Hello all! I have recently been given permission to hunt a few properties that are in dire need of some crow elimination, and my girlfriend is showing interest in going and trying it as well. She has little firearms experience so I believe the shotgun will be a good start for her.
I have a 26" barrel Remington 870 Express Magnum that I will be toting about, but I was hoping that I could start her off with a small Mossberg 410 pump that I have. I don't want the weight, recoil, muzzle blast scaring her away from shooting and hunting with me on her first trip out!
I will probably spend most of the day calling and letting her shoot if she shows interest, but was hoping to ask... what kind of 410 shells should I be purchasing for this endeavor? Any recommended shot size I should be looking for?
I don't load shells, so I will need for these to be off the shelf. I will probably pick up 25-50 and hoping to get some relatively inexpensive ones for our first trip out, and if she really enjoys it I may step her up to the 12g pretty quickly. Thanks in advance everyone! I looked through pages of posts but couldn't find anything too relevant!
-- Edited by Joshua Lee on Friday 22nd of July 2011 09:18:48 PM
If you're lady friend has little or no experience with a shotgun it might be a much better idea to have her shoot some clay targets first. If she is around your age say mid 20's she will hit way more clay pigeons with a 20 gauge than she will with a 410 gauge. Plus you will not find any cheap 410 ammo it costs as much or more than 20 or 12 gauge ammo.
Once she has some idea about what to do on a flying target then you can turn her loose on live birds.
If you are dead set on the 410 I would get the 3/4 ounce load (3 inch shells) in 7 1/2's.
Bob A.
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To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
I have considered that as well. We recently picked up a couple of boxes for my friends and I to shoot. Maybe I can get her on some property and teach her some more basics. She is learning quickly. She worked her way from an air rifle to a single shot .22 (Winchester model 67), so she knows her basics of firearms very well. That was my first priority.
I may head to one of the wooded properties and let her have some practice with the crows I call into tree limbs predator hunting first if she cannot make the clay shoot.
The only reason that I asked about the 410 is because of the fact that I only own the two shotguns. After seeing the price of 410 shells at academy and bass pro, it makes me consider buying a box for her to start light, then try and move her to the 12. I will purchase more 410 if that is more in her comfort zone, however.
Perhaps I can set us up a blind and only do the calling. They often land in the limbs not 25 feet above me when predator calling. They may be a better start for her.
Also, thanks for the shot size recommendation. The 410 is likely to be what she starts with... She can't seem to get an adequate cheek weld with the 870. Even the basic wooden stock has a long LOP for her which makes her cheek rest awkward. The 410 is quite tiny in comparison, in both length and weight. She shoulders it very well for only handling it in the yard.
Reduced recoil loads in 12 ga are very pleasant to shoot. My 12 yr old daughter shoots a 12 and 20 and prefers the 12 ga. The 12 is heavier and doesn't have the recoil that the 20 does. A well fitted and weighted gun eliminates most of the felt recoil.
-- Edited by 8fishermen on Saturday 23rd of July 2011 05:08:29 AM
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"If money can fix it, it ain't broke" The great theologian and my crow hunting partner AW.
Nice that the girl will go with you on hunts and that she is willing to learn the sport. I don,t know if a 410 is the gun for her or this sport. There's a lot of comment about moving up in size. Maybe you could get hold of an H&R in 12 ga. mod. choke. Bet she could get used to it real quick if she got a couple of hits early on. This way she would have enough firepower to do the job but not have to worry about reloading, safety on or off etc. Also a hunting course for a license. I use one of these for a back-up gun and have a lot of fun even though it's a single as I hold the second shot in my left hand under the forend. There's usually so much confusion I can get a second or third round in before they wise up. I also try to do one round per customer unless one gets real stupid and comes back. After she gets to hitting you can move up to something more advanced but have a backup. Then you won't have to share a gun when one goes down. Hope it works out well for you. Keep us posted.
I'm new to crow hunting, just got my first two the other day, so I don't claim to be an expert. But I dumped the second bird with a 12 ga, 2 3/4 inch 6 shot and as soon as that bird hit the ground it was off and running. It was no sky-shot either, maybe 20-25 yards up. I'm not sure but 410 seems a little light for crows. I do like 410's for grouse though. Just my 2 cents.
