And another four years on and nothing has changed apart from Deerstalker shuffling off his mortal coil.
My shotgunning is still rubbish. I may sell the shotty and just stick with my rifles.
alison Downsizer Moderator
Joined: 29 Oct 2004 Posts: 12918 Location: North Devon
And another four years on and nothing has changed apart from Deerstalker shuffling off his mortal coil.
My shotgunning is still rubbish. I may sell the shotty and just stick with my rifles.
Trouble is, rifle shooting and shotgun shooting do not go together. If you shoot a rifle a lot the temptation is to shoot a shotgun the same way and you can't. If you try to aim with a shotgun you're always going to miss behind, as if you're pointing right at a moving target when you pull the trigger it won't be where you've aimed.
With a shotgun it's always 'don't shoot where it is, shoot where it's going to be'.
Take limited notice of me though, as I've only been clay shooting about a year and I'm still very much a C class shot (averaging in the mid 60's).
Yeah I know, Bebo. I think if I joined a club and had tuition, I could be trained to estimate the lead required, but without training I'm lucky to hit 1 in 6 woodies.
Pilsbury
Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 5645 Location: East london/Essex
Yeah I know, Bebo. I think if I joined a club and had tuition, I could be trained to estimate the lead required, but without training I'm lucky to hit 1 in 6 woodies.
see this has got me thinking, i remwmber some heated debates over airgunning for rabbits and people saying if you cant hit a target tye size of a 10p at the range tour shooting at its irrisponsable and disgraseful however when shotgunning it seems acceptsble to point and shoot and hope you either hit the target and dispatch it or miss entierly.
I realise shotguns and air rifles are different but surely there is as much if not more chance of wounding with 30 shot wizzing past than a aingle air gun pellet.
I am not sating shotguns are wrong just asking if their is a different attitude towards them.
Interesting point. I'd tend to agree with the 10p target for a rifle, at a range of 30 yds for a non fac air rifle for example, which kind of makes it hard to argue that wounding with a shotgun is somehow acceptable. I wonder what percentage of birds can take just one or two non lethal pellets and continue to fly?
Over the years I have brought down innumerable woodies that only have one or two pellets in them.
Pilsbury
Joined: 13 Dec 2004 Posts: 5645 Location: East london/Essex
Posted: Sun Jan 12, 14 12:27 pm Post subject:
Its probsbly a very small percentage but as i recall in the air gunning debates even one bunny making off wounded was unacceptable.
To be fair if your going to shoot or fish you have to accept the risk of wounding and leaving an animal in pain and all you csn do is your very best to avoid it or make it as short as possable ie return fish asap or deliver a killing blow/shot.
Bebo
Joined: 21 May 2007 Posts: 12590 Location: East Sussex
Posted: Sun Jan 12, 14 1:53 pm Post subject:
Shotgun pellets are going at a much higher velocity than airgun pellets, that's why you get kills with one or two of them hitting. No denying that you might sometimes clip something and wound it, but fortunately with a shotgun you get a second go with the next barrel (or even a third go it you've got a semi-automatic for pigeon shooting) to finish it off.
I only shoot clays, but I gather it is considered very bad form to 'prick' a pheasant with the first barrel and then not use the second to finish it off. If you do that you won't be invited to shoot again.
The other thing to remember with a shotgun is that if you are using No 6 shot (usual for pigeons) then a 28g cartridge holds 276 of the buggers! They spread out in a cloud that depends on the type of choke you use. If you use a half choke then more than 80% of those will be within a 30 inch diameter circle (called a pattern) at 30 yards.
Bebo
Joined: 21 May 2007 Posts: 12590 Location: East Sussex
Yeah I know, Bebo. I think if I joined a club and had tuition, I could be trained to estimate the lead required, but without training I'm lucky to hit 1 in 6 woodies.
It's all about practice. I've had two lessons. The first time I'd never shot a shotgun before and it was really useful for all the safety type stuff. The second one was after I'd been shooting for about six months. In all honesty, it was of limited benefit, he didn't really tell me anything I hadn't already found out by trial and error.
I've shot about twice a week over the last year and it's only for that reason that I can now read the different targets and work out the lead on them fairly quickly. Get yourself down to your local clay ground and have a bash at it.
First time out on pigeon - mate and myself got through nearly 300 cartridges - for one piece of bloody feathers which flew down his barrel !
Then we got a clay trap for ourselves and practiced.
When I packed it up - it was because I went out one day and shot 30+ over decoys - never missed a thing all day - it just wasn't any fun any more - just "killing stuff"
As well as missing behind, you miss Under !
Try about 2'6" of lead and 1 foot over the top for around 30 yards Lloyd - to start at least - if you're still missing - give them a bit more lead !
That 30" circle they talk of - tends to be below where you think it should be centred and it's not actually a circle - the slower shot drops and gets there at the bottom of the "circle" Later than that at the "top" - so the bird flies into it !
I too have wondered why you can bring down a bunny for eaxample with a much smaller wound than an air-gun which they seem to be able to "Live with" for some time. I think it's because the shot is HOT when it hits them and you rarely see any blood from a "shot" rabbit - whereas an air-gunned rabbit will have a lot.
I think the hot shot - gives them a much bigger shockthan a cold pellet !
Just my own thought that !
Anyway give my suggestion a try and let us know how you get on !
I may sell the shotty and just stick with my rifles.
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