I have been trying to figure out how to judge distance on crows. I am a painter and the last few days I have been working on an exterior of a home in a very nice open neighborhood. There are lots of crows in the area that like to frolic and play around the yards and ponds. Each time I think there is one within killing distance, I raise my pretend gun and pull the trigger when I think I can reasonable kill the bird. I then pace off the distance to where the bird crossed. These birds are easy to mark as there are lots of trees and landmarks to judge where the birds are. The crows are not pressured so they are flying at or below treetop level.
I was shocked to find I have been taking 50+ yard shots at times and at times actually killing some of those birds. I had no idea I have been shooting that far.
Last Friday I shot two Fish Crows that hung up in the wind and would not come any closer. It was a double. First crow was hovering in the wind and was a relatively easy shot. The second bird was a crossing shot that I managed to break a wing and drop it, I marked the spot it fell as it landed in a clump of grass. The first crow fell strait down and was 44 yards from the blind. The second was 50 steps from the blind and crossing directly in front. I use my pace to measure buildings and have many times checked my pace for accuracy with a laser to ensure I am close. I am consistently within 3 yards at a 100 paces. So I feel these distances were accurate within 3% as I was on level ground.
I was shooting a 1290 fps 1oz load of 7 1/2 shot. Had I have realized how far these shots were I would have thought myself into not takeing or just plane missing. The brain has a way of doing that.
I have read all the 6, 7 1/2, 8, and 9, shot threads and that is not what this is about. All I am saying is I had no idea how far some of these shots were I have been taking and actually killing birds.
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"If money can fix it, it ain't broke" The great theologian and my crow hunting partner AW.
I am always amazed how I (or the guys with me) can hit a crow at 25 yds and knock feathers off of them and they fly away. Then other times hit one at 50 yds and they drop dead.
Lots of variables at play. Sometimes close birds are not centered and merely fringed. Sometimes on a long shot you get pellets into the head and neck and it's lights out.
Misjudging distance and taking longer than you think they are shots is more common than most people realize. Accurate range estimation is learned skill.
Lots of variables at play. Sometimes close birds are not centered and merely fringed. Sometimes on a long shot you get pellets into the head and neck and it's lights out.
Misjudging distance and taking longer than you think they are shots is more common than most people realize. Accurate range estimation is learned skill.
Yeah, well, I got some learning to do! LOL . It is a lot tougher than most people realize. Gonna stay at it till I get it figured out.
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"If money can fix it, it ain't broke" The great theologian and my crow hunting partner AW.
8fishermen, you will be suprised how far 7 1/2 shot will kill crows. Have many times passed up a second shot just to watch the beautiful image of some crow dropping stone dead from some "borderline" range. I don't shoot anyting as fast as 1290 fps on them but favour 1200 fps target loads carrying a payload of 1 1/8 oz. of shot.
Well over 30 years ago my pals and I would shoot heavy 12 gauge duck loads at crows as we were always told they were "hard to kill" or "could really carry shot". Years of hunting and reading Popowski's book cover to cover a few times proved the opposite. Infact, crows are quite fragile and a few pellets are enough to send the average crow tumbling earth bound! And one more thing. Glad I'm not the only crow hunter to raise that imaginary shotgun skyward on "metropolitan" crows
Ted
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Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid. John Wayne
8fishermen, you will be suprised how far 7 1/2 shot will kill crows. Have many times passed up a second shot just to watch the beautiful image of some crow dropping stone dead from some "borderline" range. I don't shoot anyting as fast as 1290 fps on them but favour 1200 fps target loads carrying a payload of 1 1/8 oz. of shot.
Well over 30 years ago my pals and I would shoot heavy 12 gauge duck loads at crows as we were always told they were "hard to kill" or "could really carry shot". Years of hunting and reading Popowski's book cover to cover a few times proved the opposite. Infact, crows are quite fragile and a few pellets are enough to send the average crow tumbling earth bound! And one more thing. Glad I'm not the only crow hunter to raise that imaginary shotgun skyward on "metropolitan" crows
Ted
In your estimation, how far can you kill a crow with 7.5 shot?
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"If money can fix it, it ain't broke" The great theologian and my crow hunting partner AW.
8fishermen, you will be suprised how far 7 1/2 shot will kill crows. Have many times passed up a second shot just to watch the beautiful image of some crow dropping stone dead from some "borderline" range. I don't shoot anyting as fast as 1290 fps on them but favour 1200 fps target loads carrying a payload of 1 1/8 oz. of shot.
Well over 30 years ago my pals and I would shoot heavy 12 gauge duck loads at crows as we were always told they were "hard to kill" or "could really carry shot". Years of hunting and reading Popowski's book cover to cover a few times proved the opposite. Infact, crows are quite fragile and a few pellets are enough to send the average crow tumbling earth bound! And one more thing. Glad I'm not the only crow hunter to raise that imaginary shotgun skyward on "metropolitan" crows
Ted
In your estimation, how far can you kill a crow with 7.5 shot?
To 50 yards no problem... and perhaps beyond, if ya can point that well. I like the "floaters" that sit into the wind way up there
Ted
-- Edited by M12Shooter on Friday 17th of December 2010 09:28:09 PM
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Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid. John Wayne
