How’s your shooting been?
- Thread starter benelli-banger
- Start date
FlushingSetters1724
Active member
Beginning of the year I missed a few birds that left me wondering if I had blanks in the gun.. started to think about the shot more (mount the gun, head down, lead, swing through, etc.) and that made things worse. Then I started to not think at all.. throw the gun up and shoot the thing.. that has made all the difference. Last trip to SD went 15/16 on birds. Only one I “missed” was the 15th bird on our last trip. Knocked him down hard (or so I thought) and dogs never found him. Now that I post this I’m sure next week in SD I’ll ride the struggle bus. I will say, shooting limits is a heck of a lot easier when you don’t miss!
Bob Peters
Well-known member
I hope the one dog is doing better.
FlushingSetters1724
Active member
Appreciate it.. he’s doing good, haven’t hunted him at all. Next week in SD we’ll do 10 minutes the first day, 20 the second, and increase slightly from there if we can. He was fine to hunt a few SHORT ditches last trip. Hoping he can do a little more this time. Either way he’s living a happy, pain-free, pampered life. Just wish he could get his teeth on a few roosters. He’ll get them whether it’s this year or worst case, next season.
Bob Peters
Well-known member
What happened? Did he hurt his paw?
FlushingSetters1724
Active member
Some sort of shoulder injury.. unsure what exactly. Went to a good vet, doing PRP injections which should speed up healing. He’s 1,000,000 times better than the initial injury, but in late October a long pheasant hunt set him back a bit. Hoping he’s pretty good this trip. If not I’ll bench him once again and he can give it a go in January. He’ll be alright, luckily Larry is a pleasant machine who knows how to pace himself so he can pickup all the slack and more.
benelli-banger
Well-known member
Goosemaster
Well-known member
I have some real estate in Florida I will sell you. Nobody shoots like that.
Goosemaster
Well-known member
There are lots of bullshit shooting acknowledgements on this forum.. maybe one in 1, 000 is a top notch shooter. Everybody else is average, including me.
carptom1
Well-known member
carptom1
Well-known member
That’s probably my average up until the last five years or so when I have noticed it has tailed off quite a bit. I have always been streaky, but now I’m just not hammering them anymore. I have a good and consistent retriever, but most of the birds are coming back to me alive. I’m not getting the stone dead birds I used to have. I am thinking about tightening my choke a bit so I can either miss clean or kill. I lost three or four last trip in five days. Same gun and shells I always shoot
benelli-banger
Well-known member
That’s what you want to believe…perhaps?….I’m not a great shooter, especially on clays, but I’m pretty good on birds…I have spectacular misses, but I’ve been doing good, for me, this season…put 50+ in the vest, I’ve missed under 5 “lay ups”…I’ve missed many other more challenging shots…but overall, I’ve been 75%+…some days 100% (3, big deal)…some days 60%, but usually 75-85%….it’ll change now! Most of my shots are under 30 yards, +\-….i hunt solo a lot, I hunt pretty slow in good cover, and watch my dog(s) closely…lots of 10-20 yard shots…my lay-up misses have been close!
Al Bonkers
Member
For just those reasons I put a skeet choke in my bottom barrel. Didn't do me any good Monday, though. Big rooster got up close and turned to fly a slow crossing pattern right in front of me. I mean, like 20 feet in front of me. I'm thinking, good thing I have that skeet choke in, as I swing to that big red eye and pull the trigger.
"Click."
I had been carrying my O/U loaded but broken open, and somehow I had raised the barrel enough to dump both rounds out without knowing it.
Very sick, as that was a very large rooster.
That won't happen again though! I put a piece of Skotch Tape part-way around the base of every shell. They go in easily and eject just fine, but they do not fall out of the open gun even if I shake them. Live and learn!
I would support tighter chokes. I tend towards the tight side as well. This year with my 20ga Citori I am running Briley Lt mod and Lt full. With Boss 1.125oz 4's, I was at 122 hits in 30" at 35yards for 77% with the lt mod, and at 40 with the lt full I am at 116 hits in 30" for 73%. For my 1.25oz buffered lead 4's, I am very similar but cannot find my photos showing the percentages. It definitely gives me the confidence to hold off on the trigger and get everything set and aimed while not worrying about that bird getting another 10 yards out. I believe most miss because they whip the gun up and pop off a shot without letting their "drawing of the gun" motions come to completion.
carptom1
Well-known member
That has always been my downfall. I almost always shoot my Citori 16 and it pops up almost too fast. I think I am going to try that set up and try and slow down a bit.
Goosemaster
Well-known member
I've been trying to shoot up all the ammo the last 2 years, so I shoot different ammo every time I hunt pretty much.
benelli-banger
Well-known member
I’m doing the same thing over the past few years..,I had some browning 12 gauge #5 ammo of my dad’s from 50-60 years ago I shot up 2-3 years ago…I enjoyed shooting that up! Worked well…kind of nostalgic or sentimental feeling…
Goosemaster
Well-known member
I have some ammo that's 20 or 30 years old, and then some that's maybe four or five, but none of it is expensive ammo, except old 3-in mags
Goosemaster
Well-known member
Okay, how's my shooting? Well yesterday I got one bird and then I took a kind of longer shot and lost that bird. He probably flew a quarter mile or more. My dog seemed like he was on him, but did not come up with him. So one for two. Shooting old seven and a half didn't help.
