Can't knock ducks out of the sky... [Now I can! Pictures to prove it!]
- Thread starter mosinmaster
- Start date
Actually with him saying they looked like they froze, means he may have just lead them too much. I have seen ducks do the same and its because they were closer then I thought and I had overlead them.
The switch may be playing a part for sure . We are all different but I did the switch probally 25 years ago since I could never be consistant when shooting skeet and it took me 4 years and almost 30,000 rounds to get my scores back.
Pattern the gun with the loads and choke and try different loads and combinations of choke .Once happy shoot as many clays as you can at a club. Keep that gun moving
Most people miss because they aim, stop swinging, and fire.... Like previous posts say "swing through the bird" and pull on them. Lots of hunters complain about wounding birds with steel shot, normally caused because they are slightly behind the bird "gut shooting" them and because steel shot does not deform like lead on impact and also because of higher velocities it tends to sail right through the bird and they end up bleeding out a couple hundred yards away.... Another tip is try to use consistent fps ammo regardless of length or shot size. Bigger and more $$ ammo doesn't always mean better results, remember exspensive ammo is like exspensive golf clubs - they don't come with a swing!!
Very good advice! The problem that many waterfowlers have with steel shot is that they're still shooting like they did when it was lead shot ... lead the bird a couple of feet and pull. Steel shot is way faster and leads are greatly reduced. I took a shotgunning course that Federal and the local fish&game put on a few years ago and was really surprised at how different steel shot. Basically if the birds are fairly close I lead to the tip of the beak, but your follow thru is crucial. Steel doesn't pack the same punch as lead but when you get the hang of shooting it out of any given gun it's effective. A head shot duck whether it's shot with Lead or Steel is a dead duck!
I have heard guys claim that steel doesn't kill as good as lead because it passes right through birds and lead doesn't. I just cant get my head around this theory. Any lead pellets I have found in birds is barely deformed. Any deformation I think has more to do with setback than hitting the bird.
I believe the lead pellets have more weight andtherefore impact for shock which in turn kills the duck also steel leads increase as thedistance rtotargetincreases a recent US study shows winds also haveagreater effecton steel shot leads
My experience today was educational.
I found I hit ducks that were farther away than I thought I should be shooting.
I mean 30 to 35 yards out. Maybe out to 40.
I had a wind -duck and decoys but birds weren't landing just flying by (it was blowing 50) and I missed what I thought were easy close in shots and the birds I got were out there a bit.
That's with my Remington 870 Express with a factory modified choke.
I found I hit ducks that were farther away than I thought I should be shooting.
I mean 30 to 35 yards out. Maybe out to 40.
I had a wind -duck and decoys but birds weren't landing just flying by (it was blowing 50) and I missed what I thought were easy close in shots and the birds I got were out there a bit.
That's with my Remington 870 Express with a factory modified choke.
the spank
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
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YES!! Absolutely, if you want some really good info on wingshooting google Tom Roster. He is THE leading authority on everything shotgun. He has been working in the shotgun industry for 30+ years. He has some amazing facts, footage, ballistics, non-tox tests, etc, etc.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
On a somewhat similar note, I use Prairie Storm for upland birds and I'm very happy with them too.
As you have found out for yourself , you just have to keep going out and trying. As someone else said here a lot of guys over guess the range especially on high birds. The internet is great but one problem that i had was that you always read the same things 1. You're not leading them enough and 2. they are further than you think. so as such we end up giving a 6 foot lead on a bird 15 yards away and wonder why they dont go down. I know that sounds really dumb but it can happen and did to me. I just kept shooting and experimenting and this year i started making hard crossing shots on birds that were 55-60 yards out and 35 yards up. Its all practice my friend. While clays are great they wont change their flight when the see you or react to the first shot or something. Practice practice practice and remember your gear probably isn't the problem
TheCoachZed
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Hitting ducks can be hard, especially when your confidence starts to lag. I've shot a few, but missed many more. Knowing what shot size to use definately helps.
One thing - while I prefer to take close-as-possible shots, those aren't necessarily the best, as your pattern can be much smaller at close range. I've missed buffleheads at five yards because of a too-tight pattern at that range. For a couple years, I passed on the long-range shots, thinking I was wasting shells, but I started taking them again and was surprised to see I actually fared half-decently well on them. Patterning your shotgun to find out what it does at every range is key.
One thing - while I prefer to take close-as-possible shots, those aren't necessarily the best, as your pattern can be much smaller at close range. I've missed buffleheads at five yards because of a too-tight pattern at that range. For a couple years, I passed on the long-range shots, thinking I was wasting shells, but I started taking them again and was surprised to see I actually fared half-decently well on them. Patterning your shotgun to find out what it does at every range is key.
