So bad, the pheasants began walking away

Kismet

Kismet

UPH Guru
:)

Well, ok...that's an exaggeration.

But if I were any worse a shot today, I would have missed a pheasant duct-taped to the barrel's end. :(

Jeez. And this season I've done well (for me), using a single shot with imp cyl, and bringing home a bird or two most times out.

Well, pride goeth before the fall, and folks, I'm here to tell you, it must be Fall for me.

The one bird we got did not redeem whiffs all the way back.

But I'm going out tomorrow for a few hours, anyway. Season's fugiting.
 
Kismet said:
:)

Well, ok...that's an exaggeration.

But if I were any worse a shot today, I would have missed a pheasant duct-taped to the barrel's end. :(

Jeez. And this season I've done well (for me), using a single shot with imp cyl, and bringing home a bird or two most times out.

Well, pride goeth before the fall, and folks, I'm here to tell you, it must be Fall for me.

The one bird we got did not redeem whiffs all the way back.

But I'm going out tomorrow for a few hours, anyway. Season's fugiting.
Click to expand...



I too cannot hit anything this season. We flushed 13 birds last Friday. I shot over a half a box of shells and came home with 2 birds....2 more than my buddy though Lol!

I am going back to lead for tomorrow. I have been shooting up all my leftover waterfowl steel and I think that is the problem. Too tight of a pattern at close range. Hoping lead is the answer. Either that or my dog might put a "for sale" sign on me!
 
Well, apparently the curse was lifted (in pheasant hunting; just got the new appraisal for my pasture land and it went up 300%--new appraiser, with strong weasel tendencies).

Today was one of the perfect days, light breeze, clear skies, almost empty fields, and three birds, two of whom agreed to come home with Mick and me.
Single shot 20 NEF, modified, 5s and 6s. Took about 3 hours, but erased the total incompetence memory of yesterday.

Funny thing about this pheasant hunting, it can heal itself sometimes.
 
Kismet said:
Well, apparently the curse was lifted (in pheasant hunting; just got the new appraisal for my pasture land and it went up 300%--new appraiser, with strong weasel tendencies).

Today was one of the perfect days, light breeze, clear skies, almost empty fields, and three birds, two of whom agreed to come home with Mick and me.
Single shot 20 NEF, modified, 5s and 6s. Took about 3 hours, but erased the total incompetence memory of yesterday.

Funny thing about this pheasant hunting, it can heal itself sometimes.
Click to expand...

had the same experience. I went to all lead today and was back on target! :cheers:
 
Steel shot comes out of the barrel faster and slows more quickly than lead. It throws off the timing of your shots unless you practice with it.
 
You know guys, practice pays. In the summer I play a lot of golf, and play better than most. I receive a certain amount of grief from people because I kick their tails all the time, then they turn around and give me grief for practicing. I didn't get good by osmosis. Same for shooting. Every year I make a vow to get in some practice on clays before the season, one thing comes to another and I don't get it done.

The beginning of this season was embarrassing - and I was hunting alone. I was embarrassed at my poor shooting, even though it was just me and the dog. But as the season went on I got better. Still, I missed a couple of roosters in Iowa that flushed under foot from a tight point. No excuses there. I can understand missing a bird that flushes 20-30 yards out, but 5' away and flies straight away? Come on man!

By gum, come hell or high water, next fall I'm going to get in some practice before the season!
 
Ranger Rick said:
You know guys, practice pays. In the summer I play a lot of golf, and play better than most. I receive a certain amount of grief from people because I kick their tails all the time, then they turn around and give me grief for practicing. I didn't get good by osmosis. Same for shooting. Every year I make a vow to get in some practice on clays before the season, one thing comes to another and I don't get it done.

The beginning of this season was embarrassing - and I was hunting alone. I was embarrassed at my poor shooting, even though it was just me and the dog. But as the season went on I got better. Still, I missed a couple of roosters in Iowa that flushed under foot from a tight point. No excuses there. I can understand missing a bird that flushes 20-30 yards out, but 5' away and flies straight away? Come on man!

