Advanced Impact and a Mountain Merriam’s

Wyoming has long held a special allure for eastern hunters—“flatlanders,” as some west of the Mississippi like to call us. Vast landscapes, sparse human population, and abundant game draw sportsmen from every corner of the country. From the eastern high prairie and the rugged pockets of the Black Hills to the Bighorn Mountains and the towering peaks of the Tetons along the Idaho border, Wyoming offers some of the most expansive and game-rich country in North America.

The imagery alone often brings to mind America’s westward expansion—wagon trails, dusty plains, and cowboy country stretching to the horizon. Despite achieving statehood in 1890, Wyoming still feels like a frontier in many ways. Of all fifty states, only Alaska has a lower population density. For hunters, that kind of open space is the definition of opportunity.

My most recent trip to the Cowboy State wasn’t about exploring historic trails or sightseeing through national parks. I had a different mission in mind: my first Merriam’s turkey hunt outside of South Dakota. The hunt would take place in the northeastern corner of the state with Trophy Ridge Outfitters, and I would be carrying a shotgun featuring Benelli’s newest barrel design, the Advanced Impact.

Add premium ammunition, modern optics, and a healthy population of white-tipped Merriam’s fans, and the recipe for an unforgettable hunt was set. 

Windshield Time and Arrival

Getting there was half the battle.

The trip began in Pennsylvania and stretched across Interstate 80 through the Midwest corn belt before detouring through Sidney, Nebraska, where we stopped to pick up the Benelli shotguns. From there, we headed north toward Carlisle, Wyoming.

While it wasn’t the most direct route, the extra miles gave me some valuable time with a Benelli representative who chatted through the details of the new Super Black Eagle 3 Advanced Impact barrel system. For a shotgun enthusiast, the opportunity to ask questions and learn about the design and engineering firsthand made the long drive worthwhile.

Still, after roughly 25 hours on the road, arriving at the lodge was a welcome sight.

We quickly unloaded our gear and began preparing the shotguns. Slings and optics were mounted to the six Benelli Super Black Eagle 3 Advanced Impact 12-gauges we had brought, and before long, I was on the range patterning each one with the provided full chokes.

The results were impressive. Using #9 Tungsten Super Shot, the factory A.I. full choke produced dense, consistent patterns with excellent payload distribution throughout the core of impact. For comparison, we also tested a standard SBE 3 equipped with a tighter turkey choke. The results showed that the Advanced Impact choke performed just as effectively at forty yards, delivering lethal patterns without the need for aftermarket constriction at that distance.

Before the first morning’s hunt, our group of six hunters was divided among three guides. As a proud Pennsylvanian, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my guide, Matt, was also from Pennsylvania. Even more coincidentally, before moving west, he had grown up in the same small north-central town as one of my closest turkey-hunting friends.

Anyone who has been on a guided hunt knows how valuable that immediate association can be. Spending several days with someone in the field is a lot easier when conversation comes naturally.

After a hearty dinner, the hunters gathered for a quick briefing. Bagged breakfasts would be ready before daylight, and before climbing into the trucks, each hunter would confirm they had their shotgun, shells, identification, and hunting license. The last thing anyone wanted was to lose valuable morning hunting time making a trip back to the lodge for forgotten gear.

A Canyon Full of Gobbles 

Long before sunrise the next morning, we were already on the road. As we drove toward our hunting area, Matt filled us in on his scouting efforts and laid out the plan for the day. His confidence in the property only added to the anticipation building in the truck.

I’ve heard vocal Merriam’s turkeys plenty of times over the last several years, but that first Wyoming morning was something special.

The air was crisp, and the first colors of sunrise were just beginning to spill over a pine-covered ridge when the canyon came alive with gobbles. One bird sounded off, and within seconds another answered. Then another. The effect rippled like a stadium crowd performing the wave. Each gobble triggered the next in a chain reaction from every tom on the roost.

Matt listened carefully before making a quick decision. “There’s a small meadow down in the bottom,” he said. “We’re losing darkness, but if we move with purpose, one or more gobblers should visit that clearing. You guys ready?” He pointed down the slope and motioned for us to follow.

