Not able to knock ducks out of the sky

[dak0ta]

Hi,

So today I was in the marsh and I was hiding when 2 mallards came bee lining towards me. I thought I was definitely in range (within 30 yards) when I popped up and shot at them with 3'' BB 1 1/8 loads at 1550 fps using a Modified choke. I swear I had both of them, but both of them sort of stopped in flight and then flew off confused.

So my question is, were they not in range, am I using the wrong ammo, or should I be using IC choke?

[wingmaster]

try something smaller for a larger pattern, number 2s or 4s should do the trick although there is no reason BBs shouldnt have done the job and range and choke shouldnt have been any issue. if they were coming straight at you, a miss just above is a possibility as it is difficult to judge the rate they are descending, i know that is my number 1 miss

[digger dogger]

For ducks, I'd go with #4's. but I'm no expert! I can shoe birds away with the best of them some days with 4's, or 2's
I use a modified choke.
30 yards sounds doable..

[Spy]

Have you been to the range and patterned your load/gun/choke to see what it is doing ! Clay shooting is a great way to practice before you go hunting !

[lorneparker1]

There is only one solution. Wait till they land

[Aheny]

I would consider the possibility that the range was greater than your estimate. This is very common with birds.

[blindman]

I experienced a very embarrassing outing with a friend recently. My shooting just plain was awful and shost I normally would have made I blew. One change I had made was to wear a heavier coat to fend against the cooler day. I'm sure that the shotgun was catching outside my shoulder pocket. As a solution to my poor skills, I went to the local shotgun club and asked one of the members to monitor my skeet shooting. He immediately said that I was raising my head off the stock as I fired. Thinner jacket and telling myself to keep my head down has changed my shooting for the better.

[f350ps]

As I've said on here many many times, pattern your gun using different brands of shells and see what works the best out of your gun. I think you will be shocked at what you find! K

[dak0ta]

Do you think IC and #4 shot would be a better pattern? BB might not have enough density.

[bogman]

F350ps gives you the best advice so far but I'm kinda curious


There is only one solution. Wait till they land

how far do you lead a sitting duck

[Spy]

Do you think IC and #4 shot would be a better pattern? BB might not have enough density.
Absolutey !

[lorneparker1]

F350ps gives you the best advice so far but I'm kinda curious



how far do you lead a sitting duck

The same as you would a standing deer.

Lorne

[4ptbuck]

too much analysis....

it's simple, you missed

Whether you're shooting bb, 2 or 4, if they aren't in your pattern, you missed.

Theoretically, there could be holes in your patterns, but very unlikely that a duck would be in that hole when you shoot. The stars would have to line up and the sea would turn red for that to happen.

It's pretty simple, as Homer would say,.... DOH!
you missed.

[shotgunjohn]

Most people miss straight overhead shots because they either stop their swing when the barrel blocks out the ducks or lift their heads so they can still see the bird. It can be a tricky shot that way and you really need to concentrate on maintaining the swing. The endless question "why'd I miss" is part of what keeps duck hunting interesting and challenging.

[BiG Boar]

You probably just missed. New hunters tend to think there is this incredibly wide spray that comes out of a shotgun. This is not true. At that range the pattern would be about 33 inches across.

Another thing new hunters tend to do is flock shoot. Select one bird and aim for it, rather than the group.

I was recently on a hunt with 5 hunters. A nice flock of 10 or so widgeon set perfectly into our face. We popped up and I screamed BLOODBATH!!! Many shots were fired, but all ducks went away with all of their feathers.

[dak0ta]

Ok, the lifting the head thing seems plausible as I did feel a bit of a cheek slap on the 2nd shot from the stock! Either way, I'll keep your advice in mind for the next time out. Although i do think BB may be too big, so I'll get some #3's and try the IC choke.

[f350ps]

Ok, the lifting the head thing seems plausible as I did feel a bit of a cheek slap on the 2nd shot from the stock! Either way, I'll keep your advice in mind for the next time out. Although i do think BB may be too big, so I'll get some #3's and try the IC choke.
Ammo suppliers love guys like you but why not eliminate the easiest thing and go from there. For years I shot the same brand and size of shell then one year I switched up to Kents for a goose opener and couldn't hit sh#t. The second day I went back to my regular ammo and shot like a champ but I was still thinking I had an off day. Next time out I went with the Kents and the same thing happened which then took me to the patterning board. No wonder I was having trouble, with the Kents you could put the bottom of a 5 gallon pail in the center of my pattern and hardly cover a whole, I then patterned Remington Nitro and the bulk of the pattern was low of center. My regular ammo was perfectly even and I haven't shot anything else since. Take it or leave it but you could save yourself a lot of grief and money! K

