I admit it. I am reluctant to swap out my turkey hunting gear, especially my shotgun, in favor of trying something new. For decades, I have been extremely comfortable with my 12-gauge shotgun with 3- or 3 ½-inch shells. However, on an April hunt in Illinois last spring, I decided to mix things up a bit and try out a new 20-gauge rig.

Mossberg kindly sent me their new Model 500 Turkey Holosun Micro Dot Combo for the field test. Federal Ammunition also sent me several new Heavyweight TSS turkey loads to pattern and practice with. Sub-gauges and TSS are commonplace in the turkey woods, so I was excited to try higher-tech gear.

I also admit that, like most hunters, I sometimes skip shooting practice. But with a new sub-gauge shotgun with an integrated red-dot sight and high-tech shotshells designed to take down gobblers at distances beyond 40 yards, I decided to spend extra time at the range to practice at the distances my new setup was capable of.

Although the hunt was successful—I harvested a gobbler at 50+ yards, my farthest ever with a 20 gauge — the time I spent on the range with the other hunters in camp was one of the highlights of the hunt. That experience reminded me that whether you are a beginner or have dozens of gobblers to your credit, perfecting your shot at the range will help you fill more tags.

So, here’s some age-old advice to help you maximize your time at the range:

Realistic Scenarios

When sighting and patterning in your shotgun, you should always use a good shooting rest to ensure your sight-in aim is steady and controlled. But after that, ditch the shooting rest and make your practice sessions as realistic as possible. Step away from the shooting bench and practice while sitting on the ground with a solid backstop behind you, like you’re sitting up against a tree during an actual hunt.

Don’t get lazy in your target selection. Always practice using turkey targets. It might be tempting to use whatever paper targets you have more of, but targets featuring the head and neck of a turkey will allow you to quickly and easily fine-tune your target acquisition skills. The extra cost and time spent buying turkey targets are worth it. Also, use a large, clean sheet of paper behind each turkey target so you can see the larger picture of where exactly your entire payload of shot is hitting. This way, you can make the necessary adjustments if needed.

You should have at least one practice session wearing your hunting clothes and vest. This will allow you to monitor and evaluate how your clothes are performing while shooting. For example, you might find out that your shirt or jacket is too restrictive in the armpit area and does not allow for the firearm’s maneuverability and a comfortable shot.

If you plan on using specialized accessories like a monopod or a padded shooting rest that attaches to your knee, you must also practice using those. Along with gaining familiarity with these tools, you’ll quickly discover if you need to tweak or change anything in your setup to avoid mishaps while on the hunt.

Shoot Repetitively

Athletes take thousands of practice shots before competing to become proficient at other shotgun sports, such as trap, skeet, and sporting clays. Turkey hunters can benefit from repetition, too. Master the physical acts of flipping the safety, accurately placing your aim, steadying your shot, taking a deep breath, and properly squeezing the trigger.

Skip the paper targets and expensive full-power turkey ammunition for repetitive shooting practice. Grab a box of clay targets and less expensive target ammunition.

Standard clay targets are roughly the same size as a gobbler’s head, about 4 inches in diameter. For a greater challenge, choose mini-sized clays about 2 inches in diameter. You can also find clay targets in colors other than bright orange that add a different element to practice. Targets in other colors, such as black, white, yellow, and pink, help you practice quick target acquisition, which is a skill that’s extremely important in the turkey woods.

The simple way to set up stationary clay targets intended for turkey training is to sharpen the ends of several 2-foot sticks to shove in the ground and hang the targets. You can set up a small course at the range with dozens of targets set at various positions and distances. Try putting some brush or other obstacles in front of some of the clay targets to make for more realistic hunting scenarios.

Train and Condition

Turkey hunting is a physical activity that you should train for, just like other athletic sports. You should prepare or double-check your shotgun setup and practice your shot every year prior to opening day.

But you should also train and prepare yourself to be in good physical condition before hunting season because you need strength and endurance to make a good shot. For example, calling turkeys with a mouth call can be tiring, especially the lengthy calling sessions sometimes necessary to convince a stubborn gobbler to come closer. Aggressively blowing a mouth call can leave you out of breath. Running and gunning, as well as up and down foothills, can also wear you out.

Condition yourself for these scenarios. During shooting practice at the range, pack your favorite mouth call. Sound off a long, loud calling sequence until you’re huffing and puffing, then aim at a distant target and squeeze off a shot. Run a few short sprints in the parking lot, knock off a dozen pushups, or jump rope for a few minutes until your heart is pounding and you’re breathing hard, then immediately sit down and practice your shot.

You’ll never be too experienced or too good to skip the rehearsal. Practicing your shooting skills will boost your confidence and help you bag more birds. The time I spent at the range got me familiar with shooting the new-to-me 20-gauge shotgun and lighter turkey loads. That self-assurance and familiarity with the firearm and ammo certainly helped me fill my tag.