Our first setup didn’t produce a bird—something any seasoned turkey hunter learns to expect. Mature toms are cautious animals with incredible eyesight and sharp hearing. Even so, we didn’t dwell on the setback. We simply moved on.

The second setup, however, produced results. The hunter I was paired with had a bird slip into range, and moments later, he anchored his first turkey. Not only his first of the trip - his first ever. Though I wasn’t able to witness the shot firsthand, it was a special experience. Moments like that often mean more than filling my own tag.

After a quick tailgate lunch, Matt asked whether I wanted to stick to easier-to-access areas or put some miles on our boots in search of more birds. The answer was simple. “If we’re allowed to cover ground,” I told him, “let’s go.”

The rest of the afternoon was spent hiking ridges and working our way through multiple valleys. We struck up several gobblers along the way, but they either hung up just outside of ethical range or slipped behind vegetation before offering a shot. At times, we were close enough to hear the low drumming of a strutting tom, a sound that always makes a hunter’s heart race, only to watch the opportunity disappear moments later.

Even with expert calling, quality habitat, and the best equipment available, quick success in turkey hunting is never a guarantee.

A Morning of Highs and Lows 

Day two brought more climbing and more emotions. Early that morning, we were surprised on a flat plateau. Responses to a hen call erupted at what felt like rodeo-arena lasso distance. We quickly dropped into a patch of vegetation as I shouldered the shotgun.

“Keep the gun up,” Matt whispered. “They’re coming.” And they were, but faster than we expected and from a slightly different angle.

When we finally saw them, the birds were only about thirty feet away and moving at an accelerated pace. I briefly settled the dot on the lead gobbler and began swinging the barrel, but realized the tight pattern at that distance left almost no room for error on a bobbing head. I held my fire. Another opportunity had slipped away.

Once the moment passed, Matt looked over and asked with a grin, “David, you know what this means, right?” “I do,” I replied with a sigh. “We’re going back down to the bottom.” With the April sun already warming the canyon walls, we began the descent we had traversed the day before. 

Halfway down, a metallic clanging sound from a distant barnyard carried through the valley. Almost immediately, a previously silent bird sounded off with a thunderous gobble. Matt and I looked at each other and smiled. “Let’s go get him.”

Knowing he likely wouldn’t descend the steep canyon edge to our location, we turned and climbed back up toward the ridge, the area we had just come down from. Feet below the crest, hidden from view, I checked my optic and shouldered the SBE 3 Advanced Impact. Slowly standing to view above the edge, the bird came into view. He was transitioning from full to half- strut, slowly pivoting towards the choked end of my Benelli.

The late-morning sunlight shimmered across his iridescent feathers—a brilliant display of bronze, green, and copper. It was exactly the sight we had traveled thousands of miles to experience.

The shotgun echoed across the pasture and into the canyon behind us. When the recoil settled, the gobbler was absolutely motionless. The tungsten payload’s short string and dense pattern had done its job. Though his immediate expiration was evident, it’s instinct to place the shotgun’s safety on and jog to the bird. 

Standing over that beautiful Merriam’s, the only thought that came to mind was how quickly a hunt can change. One moment, you’re replaying missed opportunities in your head. The next moment, everything can instantly come together.

Thankful for the Experiences

Back at the lodge that afternoon, I found that all remaining hunters in our group had filled their tags.

After a quick photo session at Devils Tower, which provided a picturesque background, we packed our gear and began the long drive east. Pennsylvania’s turkey season had opened a few days earlier, and I was eager to get back home and continue chasing birds there.

The several days in Wyoming provided me with the confidence that Trophy Ridge Outfitters is truly a premier operation. If you’re an avid turkey hunter and haven’t visited this state and outfitter, you’re missing out. 

And for shotgun enthusiasts who require the best when it matters most, Benelli’s Advanced Impact deserves a serious look. The improvements to bore and choke design build upon Benelli’s well-known reliability to deliver the performance you need during your next demanding hunt.