Crow Busters Forum

8fishermen · Guru

Shot my first sporting clays today

Mallardsx2 · Member

Sporting clays are easy.... Shooting crows consistantly will make you a good shot.

Comparing sporting clays to shooting crows is apples to oranges. Clays fly in a straight line.

Good to keep the bore shiny thats about it.

watch em fall · Senior Member

True there is no substitute for live birds, but any time you raise your gun and aquire a target it is still practice

8fishermen · Guru

Crow are larger and not nearly as fast as some of those shots. I averaged 1 out of 2 on crows after I started keeping up with it. I shot better than 1 out of 2 on the clays even though I didn't keep score. One of the setups was kicking my tail though. That long crosser was a bear. Crow season is out here. Only thing open is turkey. I have killed more than my share of those and just can't get mad at them anymore. Putt, putt, purrrrr, purrrr, shoot it in the head and go home. I think I like the clays. They will keep me busy till next Sept. when doves come back in.

8fishermen · Guru

watch em fall wrote:

True there is no substitute for live birds, but any time you raise your gun and aquire a target it is still practice

All right now. What happened to all the advice of shoot all you can and don't worry about lead, distance, etc, etc. Ever time I posed a question about wing shooting leads and techniques all I heard was there was no substitute for PRACTICE. Shoot a million shells ever year and you will get better.

So I take y'all's advice and go practice and I get slammed for practicing and not shooting live birds, which by the way are out of season here.

I am starting to think some of y'all just like to start stuff! biggrin biggrin biggrin

I have seen women less fickle than some of y'all!!! biggrin biggrin biggrin

Bob · Guru

Hi Greg,

I don't want to put words in Watch Em Falls mouth but I'm pretty sure he meant anytime you raise you're gun "at anything" it's still practice wheather it's clay birds or live birds.

While clay birds can be more predictable depending on the game you're playing (skeet, trap or sporting clays) it's still fun to smoke em. The main bennefit you gain to shooting all you can is that you're firearm starts to feel more and more like it's a part of you, or to put it another way it's an extension of yourself, where you look thats where the muzzle points! So keep shootin!

Bob A.

8fishermen · Guru

Bob,

Just giving these guys a hard time. I was specifically picking on Watch Em because he has been around and engaged in the debates with us. I was not comparing the clays to birds. I was just saying that they are fun to shoot and I will go back and have another go at it. The one thing I learned quickly was that I NEED TO WORK ON CROSSING SHOTS!!

I can see how a range that is set up well will quickly point out your weaknesses and strengths.

Skip · Guru

On any shot, and especially crossing shots hold this thought: shoot where the target is GOING to be, not where it is! smile

8fishermen · Guru

Those clays are a bit faster than our old southern crows. I supect you are correct and I was behind them.

wingmaster · Senior Member

Like any one elese if u go out shoot at clays birds it does warm u up. But like Bob said your gun feels nutral before long. Heck other day took turkey choke out with clays. Shooting with in 15 to20 yards. Had get right on them to bust them quick. But the point i am makeing got gun up smooth and shot. Know if i see a turkey up close and have to shoot quick hope the pritice pay off:) Shot one turkey one time by walking up on it on a windy day in woods. Just trow gun up and shot. No time to aim like u see on tv. So i think prtice never hurts any one ;)

watch em fall · Senior Member

Tough crowd, I was implying practice of any kind is awesome. But a live bird is the biggest challenge. I understand seasons, Pa goes out Apr. 10 so I'll be stir-crazy by mid-July when it resumes.8 I was on your side.

-- Edited by watch em fall on Monday 21st of March 2011 11:04:18 PM

8fishermen · Guru

Watch Em,

I was just messing with you. You have had some good advice to give. Besides, I couldn't mess with a fellow with only 2 post could I? biggrin

Which reminded me...

Mallard,
Welcome from Mississippi! smile

watch em fall · Senior Member

I got a good laugh out of your post, cause I knew you were using the contrast to make a little jest about practice. I want to go to skeet range this summer just to see how I do and to see how I do on the varity of shots presented. I'll probably get a chance to go later in the spring. I just hope I don't embarrass polishhammer by shooting like I did on Saturday bleh . Keep posting it helps me practice my typing(lol)

Troy Seal · Senior Member

Mallardsx2 wrote:

Sporting clays are easy.... Shooting crows consistantly will make you a good shot.

Comparing sporting clays to shooting crows is apples to oranges. Clays fly in a straight line.

