Far more effective is making a wide circle around the tom, using terrain as a shield, and selecting another good calling site. Large birds like turkeys are most effectively killed by the shocking power of a tight pattern of many small pellets. One or two large pellets striking an adult tom in the body or wings are unlikely to kill or disable him. Mature tom turkeys should be shot at 30 yards or less with relatively small shot in a tight pattern aimed at the base of the head. Long shots with large pellets often only cripple birds that are likely to escape the hunter but die later.
Responsible hunters hone their skills to ensure a up-close shot.
Hunters should pattern their shotguns before turkey season, just as they would sight in their rifles before deer season. Patterning targets are available from most sporting goods stores, including targets with dimensional turkey heads. Replicating a shot at a real turkey in the woods by aiming at the base of the head on the target will show a hunter the center of the pattern and how dense it is. Because loads vary, many hunters experiment with several sizes of shot and loads from various manufacturers. If the pattern is consistently high, low or off to one side, a gunsmith can adjust the stock or barrel so that the target strike is actually where the hunter is aiming.