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A man can be beaten in two ways... he gives up or he dies.
If your shots are 30 yards and under with the right shot and choke a 410 will do a decent job in the right hands. Boyd Robeson & I used 410's on some morning hunts years back. I handloaded the 5/8th ounce load of 8's and Boyd shot the 3/4 ounce load of 7 1/2's, we both used Winchester model 42's in full choke.
Now we never had any really big shoots with the 410's but we sure had fun. On some of our larger shoots with the little poppers we would shoot anywhere from the low to mid 200 range. Now on the same shoot if you were using a 20 gauge you might have picked up another 40 to 50 birds.
I never forgot Skips words of wisdom when he said in the crow blind one day "a 12 gauge can do anything a 20 gauge can do, even better!" That should be on Skips final epitaph when he goes to the Happy Hunting Grounds.
Bob A.
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To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
I'm new to crow hunting, just got my first two the other day, so I don't claim to be an expert. But I dumped the second bird with a 12 ga, 2 3/4 inch 6 shot and as soon as that bird hit the ground it was off and running. It was no sky-shot either, maybe 20-25 yards up.
If the range estimation is accurate, choke would not matter, the bird was not centered and hit with the fringe edge of the pattern, other wise it would be dead.
I never forgot Skips words of wisdom when he said in the crow blind one day "a 12 gauge can do anything a 20 gauge can do, even better!" That should be on Skips final epitaph when he goes to the Happy Hunting Grounds.
Bob A.
Whatever the 12 gauge can do the 10 gauge will improve on that
All tuned up for the upcoming season with new and repaired screws, refinished barrels, .011 overbore with lengthened forcing cones. Bring 'em on!
-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Tuesday 26th of July 2011 07:40:51 PM
It's been over 100 degrees almost everyday this month! This is one hot summer, I can't wait for the weather to break in October. Many ranchers out here are selling off there livestock (cattle) because the pasture ground has burned up due to all the heat day after day! The cattle have no feed so they are cutting there losses. All the dry land corn out here is DOA from the heat!
Bob A.
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To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
104 here today; did not beat the record 105 from 1952.
daniel and i finished up our work at 3 and headed home. we were pruning and tearing out thorn bushes in the sun. around 2pm we were both feeling very dizzy but other than that no ill effects. lots of puncture wounds though.
my truck sure picked a fine time for the a/c to quit!
taking the weekend off, then surgery at 6am monday will put me out of commission for several weeks. hopefully it will have cooled off some by then.
I mainly play 8 ball, Super 8 not Straight 8 Ball. In Super 8 eight ball if you scratch your opponent can put the cue ball anywhere on the pool table to his best advantage. You have to call the ball and the pocket, no slop shots.
Chicago is a very tough game, you have to shoot all the balls (15 of them) in rotation. It makes it tougher on a small table under 8 feet long. A big table (4 1/2 feet by 9 feet long) you have more room for the balls to spread out and give you more leeway to work your way around with good cue ball control.
Just like hunting crows with differen't techniques it's an eye opener to play pool with guys who have a good background with billiards or snooker.
I am sure you will be up and around before you know it. At least you will have time to recover before the crow season starts in your state.
Get well quick!
Bob A.
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To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
Joshua Look at it this way son!!! I just got home from the sporting goods store that I buy most of my ammo from. I bought 5 boxes of the shells Bob A told you to get. They were Estate High velocity hunting loads .410 3 inch 11/16 ounce 1135 fps for $11.99 per box. Now lets say you take that gal of yours to the Show,,,, but you you have to feed her first. You are looking at a $60.00 dollar date at the very least. Go to academy pay $12.00 bucks a box for 2 boxes of .410's. A little gas in the truck, a cooler with your favorite drinks,,,,,,,,,,Now that is a cheap date plus you can kill a few crows to boot!!!! Let her shoot em sittin. She wont know the difference and she will have a good time
Agreed. I'm going to get her get settled in full camo against a tree and call them in for her. I don't think I'll buy a ton of shells, in case she tires of it quickly. If not, she can step up to the 12g. It will be nice for us to just get away for a day at the camp, even if we don't kill anything!
