One shot I whiffed on twice recently

Bob Peters

Well-known member
It was one you don't get all the time, but a very close rooster at a hard angle(crossing). Both birds were going on the slow side. One bird was on takeoff and as the dog was on my left he crossed right in front of me going right, wings spread one perpendicular with the ground and the other with the sky and his back right in front of me. Ideally I should have simply turned, let the shot develop for two seconds and taken it. The second bird flew over a road right in front of me and was fluttering down very slowly to the other side. Angle, speed and distance create visual lead on targets. This bird had very little speed or distance, and I missed miles in front. Hopefully I'll learn from these experiences.
 
It was one you don't get all the time, but a very close rooster at a hard angle(crossing). Both birds were going on the slow side. One bird was on takeoff and as the dog was on my left he crossed right in front of me going right, wings spread one perpendicular with the ground and the other with the sky and his back right in front of me. Ideally I should have simply turned, let the shot develop for two seconds and taken it. The second bird flew over a road right in front of me and was fluttering down very slowly to the other side. Angle, speed and distance create visual lead on targets. This bird had very little speed or distance, and I missed miles in front. Hopefully I'll learn from these experiences.
I had two very similar shots this past weekend I totally missed! I waited for them to coast a bit further out so I didn't blow them to pieces. In waiting, I guess I overthought the shot and missed it clean.
 
Everyone has their Kryponite in regards to shots. What you described left to right I am always solid on. My trouble spot is a bird that gets up in front and quarters to my left forcing me to turn around and shoot behind. I always fail to get out in front of him and have missed that shot a bunch. If he goes to my right or straight away he is dead. I also suck on long pass shots. Overall I am very streaky.
 
Seems like a common kryptonite is those slow moving shots. I’m guilty of rushing those shots instead of waiting for them to unfold.
 
Those are tough. You have to swing so fast to keep up & get in front. All the while thinking, "I really don't want to blow this thing apart." So you wait, thinking, "Oh, it just doesn't get any easier than this. I'm still going to absolutely smoke this thing!" So your brain has gotten in the way even more. Plus, you've probably lifted your head just an ounce off the stock in order to better see the huge puff of feathers that's about to fill the air. And you whiff 2 or 3 times, maybe drop a leg, & the damn thing flies away. Or so I've heard.
 
Seems like a common kryptonite is those slow moving shots. I’m guilty of rushing those shots instead of waiting for them to unfold.
Couple weeks ago we had one levitate in the wind between me and another guy. He was right over both of our heads and we shot four times between us. We managed to get him on the ground but he was hardly dead. Luckily my dog was watching our shooting exhibition and got right on him as he headed into the trees.
 
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