Why You're Missing Turkeys

TSS loads pattern tightly but that's not the most common reason you're missing turkeys when turkey hunting — the most common reasons are shooter errors that no shell on the market can fix. 

You're Not Staying Down on the Gun
Turkey hunting creates a unique psychological problem that most shotgun sports don't. You've been still for an hour, a gobbler is at twenty yards, and the moment you decide to shoot your body wants to rise and see the result before the trigger breaks. Lifting your head or dropping the gun off your shoulder mid-swing is the single most common reason turkey hunters miss birds they should fold. Staying disciplined and locked into your mount through the shot — the same way a competitive shooter would — is what separates clean kills from birds that walk away. Proper spring turkey hunting shot execution requires you to finish the shot before your brain gets permission to celebrate.

You're Not Getting Your Head Down on the Gun
This is a separate problem from staying down. Many hunters never properly mount the shotgun to begin with — they seat the stock somewhere near their cheek and rely on a wide pattern to compensate. Turkey shotgun shooting demands a repeatable, consistent cheek weld every single time. Your eye is the rear sight. If your head is floating above the comb, your point of impact shifts dramatically, and at thirty yards that margin of error costs you the bird.

You Need a Shotgun Optic
The single most effective fix for both problems is mounting a red dot or turkey hunting scope on your shotgun. A shotgun optic forces proper head placement because the dot disappears the moment your cheek comes off the stock. It eliminates bead alignment guesswork, gives you a precise aiming point on a turkey's neck and head, and is the fastest upgrade any turkey hunter can make to immediately improve shot-to-kill percentage in the turkey woods.

0:00 - Intro To Turkey Hunting
1:45 - Wild Turkey Tom Breeds Hen
4:55 - Strutters At Close Range
8:41 - Three Reason Turkey Hunters Miss 

Up your turkey hunting game, with Mossberg's lineup of Turkey Hunting shotguns.