How Far Is Too Far?

Toad said:
Practicing with my bow also helps with estimating distances while upland hunting. I have 20, 30, and 40 yard pins on my bow, and practice shooting targets at those distances. I think it helps carry over to upland, since I am accustomed to what 20, 30, and 40 yards "looks like" from a standing position.

For all other types of hunting besides upland, whenever it is practical, I pace off the distance to objects in my field of view so I have a good idea of what distance I am shooting. If no obvious objects are there, I will pace off a decoy or even jam a stick into the ground.
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Get a Xforce bow and you'll only need one pin out to 40 yards.
 
For one to shoot stuff beyond 40 yards, you'll need better ammo than most of us are shooting. That 1oz. load of slow lead 6s or 1 1/4 faststeel in 4s isn't what you should be shooting. With the ammo most of us use it is unethical to shoot beyond 40 yards irregardless of our capabilities.

There are loads that can do it (high velocity 1 1/4 lead 4s/5s, heavishot 6, some of the heavy steel (2s) duck loads). When I lived in TX we'd hunt bills, redheads, cans on the bay with hevishot 6s and patternmaster chokes and it is very effective beyond 40 yards and would even kill geese within 40 yards (check for pellets in those breasts). The thing is I bought that ammo when it first came out and no one can afford it anymore. In the 80s I had a handload with federal cases that was 1550 fps lead 5s that patterned very well - I would go back to that were it legal for ducks.
 
morrismike said:
In the 80s I had a handload with federal cases that was 1550 fps lead 5s that patterned very well - I would go back to that were it legal for ducks.
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That sounds pretty lethal. :)

I've had fairly decisive results with Fasteel 2's, about what you'd expect from lead 4's.

I'm going to try some Fasteel #3's on pheasants and see if they perform similar to the 2's. Should sweeten the pattern a bit.
 
pheasent89 said:
Does height of bird flying count in range ? I always wandered that
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It has some impact, in that the pattern spreads at distance from the muzzle. So a shot at 40 yard and 30 ft in the air is a long shot than one at 40 yards and 5 ft in the air.

But I don't think it is much to worry about. If you shoot much you already can tell the line of sight distance is longer in that shot.
 
I'm usually shooting at somewhere around twenty yards or less over a pointing dog. everbody wounds occasionally and I certainly do. I shoot a twenty gage with one barrel I.C. and one skeet. I have done that ever since I got the O/U an I have never felt under gunned. If the first shot hits but doesn't drop it I will give it the second barrel at what ever the range within reason. I shot one last year that was hit first by my friend. It was crossing right to left in front of me at distance and still going. I believe I missed the first barrel, but since I knew the bird was hit by his shot I gave it the second barrel with a lead of about fifteen feet. It dropped like it hit a wall. No way would I have shot at it without his having hit it first. I figured it was up to me as he was even further away and had no chance for a killing shot. I think we were all surprised.

I do usually shoot three inch mags with plated shot in number six shot. I figure spending all that money to get there the shells aren't the place to scrimp. If shooting steel shot I use the same combo barrels if not both being skeet. My pattern testing proved to me that an open choke gives a much better patern than a tighter choke. I think the steel , being less compressable than lead, will start to bounce around from the choking cone and spreads out much wider leaving holes in the pattern.

The best shooting advice I ever got from a buddy that routinely drooped four on a covey rise and was deadly on doves and ducks as well, was, "If a bird looks black or dark he is too far, but if he's close enough to see the subtle colors...bust him!". That's what I try to remember in wing shooting.
 
david0311

morrismike said:
For one to shoot stuff beyond 40 yards, you'll need better ammo than most of us are shooting. That 1oz. load of slow lead 6s or 1 1/4 faststeel in 4s isn't what you should be shooting. With the ammo most of us use it is unethical to shoot beyond 40 yards irregardless of our capabilities.

There are loads that can do it (high velocity 1 1/4 lead 4s/5s, heavishot 6, some of the heavy steel (2s) duck loads). When I lived in TX we'd hunt bills, redheads, cans on the bay with hevishot 6s and patternmaster chokes and it is very effective beyond 40 yards and would even kill geese within 40 yards (check for pellets in those breasts). The thing is I bought that ammo when it first came out and no one can afford it anymore. In the 80s I had a handload with federal cases that was 1550 fps lead 5s that patterned very well - I would go back to that were it legal for ducks.
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Just curious--was that 11/8 oz. with Alcan
 
One thing I give strong consideration to is the cover I'm shooting over. THick cover early season I'll keep things pretty close, 35 max. But if that bird breaks over a picked field or grazed pasture where recovery is upped I'll go longer.

In late season with heavy snow on the ground and vegetation mostly filled, I keep a load of #4s at 1400fps+ in my left barrel and have taken 50s successfully.

In any scenario if I don't think I can recover it I'll pass.
 
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