Bird shooting lesson learned

B

Bob Peters

Well-known member
A bird flushed right in front of me, I pulled up, he was rising more than normal. I shot, he went down. Feathers everywhere and hit hard but got up and ran instantly. Skye had to chase him through a marsh and thicket but was able to get him. Examining the bird, I blew off part of his butt, a few shot in the drummy, and a bunch of feathers on the right wing shot off so only quills were remaining. I was so surprised and excited at the same time that I pulled the trigger a touch early. If I'd waited another second the muzzle would have continued through the bird and hit the head and neck area. Something I'll work on. Going with buddies to try northern SD next week. Hopefully get to scout/hunt the properties around Pierpont.
 
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Sunday I made 2 pretty decent shots. The third, far & away the easiest, I just barely scratched the bird down, when he should've been almost vaporized. (Thank goodness for good pheasant dogs.) Testament to Yogi Berra's claim that pheasant hunting is 90% mental. The other half is physical.
 
I think that it is natural for our eyes to focus on the fastest moving objects in our field of vision. On a flushing pheasant that would be the wings.

Many wounded birds are simply shot through one wing. At least that has been my experience.
 
I've definitely cream puffed a few roosters over the years to the point where they were hamburger. I'm naturally a very quick shot so when a rooster flushes within range, I shoot. My brain doesn't have the time to tell me "let it fly further away before you shoot."

Plus I also hunt ruffed grouse and you take ANY shot you get hunting those devils.
 
John Singer said:
I think that it is natural for our eyes to focus on the fastest moving objects in our field of vision. On a flushing pheasant that would be the wings.

Many wounded birds are simply shot through one wing. At least that has been my experience.
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That makes sense John. And in this particular case, I think we really snuk up on this rooster, because he was really close. I just remember that big long tail waving in his tail wind. Hard to take your eyes off that, and could have drawn my eyes to it as the shot was triggered.
 
Bob Peters said:
That makes sense John. And in this particular case, I think we really snuk up on this rooster, because he was really close. I just remember that big long tail waving in his tail wind. Hard to take your eyes off that, and could have drawn my eyes to it as the shot was triggered.
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I did something like that today. My dog flushed a beautiful, full color rooster. I missed it with two layup shots. All I can remember is the bird's long tail waving in the wind.
 
MinnHunter said:
I often miss birds I wait on and aim at. I am deadly snap shooting.
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I'm the same way. Missed a big mature bird on Sunday that I took a couple extra seconds on. My "excuse" is that I'm using an O/U now, and I'm trying to not crack off the first shot so fast. I used to shoot an auto, so I had 5 shots. I could afford to waste a shell or 2. Now I'm trying to slow down, but I'm a much more instinctual shooter so I should go back to my roots and not worry about how many rounds I got in the chamber haha
 
Labradinger said:
Most of us are probably over choked. Theres so much emphasis on the 40 yard pattern, i think most that pattern their gun judge by that distance
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Always always pattern at the distance you are going to shoot. No sense in a 40yd pattern if your shots are always under 30. Unless you are a good enough shot to hit the head up close, most of us arent. Whenever i try that I end up missing the first shot trying to snipe a head and then kill it when its at a normal range. The problem is when you choke for 25-30 yards and the birds all get up at 25 yd that day giving you a 35-40yd shot. Thats when cripples happen moreso than too tight up close. Most people overchoked just blow the piss out of the birds up close. If you missed at 25yd with a full choke you would have missed with a cyl choke too, or just caught the very edge of the pattern (cripple)

I have a bad habit of shooting too quick as well, but getting better at waiting for them to be 25-30yd out. They look like they are going so fast that i always shoot early, then regret it. The worst is when you see that poof of feathers and the dog hands you a limp squishy bird.
 
There's two ways to look at the correct choke idea. It really depends on what's happening with the birds that given day or what part of the season your in. Windy days where the birds are spooked and long flushes may be the norm, you'll welcome a tighter choke etc. I can tell you I would rather have enough choke than not enough. Premium ammo will always tighten up with what ever choke you have in your gun. Like has been said patterning your gun will tell alot with your favorite Phez load/choke combo. I believe most misses are due to shooting too quickly and or not looking hard at the bird, specifically the birds head if you can see it. The hands(meaning the gun) will always to to where the eyes are focused without you even consciously knowing it.
 
birdshooter said:
The hands(meaning the gun) will always to to where the eyes are focused without you even consciously knowing it.
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This is why you shoot birds in the butt. Your eyes will alway find the center of what ever you are looking at. On Pheasants with long tails the center is their butt. If you concentrate on their head instead of the entire bird you will kill many more crossing shots than if you look at the whole bird. It’s harder to do than you think it should be!
If you don’t believe me try staring at a tree while riding a bike down a single track ( you will hit it) or staring at something out the window while driving. Your body has a tendency to go where you are looking.
Now gun fit plays a part in this as well, if your gun doesn’t shoot to where you are looking you aren’t going hit there!
 
If you are looking at any part of a bird, you are about to hit it in the butt (or miss behind). You have to ID the bird, pull up on bird, then swing through the bird to the appropriate lead out front without staring with eyes locked on the bird. Those who lock onto the bird and ignore their barrel/bead are the ones blowing the ass out of birds, or missing birds past 20yds (ones that require a lead). Even going away shots, you shouldn't even be able to see the bird, barrel should be completely blocking it out.

