Favorite striker wood?

What's ya'll's favorite wood for strikers? Hard or soft?

My most consistently productive striker is one I picked up about 15 years ago from a vendor at the Turkeyrama for $5. It's a very simple, rather roughly turned piece of red cedar. I've got a couple dozen other fancier ones, but that one gets more action than any. I've also got a couple of cheap carbon fiber or carbon tipped strikers that do well. Some of the more expensive, fancier ones have never raised a gobble. Ironically, another one that calls turkeys in came with a Flextone Tramp Stamp, glass call, I got on clearance for $5 at Dick's. I think it's birch, painted camo. It looks like something you might want to throw away, but it sounds good to turkeys.

So I'm guessing you like the softer wood better? Or is it just that one soft striker? (the red cedar one)

I just like strikers that make the best turkey sounds that gobblers like. I can't say I really have a wood preference. I have several made of walnut, rosewood, poplar, mahogany etc. that I've never had luck with. I tend to approach my turkey calling somewhat like I do fishing. I just try every lure in the tackle box, until I start getting strikes and landing fish. I've generally got about a 25 pound turkey vest, with most every pocket stuffed with some kind of caller. Every call makes a different sound. Some days pot calls are the ticket, in which case I try different strikers until I call one in. Like I said, graphite strikers seem to do well too. I'm not sure whether carbon would be considered harder or softer. It seems to have some of both characteristics. My most consistent killer is my tube call, followed by diaphragms, then boxes and pots are probably tied in effectiveness, then wingbones, but I'm always looking for something that sounds good to turkeys. What strikers do you like?

Macassar for me. Hard to find but on glass it is nasty.

jscrapmetal said:

Macassar for me. Hard to find but on glass it is nasty.

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We made a very pretty call out of macassar, but I can't get it to load for some reason. About to order more to make sticks out of sometime in the next week.

Thats the same thing as ebony right?

ive had some great luck with dymondwood. its probably my favorite so far. i want to try a dogwood, osage and epe next though

depends on the slate

I have several I like, but my favorites are an osage orange one and a dogwood. The dogwood works best for soft calling, and the osage is better for louder calls. It works pretty good for soft calls too, though.

FALCON z said:

Thats the same thing as ebony right?

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Yeah, its Macassar ebony.. Has sort of blonde streaks in it, and is as hard as my head! (pretty hard)

Ive found the harder and tighter grained woods make for the best sound. Typically, the South American hardwoods get the nod here. With bubble tipped models being my fave style within the wood choice.

The one exception to my own findings is a hollow composite tipped striker mated to my Dad's black magic acrylic pot/anodized aluminum pot call. Wood can't compare to the composite striker that comes with the call. ( lord knows I ran a dozen or more wood strikers on it. Yet came back to the original striker )

Picking a wooden striker and mating it to a specific pot call is an art within itself. Determining grain pattern, then marking the striker to get it in your hand every time to call across the grain is key. Especially when cutting, as you'll get that raspy popping sound that drives some old toms wild.

All and all..........I'll have 3 or 4 strikers per pot I'm carrying. To create diverse sounds when call patterning a bird to see what he wants to hear more of. ( crisp vs raspy, ect, ect)

I'm yet to see a pot call, or any friction call for that matter, that didn't sound better with a liberal application of rainchalk at the point of contact. Will make a so-so call into a good call.

I keep one striker tweaked up with the red inner substance of rainchalk on the tip. Allows you to call on any pot except pure slate when it's soaking wet.

I'll check up right there. Don't need to get strung out bout my striker fetish.

Purple heart wood for soft sounds.

I also have a laminated striker with the bubble tip that i love. Its best for loud yelps and cutting.

bull0ne said:

Determining grain pattern, then marking the striker to get it in your hand every time to call across the grain is key. Especially when cutting, as you'll get that raspy popping sound that drives some old toms wild.

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Good stuff!

This is a Macassar Ebony stick that I made tonight. Sounds the best I've ever heard on glass & slate. I will definitely be making more!!

Nice Work.

RUNnGUN said:

This is a Macassar Ebony stick that I made tonight. Sounds the best I've ever heard on glass & slate. I will definitely be making more!!

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Burney Mac said:

Nice Work.

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Very Nice

albridges said:

Very Nice

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Burney Mac said:

Nice Work.

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Thanks guys.

Thanks for making, cant wait to get it in my hands.

Got a cheap HS rosewood striker from walmart, some years ago, best sound I ever had, lost it one time, found it the next year, on a hardwood ridge, I frequently haunt during spring,LOL, Now that was luck.Even used it the rest of the morning.