[Foxton Gundogs]

Back in the good ol' lead days I used to shoot ducks with 4s and 5s imperials with great sucess full thru my mod. 12 but couldnt kill a thing with 6s. Yet I was deadly with 6s and 7.5s on upland. I paterened the gun and everything was fine untill i tried the 6s and it was throwing a 30" patern with a 12" hole in the middle just like a huge donut. However when I set the choke on Mod or IC(my upland settings) the 6s patterened fine. Listen to f350 and go from there, choke, shot size and even brands and speed/shot weight can make a huge differance find a couple of loads your gun likes and use them. BB for geese, 3 or 4s for ducks and 2s if you have a chance at either would be a good giude but know what your gun will do with them.

[SPEYMAN]

As Lee Trevino said"don't plame the arrow, blame the Indian".

[f350ps]

Back in the good ol' lead days I used to shoot ducks with 4s and 5s imperials with great sucess full thru my mod. 12 but couldnt kill a thing with 6s. Yet I was deadly with 6s and 7.5s on upland. I paterened the gun and everything was fine untill i tried the 6s and it was throwing a 30" patern with a 12" hole in the middle just like a huge donut. However when I set the choke on Mod or IC(my upland settings) the 6s patterened fine. Listen to f350 and go from there, choke, shot size and even brands and speed/shot weight can make a huge differance find a couple of loads your gun likes and use them. BB for geese, 3 or 4s for ducks and 2s if you have a chance at either would be a good giude but know what your gun will do with them.

Uh, the good old Imperial Dynawads, had to love them! For years I rolled my own and if memory serves me it was, naw, memory sucks. I do rememeber that it was 4756 powder in a AA hull with WWA12 hulls with an 1 1/4 oz. of 3 shot that would rip at a blistering 1370fps. Man, that was a wicked load! K

[Foxton Gundogs]

I used to love Canuck #6 on Mod choke for shooting teal in the raspberry cains at last light what a hoot.

[lorneparker1]

You guys are old

Lorne

[heyblast]

You'll be old too.

[f350ps]

You guys are old

Lorne
Not to old to shoot them on the wing, try it, with a little practice you could probably do it too! Or not! K :)

[field marshal]

Whoa!!! You could afford "Blue Rockets"???:confused: Every once in awhile I would spring for a box of Maxums, but mostly we could only afford to reload
reclaimed and I forget the number of pistol powder we used??? Jeez, you guys were real "High Rollers"!!:mrgreen: ----Cheers---Field Marshal.

[Foxton Gundogs]

Whoa!!! You could afford "Blue Rockets"???:confused: Every once in awhile I would spring for a box of Maxums, but mostly we could only afford to reload
reclaimed and I forget the number of pistol powder we used??? Jeez, you guys were real "High Rollers"!!:mrgreen: ----Cheers---Field Marshal.

Yah but not in the begining it was $1.25 A + N Canuck # 5s al the time


You guys are old

Lorne

Yah but so's my M12 and it kills stuff on the wing to:twisted:

[f350ps]

Yah but not in the begining it was $1.25 A + N Canuck # 5s al the time



Yah but so's my M12 and it kills stuff on the wing to:twisted:
Wow, you guys are old! :) K

[lorneparker1]

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u279/LorneP/668_zps1aafe7b6.jpg

[lorneparker1]

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u279/LorneP/funny-old-man-Vietnam-war_zpsfcf66c46.jpg

[dak0ta]

I think what happened was a) cheek off the stock b) stopped swinging on the up front shot c) should have waited a little longer for them to come in range.

[MOOSE MILK]

Seen an 8 bore for sale, might do the trick!

[303Brit]

F350ps gives you the best advice so far but I'm kinda curious



how far do you lead a sitting duck

It's not lead it's hold over ;)

303

[saskbooknut]

For you guys playing "remember when" - when I was a lad, Ray of Ray's Sporting Goods in Victoria would sell us 5 shotshells when we couldn't afford the whole box of Canucks (in the early 60s )
To the OP - I feel your pain.
I still miss Ducks and Geese pass shooting, just cannot seem to work out a lead on them unless they seem to be 25 yards away or less.
I have a good day when the birds are feet down almost into the decoys.
I think the good advice has been to keep your head down on the gun stock and keep swinging smoothly through the target bird. Pattern the shells you want to use in your gun. For me the best patterns are with Kent #2 1 1/4 oz and modified choke in my Citori 12 ga. The cheap Winchester 1550 fps shotshells make good patterns in close but have the worst junkyard mixture of irregular shot sizes and shapes in them. Nice shot #5 handloads make very dense even patterns, which should perform well on ducks at longer distance, if I can ever work out the lead on them as they rocket by with a tailwind.

