regular or mushroom tip strikers??

[houagie]

hey fellas...well, lets start with im fairly new to turkey hunting and turkey calling..i normally spend most of my time chasing waterfowl, but needed to fill the void of spring...last year was my first year turkey hunting and am proud to say i bagged one ...now that im "hooked" i'd like to get more in depth with calling and such...last year i hunted with a cody glass call and it worked great...i got a supreme calls "beard buster" on the way so i can't wait to see what that sounds like...just wanted to know what type of strikers (regular tips or mushroom tips) work for u and why?....also what other calls would you recommed for me to look at..as with my duck calls i prefere custom calls...i like showing the birds something they aren't accustomed to hearing!!....i know theres a lot of experiece here on this board so thanks in advance...sorry to rant on.

[drum817]

  ....I like regular tipped strikers, but early on I liked mushroom tips because they seemed to be a bit more forgiving and it was easier to purr on them.  There is also a flared tip which is in between (that might be a good compromise).  As far as other calls go my best suggestion is to learn how to use a mouth call. It usually takes more practice and dedication but it WILL pay off when you've got your gun in your hands instead of a turkey call and still have the ability to call.  A good custom Box call is another VERY useful tool.  It can be used for everything from a locator to a finishing call.  Best of luck!!! 

[pappy]

  You are not by yourself as to wondering about the tip of a striker. I have seen some folks pick up a straight tip right from the beginning and some had to start with a mushroomed tip. The best thing for you to do is to find a friend with several tip strikers and use them on your pot or his if he will let ya, LOL.... thing is friction and grip and the area of contact on the pot call. Naturally the more area of contact the better chance of grip but I also find the smaller area of finesse creates the most consistent calling practices.  But as it was mentioned you can surely progress from the larger tip to a straight tip over time. Using a mouth call allows you to direct your hands to the gun, which is good, but if you are like me, my tailbone gets tired after a while and I get fitchity so I need something to do with my hands, I carry a box and a pot ... this Spring I am carrying two of my Killer Kegs (one baffled one not) locator call..........depends on what is in your area...crow, owl, woodpecker...even a goose call will work, just something that will shock the Tom...Duck Calls, my passion of years back, custom is always the way to go. Any time you can pick one up that you like, it is an investment in your hunting experiences and as well as one for your bank account. I love to make them, haven't made a lot for a while, but they are my first passion. I made two styles of barrel patterns, the Detotnator and the Shortfuse. Check 'em out on google...

[lonnie sneed jr.]

Strikers play a big part in how good or bad a call sounds. Most calls are differant in what type of striker sounds best on it. The best way to find out which is the best on your call is to try differant strikers on them. If you know someone that has differant strikers that you can run on your calls it could save you alot of money in the long run. BOTH types you are asking about are good, on the right call. I also think the type of wood, the striker is made of plays a bigger role in how they sound on a call, than the shape of the tip on the striker. I have straight strikers that sound great on some of my calls and crap on other calls, same thing with mushroom tips.   They are some guys on hear that make very good strikers, both types.

[VanHelden Game Calls]

What they said.

And I will add what works for one may not for another, I am amazed how tiny differences in play calling(pressure used, angle of striker, angle of pot hold, etc) effect what type of striker a person likes, that not only goes with tip, but weight, length and weight.

Go find someone with a bunch of strikers and play around.  You should start to notice a pattern what YOU like.

[houagie]

Thanks for the info fellas...problem is i dont know very many guys with a bunch of strikers to try out...can u guys point me in the direction of a good striker maker? And does it really make a difference in the way one is made?? Also what is the correct angle and what part of the striker is suppose to be in contact with the calling surface? Bare with me fellas i tend to go a little overboard when i find a sport i like!!

[harvester]

Dads Calls. Jerry White, his strikers are probably my favorite.

[R.W. Mackey]

  You know, strikers are probably the cheapest thing you will ever buy for Turkey hunting gear.  Get
Several, different tips, different woods, they will all play a little different. I'll agree with the box call
As well, get a short box and long box and learn to run them right, will work at times when nothing else will.

Good Luck,

Roy

[Timmer]

Oh man, I should have searched harder. Sounds like people may think the old standard is better.  I posted a similar question a couple of weeks back and didn't get much of a response.  Since more strikers were being made this way I figured there was likely something to it.  I just ordered a Purple Heart and Dymondwood with mushroom heads, which weren't cheap. 

[worth612000]

I think it all depends on the striker, I have some rounded tips that I wouldn't trade for nothing. I really like the small flare tip, but really don't care for the large mushroom tip strikers. It boils down to what you like and feels comfortable to you.

[M Sharpe]

I agree. I don't care much for a big tip on a striker either. I don't care for a light striker either, it generally is a squealer! Different woods sounds different on different calls. Russell Beard, Matt McClain, Harold Fowler, Billy Macallister and Steve Torman all make good strikers. These are just some of the ones that I own. I'm sure there are others on this board that make some good ones too. Bill Lyman, I hear, makes some good ones as well. Strikers are kinda personal as well. What one guy can play might sound different from what it sounds like when you play it. Such as, how far up the shaft you hold it, how tight you hold it and so forth and so on. When you play it, you want to move your wrist, not your fingers. This allows for a constant degree of angle. When moving your fingers, the angle constantly changes and so does your consistency. Like all turkey calls, it takes practice to become proficient.

[Bowguy]

I learned on a straight tip. I've tried to use different tips and I just hate em. Not to say they won't work for you.

[jakesdad]

Ive got everything from straight tip,flared mushroom,to slight flare,to tiny carbon straight edge.Some sing pure turkey on some calls,while others sound like a rusted gate hinge.Its really a matter of trial and error.For instance i've got a titanium call from pappy that is as raspy and nasty with a flared mushroom ash striker than any hen that walks.That same striker on my Lonnie Sneed Hot Hen slate...........well not so good.A straight tip hickory striker sings pure turkey love with the Hot Hen but sounds like 2 cats fighting on the titanium.I like em all and carry at least 3-4 different kinds of tipped strikers when hunting.I've even found that 2 different tipped strikers sound good on the same call but on different sweet spots.If I had to pick one(and thank the LORD I dont  )i'd probably go with the straight tip,just because I like to run slate and have had good luck with those kinds of strikers.Good luck and pick one you like,not what your buddy or some joe turkey hunter tells you you need.

[ridgerunner]

For me a straight tip purpleheart striker is hard to beat..I also like a heavy striker..I always go to my purplehearts , straight tipped.

[Gooserbat]

I like a straight tip.  I have some flare tiped strikers and the ones of those I do the best with have very little flare.