How far do you shoot?

[junior009]

Me and a friend just took up Goose hunting this year (kind of late in the season but still love it all the same). I am just wondering if we are missing some or are takeing the wrong shooting chances. We have taken close shots 10-15 yards away and some longer shots 40ish yards away. And have let some go when all I had to do was turn the gun around and use it as a baseball bat (there was 6 flying in and anothere flock of 20 right behind them but the 6 buggered off and so did the 20 ) So my question is how far is your average shot?

Junior009

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[winged1]

I have no concept of yardage when looking up. I am going to guess that 50 yards is tops for geese with a 2-3/4" BB steel. That would put my average shots at around 40 yds for geese, and about 30 for ducks using #2. This all done with full choke.

What can help you is to fire your gun into seperate paper targets at three distances, 50,40,30 yds. Use large enough target to capture majority of your spread. This will show your shot densities, and how you are sighting.

Leading is something I'm still fighting with for upland. I am a waterfowl hunter and have my leads down excellent for goose/duck. In still air, a goose is down with a full body lead at the 35-40 yd mark. Needless to say I constantly overlead upland.

One thing that has helped me considerably, is to remind myself repeatedly to 'bead' the target. Patterning your gun with the paper targets will help you realize that you need to aim before you shoot.

[ABDUKNUT]

Originally Posted by winged1

Patterning your gun with the paper targets will help you realize that you need to aim before you shoot.

I don't think I've ever 'aimed' a shotgun- not in the last 10 or 15 years, anyways. If your gun fits, then all you should see is a blur of the barrel, with both eyes focussed on the bird. Swing and emphasize the follow-through. Don't worry about the body of the bird, concentrate on the head- That is the target.

My average shots on ducks are 20 yards. I don't like to shoot them any closer because it destroys them, and any further it gets harder to make a head-shot.

As far as geese, 15 yards is about average. I like to land them in the hole if I can, and will not call the shot unless we have at least half dozen at less than 20 yards.

[Richard B.]

I use 2 3/4 fast #3's for ducks and 3" fast #2's for geese and my average shot would be about 25 yards although my loads pattern well out to 35 yards.

I am uncomfortable using steel shot past 30 - 35 yards and I pick my shots carefully never shooting at a bird going away.

r