[Ian F.]

I never miss

[heyblast]

One miss on a duck and 35 hits on here.

[Crazy_Farmer]

I never miss

ahhhhemmmm????? Must be those fancy silver shells you use hahaha


One miss on a duck and 35 hits on here.

my thoughts exactly. Why can't a miss be a miss. Some days I'm done in half a box. Other days a full box. I never blame anyone but myself.

[Foxton Gundogs]

I think what happened was a) cheek off the stock b) stopped swinging on the up front shot c) should have waited a little longer for them to come in range.

OK I'm back off "memory(what memory)lane". I dont get this why are you still on with the maybe this and maybe that, what have you got against patterning your gun as sugested by a number of the guys. Start with KNOWING how your gun and shells are shooting(If you were clean missing big game you'd try sighting your rifle in again wouldnt you?) then if it doesnt fix you can work on the maybes but at least you will know its not the "tool" Just my opinion, but you asked:mrgreen:

[heyblast]

Remington Sportsmans for ducks and Blackclouds for geese. Why? Because that's what works best in my gun, exactly what the other's have said, pattern test, find the best.

[wicket]

another vote for lifting the head ....seen it a thousand times and done it once or twice myself:-D
ps lifting your head doesnt nes mean lifting it right off the stock, it is as easy as raising your check a bit while still maintaining skin to wood contact. unfortuneately thats all it takes to leave you confused and scratching your head

[kyleklassen]

Yah but not in the begining it was $1.25 A + N Canuck # 5s al the time



Yah but so's my M12 and it kills stuff on the wing to:twisted: can any of the shriveled wisdom crowd on here tell me which came first the "blue rockets" or the "red rockets"

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/281327_4961606756143_1799479788_n.jpg

[Freshtracks]

can any of the shriveled wisdom crowd on here tell me which came first the "blue rockets" or the "red rockets"


I believe Imperial had the blue cases as 2 3/4 " shells and the red cases were 3" shells. I'll take a stab and say the blue rockets came first.

[kyleklassen]

I believe Imperial had the blue cases as 2 3/4 " shells and the red cases were 3" shells. I'll take a stab and say the blue rockets came first.i think your right on the different colours.....before that they were all purple.

[dak0ta]

Pictures


Good ol' reliable Mossberg 500.


http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx226/knightofcydonia87/DSCN5156_zpsacaac47c.jpg
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx226/knightofcydonia87/DSCN5158_zpscfdad0e7.jpg

[lorneparker1]

Nice work sir!

SO what did you change?

Lorne

[dak0ta]

My uncle showed me the ropes. Decoys! Used 3'' BB in Mod choke, the 2 3/4'' #2's weren't doing well in the wind. Also, using burlap camo'd like reeds helps you blend in well (I don't own any camouflage for waterfowling yet).

Also, patience to let them get close enough to blast. Also, figuring out lead for the ducks and swing follow through.

When your shot connects on the duck, it just spasms and cripples and plummets to Earth, so awesome.

[lorneparker1]

When your shot connects on the duck, it just spasms and cripples and plummets to Earth, so awesome.


Thats wicked. I always wanted to try shooting them while they are flying. Most of the time mine just smash there heads into the dirt and just lay there motionless.

Lorne

[longshot]

Thats wicked. I always wanted to try shooting them while they are flying. Most of the time mine just smash there heads into the dirt and just lay there motionless.

Lorne

Lorne you're such a sluice troll, haha. ;)

And ya... amazing things happen when you let them get within 30 yards and you have a good patterning gun/shell combo... you either cleanly miss, or it comes crashing down! :)

[FirePower]

Lad now that you have the distance a little better defined loose the heavy artilary loads and go with #2s or #3s ots a lot easier on the meat and will knock them down just as well. Asfor the 2 3/4 # 2s not getting it done yoiu are wrong there there are many grand waterfowlers who still use nothing but 2 3/4 #2, 3 and 4s and they get the task done in a very dedaly manner, when a load is pushing shot at 1550 fps ot matters not if ti comes from a 3 1/2, 3, or 2 3/4 onch hull the only differance is the number of pellets you can cram into that hull, the killing power of the individual pellets remains the same. the key is to know your distance and your guns patern the rest is practice.

[dak0ta]

On a couple of the Kent Fasteel 2 3/4 #2's, I hit them and a plume of feathers exploded, but the birds wouldn't go down...

