shotshell speed
- Thread starter Bob Peters
- Start date
I would agree with Gil that at some point, the extra velocity from. say, a 1350 fps "heavy dove load" or a faster load is negated by the additional recoil it generates. For me personally, when I shoot skeet with my 12 gauge Browning 725 field gun, I get best results, and my share of 25 straights, with loads from 1200-1290 fps. It is intereseting to also consider how fast one swings; ie. you read for instance that at Station 4, one needs a lead of 4 feet. Seems to me it depends on how fast you swing your gun ! What looks like 4' to me may look like 2.5' to you.
remy3424
Well-known member
I feel with my shooting, 4 inches would make absolutely no difference. I just want to get that bird somewhere in my pattern. I know there are some out there that could tell the difference, but I am a guy that might use a more open choke to increase my odds...and opening-up the choke works well for me and my shooting. Saying that, I use the same shell load, the same gun and same choke all season, keeping it simple...piles of pheasants can't argue with this. 
BrownDogsCan2
Well-known member
I think what ever speed advantage there is your brain adjusts to over time until there is no advantage.
A5 Sweet 16
Well-known member
I've commented (similarly to Gil Ash) on this topic many times over the years, but I've never heard the analogy about the difference in lead being only a few inches & your bead covering up more than that. That's good, & I'll probably use it in the future. Clay shooting is one thing, where you've got time to plan your shot, & you might be shooting a particular shot repetitively. You could actually judge lead fairly close sometimes. But I find it preposterous, in most pheasant hunting situations, that somebody thinks he/she can & does lead to the nearest foot, much less the nearest few inches. I don't think much about lead during a shot. It just happens, although not always correctly, because I can usually take 0.5-1.0 second to see the bird, & I've seen most shots (or close variations of them) many, many times. I pull the trigger when it "looks right". Looking right is either a little lead, some lead, more lead, quite a bit of lead, or way the heck out in front.
Bob Peters
Well-known member
↑ I agree with your "looks right" assessment 100%. I was hunting in a large public food plot of corn this year, and didn't know where the dog went when suddenly hurried wingbeats and a series of very angry cackles broke the silence. Oh, that's where the dog went
. She has got a bad problem, just wont stop harassing those roosters. I watched the tape long after the bird had sailed away and find my gun movement could best be described as either a stab, a jerk, or excessive. I guess I need more practice of shooting through the corn stalks.
. She has got a bad problem, just wont stop harassing those roosters. I watched the tape long after the bird had sailed away and find my gun movement could best be described as either a stab, a jerk, or excessive. I guess I need more practice of shooting through the corn stalks.
Gatzby
Well-known member
I agree 100%. I would even take it a little further, its almost more of a feel. Bird flushes, and if I swing through the shot properly the bird is dead.....but I cant tell you where the bead is when I pull the trigger. If I don't shoulder the gun properly or follow through then the bird flys away.
I am a poor poster as the more time I have to think the less likely I am to connect.
Honeybun0196
New member
That’s the way I am also. If I have to wait too long or if try to think about it and aim it’s almost always a miss. I seem to do a lot better when just looking at the bird and shooting.
HS Strut
Active member
I think the key here is you start with "a little lead" because I've figured out in the last 2 seasons I wasn't leading enough. I think way too many times I was aiming at the bird. I've gone to a sustained lead and my percentage has gone through the roof! Not only do I rarely miss but finding dead birds without having to track cripples. No more shooting and seeing a foot drop. These birds are either tumbling outa the air dead or I'm missing completely.
Tuckr2
Active member
Having gone from a 12 ga Winchester sx4 and purchased a 20 ga sx4 I found the velocity of my hunting rounds for my 12 ga definitely had some kick. Bought the 20 because I wanted to rehome to my grandkids at some point. I’ve shot the 20 since last spring at the trap field. As both shotguns shoot almost identically I wanted to be more proficient with less lead or steel. poor man- no bismuth or tungsten.
Last fall we headed to North Dakota for yearly upland with friends. Right out of the truck I pulled the trusty 12 ga out loaded with my favorite load- nickel plated #5, 2 3/4, 1 3/8 oz, 1485 fps. 3 birds up within about 30 minutes, 3 birds down. First th8ng I noticed was the kick. Id been shooting almost exclusively 1200 fps and these field loads surprised me as I’ve shot them since I got the sx4 12 ga in 2016. Next, surprisingly I took all three birds down with one shot- but, yes but all appeared to be dead shot and yet all 3 got up and ran. I attributed it to wind 17 mph but I was still a bit stunned.
