few soft calls. In they came.

I drew my bow as the rowdy longbeards worked over my jake decoy, and when the larger bird paused, my arrow took him cleanly. He collapsed a few yards from the decoys, and I was a happy turkey hunter.

During the past 23 years, I’ve bow-killed dozens of gobblers with various archery setups. Based on my experience, let’s discuss what constitutes a killer turkey bow setup.

THE BOW

What makes a deadly archery turkey rig? The short answer is the bow you use for deer. However, some nuances specific to turkey hunting affect a bow’s suitability. If you’re shooting a newer bow, it likely checks these boxes, but let’s run through them anyway.

Most archery turkey hunting occurs within tight confines. As such, a bow with a short axle-to-axle length handles best, and the bottom cam will be above the dirt. Thirty-two inches or less is an ideal length.

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The bow also must draw smoothly, as sharp-eyed gobblers can detect the slightest movements. Next, your state’s minimum legal draw weight is enough for turkeys if you choose your shot placement wisely and avoid large bones. However, I always suggest that folks pull more if they can do it struggle-free. Forty pounds or more is ideal, but less (where legal) is suitable.

If your bow only meets the minimum draw weight but is long or doesn’t draw smoothly, it doesn’t mean that you have to sell it and buy a new one. It just means you’ll be slightly handicapped. If you’re in the market for a new bow anyway, great. Buy one that fits these parameters. Otherwise, use what you have.

THE ARROW

Some folks suggest shooting lightweight arrows for turkeys, but I don’t. Here’s a story to scare you away from ultralight arrows.

I once witnessed a gobbler arrowed at 30 yards with a direct wing-joint impact. The arrow broke the bone and immediately fell back out without reaching the vitals. The archer used a lightweight arrow with a 75-grain broadhead shot from a 70-pound bow. The lack of weight — especially front-of-center — likely caused the lack of penetration. Fortunately, we finished and recovered the bird, but it wasn’t a one-shot kill.

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That same bowhunter shot other gobblers with a slightly heavier arrow and a heavier broadhead, and achieved full penetration every time. So, if you’re going to shoot a lightweight arrow, that’s OK, but don’t shoot a ridiculously lightweight broadhead, especially if you’re going to take shots that are likely to connect with the leg or wing bones.

A medium arrow performs best. I use the same arrows for turkeys as I do for deer and elk. Each weighs 441 grains (that includes a 100-grain point). I’ve had nothing but great results with them.

THE BROADHEAD

I’ve had stupendous results with mechanical broadheads, including the recovery of turkeys and other game that were hit less than perfectly. The net is that a larger cutting diameter is more forgiving, and given a turkey’s sub-grapefruit-sized kill zone, the extra damage of a large mechanical broadhead can save your butt when your arrow hits a couple of inches off. Plus, blade deployment also transfers energy to the bird and creates a deadly wallop in addition to the devastation.

Although mechanical broadheads have distinct advantages, those aren’t for every bowhunter. Bows with draw weights lighter than 45 pounds have minimal kinetic energy, and shooting a large mechanical broadhead will hinder penetration, especially given a bone impact. I believe 45 pounds is the bare minimum for shooting mechanical broadheads from lightweight setups. Fifty pounds and heavier is better.

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If you’re shooting a weaker setup (short draw length and light draw weight), a fixed-blade broadhead is the superior choice. I’d suggest going with a larger cutting diameter, though. When my brother was 10 years old, he took a big gobbler with his 35-pound bow. I had him shooting a Ramcat fixed-blade broadhead with a 1-3/8-inch cutting diameter. The broadhead easily penetrated and shredded the vitals. The big gobbler died within seconds 20 yards behind our blind.

Again, I firmly believe in using mechanical broadheads on turkeys to break them down quickly, but not all setups are suitable. And for those that aren’t, a larger-than-average fixed blade is the way to go.

SHOT PLACEMENT IS THE KEY

The equipment details we’ve covered here are important. That aside, careful shot placement is the key to consistently recovering birds. It’s easy to rush when a bird storms in on your decoy spread, but you must slow down and be completely aware of shot placement relative to the bird’s angle. Even a slight angle discrepancy can alter your arrow placement’s outcome. Slow down and watch the bird’s feet and legs as references to his angle so you can aim accordingly.

Equipment aside, the most important part of turkey hunting with a bow is shot placement. Don’t just aim for the center of the bird and hope for the best. Know wild turkey anatomy and study the bird’s angle as you prepare to shoot so you put your arrow where it counts. Photo by Darron McDougal.

Finally, don’t attempt long shots. When I was younger, I shot birds with archery equipment at ranges most wouldn’t attempt. I’m over it. Today, I firmly believe that turkey hunting with a bow is meant to be a close-range game. Turkeys are almost always moving and make a challenging target at all ranges. Long distances will only magnify a less-than-perfect shot. Keep it close.

Follow these considerations and you’ll be set to sling a bow bird over your shoulder this spring.