cheap Wal-Mart calls

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hawglips
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cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by hawglips »

Every turkey hunter I know likes calls. And most of us don't mind dropping a Benjamin or two on a fine custom call -- or even a lot more on something collectible.

But what about cheap calls? My go-to pot call is a Primos Power Crystal with a cheap Primos acrylic striker. (My buddy carved me a home-made ash striker that sounds mighty good on it also). My brother bought a real cheap Lohman's box way back in the day that I think he paid $11 for, he never chalks it, and that thing still locates and calls up turkeys as good as any box around.

Besides mouth calls, who regularly uses a mass produced Wal-Mart el-cheapo call that is death on turkeys?
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Spuriosity
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by Spuriosity »

I also use a Power Crystal, great call for medium to close range. I like the HS Strut acrylic striker. The hardwood and carbon strikers are o.k., but mine sounds best with the acrylic. Have to really keep the call roughed up for it to sound its best.

Had a Quaker Boy box that I loved until I walked off and left it by a tree in the middle of several hundred acres of game lands. Went back later to try to find it to no avail. Bought another just like it, and it absolutely sounded like crap. Now I use a Primos Box-Cutter that sounds great...can run it really loud as a locator. When it's raining, I run a Quaker Boy Hurricane, it's a high pitched box that's waterproof and sounds pretty good, though not as good as the Box-Cutter IMO.
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guesswho
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by guesswho »

My favorite is a Primo's Old Glory that is somewhere around 10 to 12 years old. It's managed to get a response or two during it's time in the woods.
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gophert
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by gophert »

I'm gonna have to agree about the Primos Box-Cutter. I bought one the other day on clearance and that thing flat out sings!!!! I gave it to my dad to mess with this gobbler that has been roosting behind his house for a couple years, but it was hard to give it up. I would put it up against any of my high dollar box calls in the turkey woods.
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cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by drenalinld »

Agree on the power Crystal. Original Old yellar. Lil' duece pots.

Funny enough, designed by the Call Dr.

Agree on the x-cutter
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by jrseale82 »

I love my power crystal too. Dont know if you count woodhaven or cody but I have a couple of them as well.
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Stinky J Picklestein
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by Stinky J Picklestein »

another vote here for the primos power crystal
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HuntnMa
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by HuntnMa »

I wont hunt without my power crystal....it was one of my first calls and it sounds so sweet...I even fooled a angry little man with it..I told him it was one of custom calls, he gave it props, then I told him it was my power crystal, lol...I do take a custom call or two with me as well, my copper call always goes with me too...but the power crystal has brought me more kills than any other call I own.
Last edited by HuntnMa on August 12th, 2012, 7:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
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GLS
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by GLS »

I hunted a Lil' Duece this season and liked it because of size and sound. My all-time favorite mouth call is a Perfection Raspy D and I bought dozens at a season's end close-out price of $2 @ about 10-12 years ago from Wally World.
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Spuriosity
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by Spuriosity »

Sounds like a Primos ad. With all the pot calls on the market, for this many rabid turkey hunters to mention the Power Crystal by name, it has to be a good call.
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by Gobbler »

I have one also. Its a FREAK OF NATURE!!
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Johndoe
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by Johndoe »

I used to carry a power crystal. Very good production call. I need to get another for my wet pack.
No more good calls in bad weather.
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There are no numbers on any of my clocks below 8. Then all of a sudden, 2 days before turkey season they appear. Then right after the season they disappear.
What's up with that
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Turkey Talker
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by Turkey Talker »

I have killed most of my birds with walmart diaphragm calls, 14 years worth. I still have an old quaker boy box call that can get the job done. Recently as of 3 years ago, I only use custom diaphragm calls. Even mass produced, diaphragms never sound the same, but if you get a good one out of 5, it will kill em every time. 14 years walmart, 3 years custom. Last year I got skunked....probably the custom calls. :lol:
You can't hate on a walmart call if the user knows how to use it.

-TT
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DMP
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by DMP »

The Power Crystal is a good sounding call. It doesn't see the vest much anymore but it is one of the few mass produced calls that does still see some action from time to time.
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by Rockhound »

I have dozens of pot calls and the ones that hit the woods with me are a rocky top game calls glass. A special edition yellow heart from southland, a roy rhodes champ slate, and the power crystal
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BrentM
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by BrentM »

I love the little Rocky top boxes. They're getting pretty common now. I don't use a pot call much but I always thought those first Old Yellers that came out were about as good as any of them. I know they're massed produced and there are always a few duds, but a K&H Screamin Hen 2 that is "right" is the best diaphragm call ever produced in my opinion..........I guess a lot of that depends on how your mouth is shaped and how it fits though. Naturally, K&H stopped producing the SH2's a couple years after I found them and fell in love with them
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by JUGHEAD »

I bought a Primos Power crystal last year after reading about all the rave reviews....I used it to help finish off an educated bird that me and BrentM were fooling with this year....I don't go turkey hunting without it.
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by 2ounce6s »

I've got a HS World Champion triple glass that I've had for nearly 20 years. I've killed more turkeys with that call than any other. The trick to it was when I paired a certain custom striker with it and it became a killer. The call is out of production but HS made it under the name "Triple beard" a few years back. Haven't seen it around in a while though.
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by Rockhound »

I forgot to mention the primos triple diamond cut mouth call i love that thing
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Re: cheap Wal-Mart calls

Post by 2ounce6s »

Here's the old HS call and the sound I like in a pot.
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Got a super glass call recently from CCleroy (Ricky Padgett) that sounds even better to my ear. Hope to put it to good use next spring.
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