The next morning I got out my 20 ga and decided to to hunt with the 20. Still a bit concerned about the big roosters but flustered at the days before performance. Our first stop, one hun, one shot. We moved on and came to a small dry waterhole with lots of nice tall grasses and a tree shelter belt. Hadn’t walked 40 yards, my partners on one side, me and my springer on the other. Up flushed 2 roosters, 2 shots and two dead drops and about 2 seconds later a 3rd up and one shot. Bird faltered and then continued for another 70 yards where it dropped in the high grasses. I’d have shot again but never had time to reload and only one shot in the mag.
10 minutes later the dog kicked up the 3rd bird again and I took it with one more shot. Same brand ammo but as I was concerned about the meager 20 ga lead loads this one was a #4, 3 inch, 1 1/4 oz, 1300 fps. Guess my point is you can take almost any bird with a bit of luck and the importance of patterning your shotgun. all Birds were shot within 40 yards and the only other difference is the 12 had a modified choke and the 20 was full choke. My range time on clays with the 20 was as good as and maybe even slightly better with the 20 over the 12.
sorry for the long post- patterning
I'm confused, are you saying that based on hunting for 2 days your convinsed full choke is why youdidn't have any running roodies the 2nd day?? Cause that 2nd day you were using basicaly a 12 gage shell in a smaller gun. Or did you do patterning on paper and have results that show the 20 gage patterned better? Or what?
benelli-banger
Well-known member
I’ve shifted from the hotter and heavier loads to 1 1/4 oz lead #5 @ 1200 fps…12 gauge…usually I/C….sometimes a S x S with IC/M….been shooting 100+ a year for 25+ years, lots of birds shot in high wind, late late season, more than 40 yards…for me it’s about leading the bird appropriately and hitting it where it counts. Other configurations work for others, this works for me. I will shoot a bird a 2nd time if I can even if it appears hard hit…
we know you hunt alot, how many days a year? We know you got a place in SD, were else d you hunt? Do you live in the Cities? I think we met at Phez Fest. Is your name Jim?
benelli-banger
Well-known member
I didn’t make it down…should have, heard it was fun...never been to one. My name is Mike. I hunt about 35 days in SD, about 10-15 in ND, and about 3-5 in MT. I live in Duluth, but am from the cities. Just retired 3/31, hope to maintain or increase my time afield. I do hunt grouse around Duluth as well, mostly an hour or two at a time in the afternoons. A ruffed grouse probably means more to me than anything! Much fun! I really think prairie grouse are cool…I‘m smitten! But a rooster busting out of cover is a feast for the senses! I love it all…especially with a fine gun and a good dog or two….I have three, but I’ll limit my positive comments to two….
Tuckr2
Active member
Sorry for the confusion. I guess my biggest point was patterning your shotgun with the loads I found that the 20 with 3 inch shells patterned very similar to the 12 with a 2 3/4 shell. confusion or frustration maybe on my part at having whiffed 3 birds. Having hunted with the 12 as my primary gun only to have so many get up and run was my frustration. I do pattern my shotguns with any load and choke I use. i Did ramble a bit so please excuse that.
Dang 50 plus days a year? That's my dream but you can have them grouse. I wonder what Jim that was. He was going on about how he blasted so many roodogs with his fancy side by side. I think he said some were planted birds at preserve tho which don't say much about being very good at hunting.I didn’t make it down…should have, heard it was fun...never been to one. My name is Mike. I hunt about 35 days in SD, about 10-15 in ND, and about 3-5 in MT. I live in Duluth, but am from the cities. Just retired 3/31, hope to maintain or increase my time afield. I do hunt grouse around Duluth as well, mostly an hour or two at a time in the afternoons. A ruffed grouse probably means more to me than anything! Much fun! I really think prairie grouse are cool…I‘m smitten! But a rooster busting out of cover is a feast for the senses! I love it all…especially with a fine gun and a good dog or two….I have three, but I’ll limit my positive comments to two….
Yeah I don't pattern I just go hunt but I know what works & I don't change from it, so they must pattern good. I like your signatrure line bro. I def know what you mean.
Tuckr2
Active member
It wasn’t till I started turkey hunting I found patterning helped with determining the max distance I wanted to take a shot at. Of course things have changed since tungsten became available. My fiocchi shells have always been great for hunting.Yeah I don't pattern I just go hunt but I know what works & I don't change from it, so they must pattern good. I like your signatrure line bro. I def know what you mean.