How’s your shooting been?

While waiting for all he corn to be picked where I usually hunt, I've only been out twice so far. Started out with the Maxus, then switched to the SX4 20 ga, and finished with the Citori Gran Lightning 16. I like the light recoil of the two gas guns, but usually gravitate to the 16 since I shoot it the best. Similar to what Roy B said; "Some days it's light out for the birds, and other days I wonder if I've ever done this before".
 
Been shooting above average, early on it was a lot of wing tipped birds and running criples. Thankfully that's lessened and I'm stoning more in the air. Dogs have been great and not lost a bird yet hunting solo. Did have a low flying straight-away I missed 3 times with autoloader on Saturday. Bird flushed at my feet. I don't really like that gun and plan to sell it. I also missed a layup this year, but thankfully my buddy got him. Main loads are 1 1/4 lead 5 and bismuth 4 at 1300 or 1350fps. I've got a random collection of other shells, #4 stormy prairie and whatnot that might come out late season. Going forward I plan on buying ammo in flats and narrowing the variety in my collection. Main gun a 725 feather 12ga. with i/c and mod. Most birds with angle I hit the extreme front end, don't miss many behind. 2 recent roosters had broken beaks and not one pellet in the breasts. I think it's from all the clays I shoot, which generally require more forward allowance.
 
Bob Peters said:
Been shooting above average, early on it was a lot of wing tipped birds and running criples. Thankfully that's lessened and I'm stoning more in the air. Dogs have been great and not lost a bird yet hunting solo. Did have a low flying straight-away I missed 3 times with autoloader on Saturday. Bird flushed at my feet. I don't really like that gun and plan to sell it. I also missed a layup this year, but thankfully my buddy got him. Main loads are 1 1/4 lead 5 and bismuth 4 at 1300 or 1350fps. I've got a random collection of other shells, #4 stormy prairie and whatnot that might come out late season. Going forward I plan on buying ammo in flats and narrowing the variety in my collection. Main gun a 725 feather 12ga. with i/c and mod. Most birds with angle I hit the extreme front end, don't miss many behind. 2 recent roosters had broken beaks and not one pellet in the breasts. I think it's from all the clays I shoot, which generally require more forward allowance.
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Tmi
 
Not what I wanted with one gun. Good with another. I bought a Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen (new version) to take to SD. I also bought a Marlin Model 90 16 ga I planned to take. Shot the Marlin on day 1 and shot it well by the 2nd walk. Switched to the Browning on day 2. I hit a few, but overall it was a miss fest. The gun came with the neutral cast shim in it and I though it fit well. I had shot it a few times and thought I was good to go. Birds coming over my head or just slightly left or right, no problem. Crossing birds just a big whiff. When I would miss, someone would say, “you were behind it.” I knew I wasn’t behind it but I corrected by using more lead. Still missed. I knew all of my other shotguns have slight cast off and the comb was a little higher but I thought it being neutral was no big deal. Finished day 2 and day 3 with the Marlin. Fun to hunt with a 1953 shotgun anyway.

got home and pt in the 1 RL shim and what a difference it makes. Way better shooting for me. I know some say the 1/16” raise in the comb doesn’t do much but the combination of cast off and slightly higher comb helped me. Now I think I was shooting under the birds as much as anything else. Those flying over my head just were flying right into the pattern.
 
I’ve missed my fair share and made a couple good shots. Seems if I think about it I miss. Have noticed a lil too many live birds when I pick them up and I’m shooting 5’s right barrel 4’s left. Had the best luck with Migra 4’s over 6’s but that box is gone!
 
Obi_Wan said:
Not what I wanted with one gun. Good with another. I bought a Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen (new version) to take to SD. I also bought a Marlin Model 90 16 ga I planned to take. Shot the Marlin on day 1 and shot it well by the 2nd walk. Switched to the Browning on day 2. I hit a few, but overall it was a miss fest. The gun came with the neutral cast shim in it and I though it fit well. I had shot it a few times and thought I was good to go. Birds coming over my head or just slightly left or right, no problem. Crossing birds just a big whiff. When I would miss, someone would say, “you were behind it.” I knew I wasn’t behind it but I corrected by using more lead. Still missed. I knew all of my other shotguns have slight cast off and the comb was a little higher but I thought it being neutral was no big deal. Finished day 2 and day 3 with the Marlin. Fun to hunt with a 1953 shotgun anyway.

got home and pt in the 1 RL shim and what a difference it makes. Way better shooting for me. I know some say the 1/16” raise in the comb doesn’t do much but the combination of cast off and slightly higher comb helped me. Now I think I was shooting under the birds as much as anything else. Those flying over my head just were flying right into the pattern.
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It wouldn't explain clean misses, but be aware that the factory chokes that come with the new-style sweet 16's shoot a much more open pattern than how they're marked. I got mine not long after they came out, Fall of '17 and I had already read a few things online about the chokes being very open. When I patterned mine, that definitely was the case. (the factory mod choke throws a more open pattern than my Trulock skeet choke, so they're off by more than just one level, more like two)

I suppose they may have changed them at some point in the past 8 years. Some online digging might yield some useful info. I switched to Trulocks and never looked back.
 
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