[303Brit]

On a couple of the Kent Fasteel 2 3/4 #2's, I hit them and a plume of feathers exploded, but the birds wouldn't go down...

That will happens from time to time, try for a follow up shot if you can. Also watch that bird as he may slowly float to the ground on a glide, if your in a field then that bird may still be recoverable.
Good work on the other birds, the rest will come with practice.

303

[heyblast]

Feathers are probably from hitting it too far back or possibly the wings. I use 2 3/4 and 3" whatever I happen to have and there is no difference in the number of birds I shoot.

[dak0ta]

Does camouflage really matter? I've been told, sit still, cover your face, look with your eyes. I've also been told, get Moss Oak Duck Blind or Max-4 head to toe and sit still.

After hiding under that burlap cape, I'm more convinced that camouflage is beneficial and will consider investing in some. thoughts?

Also, it's an unwritten rule to only shoot the drakes right and leave the hens alone?

[Foxton Gundogs]

On a couple of the Kent Fasteel 2 3/4 #2's, I hit them and a plume of feathers exploded, but the birds wouldn't go down...

Whats the fps on them,Kents range from 1350 up, but honestly I have seen it happen with 3.5" 2s and BBs its the curse of steel. I watch a big lard well within range hit hard and get stood up twice with feathers flying all over the 3rd brought it down the load was Blackcloud 3" #2s it happens. Field Marshal shoots 2.75 BB on geese and he's pretty darn deadly. There are guys on here dropping limits with 20 ga #2-#4s . shoot what your comfortable with and what your gun likes but dont get caught up in the big shell and shot size hype.

Some #2,3&4 2.75 + 3" Cheap Red and 1550 Remmy results over the last couple of years even the geese went down to #2s

http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n499/FoxtonGundogs/1a2.jpg?t=1355029948


http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n499/FoxtonGundogs/DSC03200.jpg

http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n499/FoxtonGundogs/FirstLimit-1.jpg?t=1351485440

http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n499/FoxtonGundogs/DSC03333.jpg?t=1355173917

http://i1136.photobucket.com/albums/n499/FoxtonGundogs/cider2012006sm-1.jpg?t=1332086090

[Foxton Gundogs]

Does camouflage really matter? I've been told, sit still, cover your face, look with your eyes. I've also been told, get Moss Oak Duck Blind or Max-4 head to toe and sit still.

After hiding under that burlap cape, I'm more convinced that camouflage is beneficial and will consider investing in some. thoughts?

Also, it's an unwritten rule to only shoot the drakes right and leave the hens alone?

Some like to shoot only drakes the guys I shoot with and know arn't stuck on it, believe me they are all a nice rich brown when roasted lol. as for camo back in the day the duck hunters "uniform" was a tan canvas coat, and black rubber hip boots with green or black cutoff rainpants to keep the runoff out of the boots. We killed as many then as nowa good blind and move only your eyes is the key IMO. That being said, there are times when camo is a help when cover is sparce. Don't over think it just learn as you go and HAVE FUN

[lorneparker1]

layout blinds layout blinds layout blinds.

[ruger#1]

Hey Jim that blue 90s ford looks like my old one, I even had the metal and rubber mat in the box. Mine was a 95 year. And lorne why do you need a blind when you ground slouce them all the time?

[lorneparker1]

Hey Jim that blue 90s ford looks like my old one, I even had the metal and rubber mat in the box. Mine was a 95 year. And lorne why do you need a blind when you ground slouce them all the time?

because in order to get them to land at 5 yards, you need good concealment!

Lorne

[ruger#1]

because in order to get them to land at 5 yards, you need good concealment!

LorneSo, why do you not pretend you are a cow turd. The other guys say you smell like one.

[lorneparker1]

So, why do you not pretend you are a cow turd. The other guys say you smell like one.

did you just make a you smell joke? I am not really sure how to respond to that. I know you are but what am I?

Lorne

[303Brit]

Layout blinds are money, then you only have to worry about not being a total bobble head doll. lets you fidget or load shells, what have you while birds are circling with out them busting you. I do know one guy who has a signature move, when I call out pintails in the circit he flings the doors open on his layout ;)

As for the drakes only thing it's meh, it's really no different then the only shoot therm on the wing people. Some will argue you have to be a better fowler to shoot only drakes, but by that logic you have to be a better fowler to land them, as you have completely beaten them. They have landed amongst what they think is live birds. It's all personal preference. As Foxton said they are the same colour when they come outta the oven.

Do what makes you enjoy the sport and what within your price range ( this sport can run up the $$$$$ quick), so long as it's legal of course

303