By gum, come hell or high water, next fall I'm going to get in some practice before the season!
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I put in more hours of practice before season than I ever did in the past and it paid HUGE dividends! My boys are the reason I thought we should get out and practice a lot....turns out, they weren't the only ones that benefitted from it.
 
wisturkeyhunter said:
Sporting clays can be almost as fun as hunting and it does pay off.
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i shot quite a bit of sporting clays before the season, but I did it with lead. I then switched to steel once I started shooting at live birds.

back to lead now and all is good.

i have shot trap for the last almost 20 years and I have gotten a horrible habit of not following through. after shooting standard trap for so long i just know where to put the barrel and pull the trigger. doesn't work very well against birds I have found.
 
Over the years I've hunted with a couple guys who shot a lot of trap, but didn't hunt birds. Grouse can be very humbling to the best of us, but an especially ego bursting experience for those trap guys.

Another factor is patience. You don't always have to be so quick. My youngest brother shoots an auto. We go hunting, he shoots over a half box, I shoot 4 shells. We come home with the same number of birds. I tease him that he unloads on every bird, whether it's dead on the first shot, or not.
 
i also have seen big time clay pigeon hunters do everything but throw there guns away after the real birds put them to shame be it waterfowl ruffed or prairie grouse or pheasants they are not the same practice does help us out alot thats is true...

im one of the guys that does not shoot any clays prior to the season i hoenestly have had my best pheasant season ever but if i would of shot some clays prior i would of had 5-10 more birds lol guess im not that good of a shot i admit i suck

i fall into the group of guys that cant hit a clay for the life of me but can down the real birds??? my brother is the other way around hits every clay but unloads on wild birds he hits them but on the 2-3 shot we both tend to rush our shots thats our worst trend rush a shot we have all day to make???
 
small munsterlander owner said:
i also have seen big time clay pigeon hunters do everything but throw there guns away after the real birds put them to shame be it waterfowl ruffed or prairie grouse or pheasants they are not the same practice does help us out alot thats is true...

im one of the guys that does not shoot any clays prior to the season i hoenestly have had my best pheasant season ever but if i would of shot some clays prior i would of had 5-10 more birds lol guess im not that good of a shot i admit i suck

i fall into the group of guys that cant hit a clay for the life of me but can down the real birds??? my brother is the other way around hits every clay but unloads on wild birds he hits them but on the 2-3 shot we both tend to rush our shots thats our worst trend rush a shot we have all day to make???
Click to expand...


I'm in the same boat: I'm so-so on the clays and better than average on the "wild birds".

Hate to practice because it makes me lose confidence when the season comes up.

Although I did go 0 for 5 to start off this season. I've done slightly better since. ;)
 
maybe i should shoot more because my last trip to SD i shot like S*** but i will blame the new auto i borrowed from a buddy i swear i was on 2-3 birds & squeezed the trigger & they kept on flying??? with my old 870 they would of been toast & im sticking to my story!!! lol
 
Small: Some guns just don't fit us. Years ago I purchased a used 870 20 gauge, which performed extremely well for me. I shot a ton of birds with it and had a very good shooting percentage. My first trip to SD I used this gun, hit everything I shot at, but too many birds hit the ground running. I switched to a 870 Express 12 gauge I won at a DU banquet, improved the kill, but it's a clunky firearm, the action stiff compare to the old 20 wingmaster and I wanted an upgrade. So, I bought a Charles Daly O/U ultralight, 12 gauge. Light, carries well, shoulders well, but I tend to shoot high with it. I've had plenty of embarrassing misses, like this year in Iowa one rooster flushed 5' in front of me, pinned in by a really nice point from Max. Straight away, flushing in close at that distance, plenty of time, and I missed with both barrels. If I had more time and money I'd think of looking for a replacement as I think it just doesn't quite fit me.
 
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