Power

I've never tried a body shot and don't intend to. I see the logic in shooting them in the head/neck, quick killing blow and wastes no meat.

My question is what about hunting them with the intent of a body shot? Every other bird hunted is shot in the body, and ethics dictate it's done on the wing. What about hunting them with, say, #2 shot or larger and just picking out a few pellets when you eat them? I don't see the difference between a turkey and a goose, if it's legal in your state (WA requires size 4 shot or smaller so head shot is probably the only option legally). Kind of like those whom deer hunt with buckshot and shooting running deer. That's been accepted for a hundred years. Not to mention the hunters of the turn of the century shot turkeys, mostly when they flushed and probably never in the head.

I agree shooting them in the body with smaller shot is asking for trouble but if you had, say, a 3" load of lead BB's as your second or third shell in your pump and your first shot missed or crippled the bird, isn't it ethical to kill the bird as best as you can? Seems a heavy load like that would be a good finisher shot if you wounded a bird and it was running/flying away to die.