Author |
Message |
< 16ga. General Discussion ~ Worst Shot |
|
Posted:
Wed Nov 08, 2017 4:53 pm
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 06 Nov 2005
Posts: 328
|
|
Not too many years I was hunting scaled quail near Lordsburg NM. My GSP pointed a covey near a mesquite bush and I nailed 3 birds with 3 shots. Found and picked up all 3. The rest of the day I did not hit a bird. I remember that day well. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted:
Thu Nov 09, 2017 9:38 am
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 1943
Location: Lowcountry Ga.
|
|
Griffon wrote: |
For the Woodcock hunters; How about seeing the bird on the ground squatted down 3 feet off the end of your dogs nose? We call that one the kiss of death. We are headed from Maine to North Dakota in November so now that you've tutored me up I'm sure I'll never miss....Won't be able to use the old excuse the trees were in the way.
|
On her first hunt, the first woodcock Abby pointed I could see at the end of her nose. It got up, two shots and I missed. Minutes later, we moved to an area too open to have birds in a clear, leaf covered bottom about 75 yards from the miss. Abby pointed. I knew there wouldn't be a bird there so I didn't take the gun off my shoulder. I didn't miss when it got up because I never shot as the gun was over my shoulder. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted:
Thu Nov 09, 2017 10:14 am
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 30 Nov 2011
Posts: 1698
Location: Minnesota
|
|
A common thing here seems to be missing straight away shots. Guilty multiple times myself, but have never figured out why. Can anyone offer any explanation?I'm thinking of the shot like on skeet, 2nd to last station going away from the low house. |
_________________ Great dog, Great friends,Great guns |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted:
Thu Nov 09, 2017 11:14 am
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 06 Nov 2005
Posts: 328
|
|
You have to shoot under the bird on a going away shot. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted:
Thu Nov 09, 2017 12:54 pm
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 20 Jun 2006
Posts: 749
Location: Kelso, Tennessee
|
|
3crosses wrote: |
You have to shoot under the bird on a going away shot.
|
I think a quick, sloppy mount and not getting your eyes down where they are supposed to be are the likely culprits, at least for me. |
_________________ i reckon so. I guess we all died a little in that damn war. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted:
Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:09 pm
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 09 Dec 2009
Posts: 1370
Location: Cheyenne, Wy
|
|
3crosses wrote: |
You have to shoot under the bird on a going away shot.
|
I am not going to argue your statement, I have missed going away birds, mostly because I undershot, could tell because of a dropped leg on the bird.
I always thought it was because I wasn't shooting high enough. It seems to me if you shoot over the bird it will fly into the shot, where is my thinking wrong?
Dale |
_________________ One man with courage makes a majority.
...Andrew Jackson... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted:
Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:22 pm
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 06 Nov 2005
Posts: 328
|
|
Think of it as geometry. The farther the bird is away from you the less the angle. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted:
Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:27 pm
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 09 Dec 2009
Posts: 1370
Location: Cheyenne, Wy
|
|
3crosses wrote: |
Think of it as geometry. The farther the bird is away from you the less the angle.
|
Never was good in geometry, guess I am just too dense to understand.
Thanks anyway!
Dale |
_________________ One man with courage makes a majority.
...Andrew Jackson... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted:
Thu Nov 09, 2017 2:38 pm
|
|
|
Joined: 20 Jul 2011
Posts: 625
Location: Ohio..where ruffed grouse were
|
|
Savage16 wrote: |
A common thing here seems to be missing straight away shots. Guilty multiple times myself, but have never figured out why. Can anyone offer any explanation?I'm thinking of the shot like on skeet, 2nd to last station going away from the low house.
|
Yes...we lift our head off the stock in looking at the soooo easy bird or clay.
Low 7, for example and as mentioned.
Once the head loses position, one will shoot....somewhere...but it will be an inconsistent somewhere.
Must keep wood to wood.
At least that is the opinion of this inexperienced jazebow.
I doubt it is a mounting issue tho naturally that is always a possibility in the real world afield behind a bird dog’s tail. Mount issues are more an xtra sauce in the missing stew, to me. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted:
Thu Nov 09, 2017 2:56 pm
|
|
|
|
Cheyenne08 wrote: |
3crosses wrote: |
You have to shoot under the bird on a going away shot.
|
I am not going to argue your statement, I have missed going away birds, mostly because I undershot, could tell because of a dropped leg on the bird.
I always thought it was because I wasn't shooting high enough. It seems to me if you shoot over the bird it will fly into the shot, where is my thinking wrong?
Dale
|
I'm with Dale on this one. I went through some straightawayitis a few years ago. I figured it out finally on an Iowa rooster that I weakly scratched down. I ran my dog up the fence line as I was sure it was going to be running. No go, and my dog went far up it anyway as an experienced dog will, testing for scent. We both got back to the bottom of a dry wash where the bird fell and out Gus came with it. Two broken legs. The next straight-away shot came back in Wisconsin on a hill. The rooster flushed and you'd think it would have been descending down to the swamp below, but it appeared to be going straight away, so I consciously aimed a touch high covering the bird and was rewarded with an oh so satisfying direct hit. Anyway, that's what pulled me out of the straightawayitis. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted:
Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:31 am
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 04 Mar 2008
Posts: 1943
Location: Lowcountry Ga.
|
|
Most of my misses are the result of the shot not intersecting the flight path of the bird with the exception of the Miracle of Dead Flying Birds. Gil |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted:
Fri Nov 10, 2017 8:52 am
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 30 Nov 2011
Posts: 1698
Location: Minnesota
|
|
so geometry wise, its one of those it depends questions?? If the bird is still climbing, you have to aim above but if the bird has leveled off you have to aim low?? |
_________________ Great dog, Great friends,Great guns |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted:
Fri Nov 10, 2017 9:28 am
|
|
|
Joined: 19 Apr 2014
Posts: 429
Location: Maine
|
|
Guess I'd vote for the head off the stock trying to admire my shooting skills. Wood to wood brings back memories of a wise old skeet shooter I knew years ago. |
_________________ If it weren't for women cats would be extinct. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted:
Fri Nov 10, 2017 3:28 pm
|
|
|
Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2800
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa
|
|
Savage 16,
Learning to shoot as a hunter is many times different than standing shooting Clays, Skeet or Trap. When shooting game birds everything depends on where the shooter is walking/standing, and where the bird is sitting, when the bird takes flight.
This why being an experienced bird hunter matters greatly, setting up to shoot the bird when it takes flight above you climbing thru the trees, is a completely different shot that when the bird is sitting below you, and takes flight down the hill. The variables are totally different.
You do not get to practice these kind of shots standing on a Clays course. Walking the woods on uneven/snow covered ground adds many dimensions while actually bird hunting. Add the fact that a Grouse usually, instinctively puts something between itself and its pray as it takes flight, and only an experienced Grouse hunter with engrained reflexes usually makes these kind of kill shots on a repeat basis.
Experience as a woodsman/hunter becomes very very important. Being good with the double gun is only half the game, learning to set up quickly for different kinds of shots, comes thru actual experience.
Pine Creek/Dave |
_________________ "L.C. Smith America's Best" - John Houchins
Pine Creek Grouse Dog Trainers |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted:
Fri Nov 10, 2017 7:26 pm
|
|
|
Joined: 19 Apr 2014
Posts: 429
Location: Maine
|
|
Skeet or grouse pull your head off the stock and the results are the same. |
_________________ If it weren't for women cats would be extinct. |
|
|
|
|
|
|