Only people who can do that are guys who have been shooting that way for 20 years and muscle memory has taken over and blindly swings the gun for their brain. Unfortunately this requires hundreds of misses to get that muscle memory dialed in.. hopefully for the wallet's sake thats at the trap range

If you read above i said I usually miss when i try to head snipe a bird, or body pound the heck out of it. Thats because im staring at the head trying to only hit that, instead of paying attention to the bead and how to properly lead said bird.
 
Shoot full choke old guns and cheap magnum shells.Only high brass.Go old school for the win.Ill take this 1958 Browning.
 
KEOutdoors said:
If you are looking at any part of a bird, you are about to hit it in the butt (or miss behind). You have to ID the bird, pull up on bird, then swing through the bird to the appropriate lead out front without staring with eyes locked on the bird. Those who lock onto the bird and ignore their barrel/bead are the ones blowing the ass out of birds, or missing birds past 20yds (ones that require a lead). Even going away shots, you shouldn't even be able to see the bird, barrel should be completely blocking it out.

Only people who can do that are guys who have been shooting that way for 20 years and muscle memory has taken over and blindly swings the gun for their brain. Unfortunately this requires hundreds of misses to get that muscle memory dialed in.. hopefully for the wallet's sake thats at the trap range

If you read above i said I usually miss when i try to head snipe a bird, or body pound the heck out of it. Thats because im staring at the head trying to only hit that, instead of paying attention to the bead and how to properly lead said bird.
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You can have barrel awareness without LOOKING directly at the barrel/bead. It's in your peripheral vision. Focusing soley on the bead/barrel will slow the gun causing a miss behind. Your eyes still dictate where the hands go. The eyes feed information to the brain and the brain makes the necessary adjustments subconsciously. An example would be to point your index finger at a flying object in the air. If the eyes are focused on that object your finger will automatically go to the exact spot it needs to be to hit it providing you could shoot shot out of your finger. People over complicate things. Shot guns are pointed not Aimed.

That being said. IMO, When it comes to longer crossing shots such as those seen in pass shooting waterfowl, a visible gap is necessary whether using a swing through, or maintained lead method.
 
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Well I will just say I missed two shots at roosters last season, zero this year. The two i missed i focused on the head and tried to snipe it.

Went 164 doves in 221 shots this year

Dont know my waterfowl numbers, haven't been counting, and hard to with multiple people shooting.

Im not the greatest shot, but I can hold my own. I hunt with a lot of guys who do a whole lot of missing and they all have the same thing in common. Staring down birds and missing. All the guys ive had this conversation with regarding aiming or pointing a shotgun all have two things in common, pointing a shotgun and carrying a box of shells for each pheasant hunt. They make fun of me for putting low profile hi-viz sights on all my guns, saying i shouldn't even be seeing it. The numbers dont lie. Bird shooting is nothing like skeet/trap which is pure instincts and muscle memory and focusing on the rock. We have inconsistent ranges, bird speeds, angles, and physical stance variables along with cold stiff joints that all will throw off your brain if you arent in control and just relying on your brain to magically make your arms swing.

When a bird flushes im IDing it and getting a rough estimate of range in my head of if its going to be a takeable shot, then following its flight angle while drawing up, putting the bead on the neck of the bird and matching its speed next, then leaving the bird with my eyes and making sure gun is level and lead is appropriate between bead and the neck of the bird, and finally pulling the trigger while continuously swinging. All of this is done in a fraction of a second, feels like slow motion and 15 seconds. Now theres always snap shots every season where the brain does it all, but if you are in control I can assure you the missing will go way way down. Those who say they miss when they think about it, they dont know how to shoot... Their brain does and thats not a good thing for all around success.
 
KEOutdoors said:
Well I will just say I missed two shots at roosters last season, zero this year. The two i missed i focused on the head and tried to snipe it.

Went 164 doves in 221 shots this year

Dont know my waterfowl numbers, haven't been counting, and hard to with multiple people shooting.

Im not the greatest shot, but I can hold my own. I hunt with a lot of guys who do a whole lot of missing and they all have the same thing in common. Staring down birds and missing. All the guys ive had this conversation with regarding aiming or pointing a shotgun all have two things in common, pointing a shotgun and carrying a box of shells for each pheasant hunt. They make fun of me for putting low profile hi-viz sights on all my guns, saying i shouldn't even be seeing it. The numbers dont lie. Bird shooting is nothing like skeet/trap which is pure instincts and muscle memory and focusing on the rock. We have inconsistent ranges, bird speeds, angles, and physical stance variables along with cold stiff joints that all will throw off your brain if you arent in control and just relying on your brain to magically make your arms swing.

When a bird flushes im IDing it and getting a rough estimate of range in my head of if its going to be a takeable shot, then following its flight angle while drawing up, putting the bead on the neck of the bird and matching its speed next, then leaving the bird with my eyes and making sure gun is level and lead is appropriate between bead and the neck of the bird, and finally pulling the trigger while continuously swinging. All of this is done in a fraction of a second, feels like slow motion and 15 seconds. Now theres always snap shots every season where the brain does it all, but if you are in control I can assure you the missing will go way way down. Those who say they miss when they think about it, they dont know how to shoot... Their brain does and thats not a good thing for all around success.
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2 birds? I'm calling bs...
 
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