Good to keep the bore shiny thats about it.

Easy a, come and shoot with me at Birds and Clays in Wasburn Tn and then tell me about it. 50 yard crosser minis doing 60 mph aint easy. And they all dont fly in a strait line either. Clays can be thrown to fall to one side or another just like a curve ball. A incoming quartering shot is also a pain in the a$$ because the target is decellerating. And what about those dang rabbits. Almost as hard as pigeon shooting. But crows and clays are apples and oranges. I love sporting clays, its the only way I can get 100 targets in the same day around here.

PS Welcome from Tennessee.

Lone Star Phil · Senior Member

Eight:

Good for you! Sporting clays are indeed a fun activity and one that should appeal to youngsters. And it's the only way I can reliably get my three sons (17, 20 and 22) to participate in an activity with Dad for a few hours outdoors. "Wanna go blow stuff up with a shotgun?!"

Bob · Guru

Phil,

You're son on you're left is the spitten immage of you! You have a very nice looking family.

Bob A.

Lone Star Phil · Senior Member

Bob;

Thank you, sir!

Phil

Skip · Guru

LSP: I clicked on your fine picture...as nearly blacked out..as I think I saw a pump gun in the hands of one of your kids!! biggrin

Mainehunt · Guru

I love shooting clays.

But to be honest, I would rather shoot at a crow crossing shot than a clay crossing shot. I'll hit the crow more often than the clay.

I think ANYTIME you're shooting your shotgun, it's practice. Some practice is better than other practice.

Kev

shaddart · Guru

Mallard, I don't think 8fish was comparing clays to live birds, he was simply sharing his experience with us. I for one like reading about other members adventures.

Island Shooter · Guru

Greg,

That price is a great deal! Prices for most sporting clays start at around $30 per 100 shot round. And even at the higher prices, it is a terrific sport. Keep at it and you may want to invest in a lesson or two from a good instructor.

One warning, however...the sport is addictive! I just got back from a 4-day tournament in NC, and now I'm looking forward to my next big trip shooting in May at a course in NJ. After that, it's one in Kansas and another one in Minnesota. There is no end to chasing after good targets!

Have fun!

I.S.

8fishermen · Guru

Island Shooter wrote:

Greg,

That price is a great deal! Prices for most sporting clays start at around $30 per 100 shot round. And even at the higher prices, it is a terrific sport. Keep at it and you may want to invest in a lesson or two from a good instructor.

One warning, however...the sport is addictive! I just got back from a 4-day tournament in NC, and now I'm looking forward to my next big trip shooting in May at a course in NJ. After that, it's one in Kansas and another one in Minnesota. There is no end to chasing after good targets!

Have fun!

I.S.

This is a state run course on a wma but even at that I thought it was a great deal and a very nice facility. The rounds were 50 birds instead of 100. Last year the state sponsored shooting courses for beginners, intermediate, and advanced and I am almost certain they paid all fees for it. Mississippi lacks in a lot of areas but not in our effort to get people engaged in outdoor sports. Our DWFP does a great job! I have been looking for ways to volunteer with them just as a way to say thanks and to help pass on the heritage of hunting, fishing, and trapping. I highly recommend everyone help their local wardens and biologist any way you can. You will get more back that you give, that's just the way it works.

I will give an example of one thing I did last year. Last fall I took my kids to our local alligator weigh in one Friday night. This is a special draw season to help control our alligator population. It is held at night and is all hands on deck for our local wardens and biologist. We had such a good time that we went back on Sat night. We were already cooking for another event so I called one of the biologist I met there the night before and ask if I could bring them supper. They said sure and me and my family feed all of them. They rolled out the red carpet for us and we made a lot of new friends. They took my kids out to one of the ponds and tried to tag a gator with them. They broke out all their night vision stuff and all kinds of equipment and let my kids play with it. They invited us to stay and let us in behind the ropes to see all the weigh in stuff form their perspective. Just getting to hang out with the biologist and wardens in that atmosphere was awesome.

From that I have gotten to know some of them and have applied to be a hunter ed instructor. We are already planning the next weigh in and I am going to enlist a few friends to put on a serious spread for them this year.

All that said, you don't have to do it all, just do what you can. Your local wardens and biologist will appreciate it.

Lone Star Phil · Senior Member

Skip:

There are three pumps and one 1100 in the hands of those remorseless clay killers! But then, none of the Boys have title to any. They don't clean them either!!