I ask the local population to offer up a volunteer on behalf of science. I plucked and measured a crow and the best I can estimate the total body, neck, head, wings and legs in sq inches is around 22+. The "volunteer" weighed 18oz. That is if he is sailing into the decoys and is overhead with wings outstretched he should present around a 22 square inch target. That number is conservative I believe and is probably larger. To give perspective, a 4.25" clay target with a face on presentations offers a 14 sq inch opportunity.
Looking at it like that, a crow is not a lot larger that a clay target. A 5" circle has 19.6" of surface area.
I thought it was interesting. Defiantly smaller that I expected.
Some probably has better numbers as mine were crude at best.
Anyone?
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"If money can fix it, it ain't broke" The great theologian and my crow hunting partner AW.
A really big crow would be a pound and a half I would assume. Male birds are certainly larger than the hens. One can see this when a pair decoys and are both shot. Often one is much larger than the other which I would assume to be paired off. If your really wondering, then quickly pluck the breast feathers from a freshly killed crow. The breast to be about the size of a common feral pigeon but a bit wider. Hence the need for small shot and wider patterns.
Ted
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Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid. John Wayne
The breast to be about the size of a common feral pigeon but a bit wider. Hence the need for small shot and wider patterns.
Ted
A smaller target calls for a tighter pattern regardless of shot size. This is why live pigeon shooters use the tightest chokes possible. A wider pattern can help those with limited wingshooting abilities connect with an airborne target more often.
-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Monday 3rd of October 2011 02:18:04 PM
The breast to be about the size of a common feral pigeon but a bit wider. Hence the need for small shot and wider patterns.
Ted
A smaller target calls for a tighter pattern regardless of shot size. This is why live pigeon shooters use the tightest chokes possible. A wider pattern can help those with limited wingshooting abilities connect with an airborne target more often.
-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Monday 3rd of October 2011 02:18:04 PM
True, but live competitive pigeon shooters are the best of the best. Pigeons must also be killed and dropped within a rather small circle to be counted. Hence the need for tight chokes and heavy 1 1/4 oz loads packed with magnum plated shot. Most of us can't point that well, myself included
Ted
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Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid. John Wayne
True, but live competitive pigeon shooters are the best of the best. Pigeons must also be killed and dropped within a rather small circle to be counted. Hence the need for tight chokes and heavy 1 1/4 oz loads packed with magnum plated shot. Most of us can't point that well, myself included
Ted
They think they are The smaller the target the greater the need for a tighter pattern. That's why trapshooters, even at the 16yd line use full choke as they are shooting a clay pigeon presentation that is more on edge than not. Practice, practice, practice. Shoot skeet with a tight choked gun helps one to realize the correct lead is more important that a few more inches of pattern.
They think they are The smaller the target the greater the need for a tighter pattern. That's why trapshooters, even at the 16yd line use full choke as they are shooting a clay pigeon presentation that is more on edge than not. Practice, practice, practice. Shoot skeet with a tight choked gun helps one to realize the correct lead is more important that a few more inches of pattern.
I just spent the summer at a skeet and trap range. Was there many days, saw tons of shooters there. I used a light-modified choke for everything and it was the tightest choke tube of anybody there. Every other shooter used either an Imp. Cyl. or Sheet choke. That was with Sporting clays, skeet or trap.
nhcrowshooter wrote: I just spent the summer at a skeet and trap range. Was there many days, saw tons of shooters there. I used a light-modified choke for everything and it was the tightest choke tube of anybody there. Every other shooter used either an Imp. Cyl. or Sheet choke. That was with Sporting clays, skeet or trap.
Kev
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Well Kev if you like open chokes stick with them. When the big money is on the line, live pigeon shoots, it's tightest chokes possible. When trapshooting scores matter (ATA trapshooting) full choke and imp modified dominate the line by far. Skeet can be shot with almost no choke, birds are broken at about 25 yards, Sporting Clays depends on the course and how the targets are set, often there are far ones that require a bit of choke. Rabbit targets are notoriously rugged and hard to break, again a little more choke puts more pellets in them. We are not eating crows so it does not matter how hard you hit them.
For duck and goose, I also use my Light Modified with great results out to 40 yds.
To each their own.
Given that a non-toxic shot must be used for duck and goose hunting, choke constriction and performance can be comparing apples to oranges especially if looking at steel vs. lead.
For duck and goose, I also use my Light Modified with great results out to 40 yds.
To each their own.
Given that a non-toxic shot must be used for duck and goose hunting, choke constriction and performance can be comparing apples to oranges especially if looking at steel vs. lead.
Fair enough,
For CROWs, (using the identical cartridges that I use for skeet, trap and sporting clays) I use my Light Modified with great results out to 40 yds.
For CROWs, (using the identical cartridges that I use for skeet, trap and sporting clays) I use my Light Modified with great results out to 40 yds.
What are the great results i.e. what are the pattern percentages with the loads you are using? The markings on a barrel or choke tube only give a rough idea if any at all on how a shotgun is performing. A choke can be marked one thing and pattern far differently and change from one load to the next.
For CROWs, (using the identical cartridges that I use for skeet, trap and sporting clays) I use my Light Modified with great results out to 40 yds.
What are the great results i.e. what are the pattern percentages with the loads you are using? The markings on a barrel or choke tube only give a rough idea if any at all on how a shotgun is performing. A choke can be marked one thing and pattern far differently and change from one load to the next.
about 6 weeks back, 7 of us got together to pattern our duck guns. (which for me is my evrything shotgun, ie;duck, goose, crow, stry cat gun)
We hung a rope between 2 trees. We had 43 different rounds, all 12 ga. Different manufacturer, length, shot size, powder load. We all brought every choke tube that we own. We all tried these shells with different loads at 30 and 40 yds on sheets of cardboard.
Light modified choke tube gives me a great pattern density at 30 and 40 yards with almost every load choice.
That is what works best for ME, I don't care what other people use.
So how many pellets of 6 3/4 shot does it take to kill a crow and how many crow hunters does it take to screw in the appropriate choke?
None, they should be shooting 8's. It takes as many crow hunters as are available online at any given time to debate it, argue it, and convince said number of readers what they should be screwing in. I know i can think of others things I would rather be screwing, or even screwing in
You boy's beat all Ive ever seen!!!! This topic has been debated more than any topic on this site. Heres the deal, 90 percent of your average Hunter/shooter types walk in a sporting goods store and buy ammo that is ON SALE. Price is all that concerns them. They will buy a case of duck loads that are 1550 FPS will shoot the hell out of it. Next case they buy will be cheaper in price but will only be 1375 FPS. When they shoot this case they will hit maybe 40 % of what they shoot at. It will be the shells fault and they wont buy that junk again. Next case they buy guess what? got a hell of a deal on these shells, 1290 FPS............Consistency is everything!!!!! Even a terrible shooter will eventually come around if he shoots the same load over and over and over, its a simple law of averages. Shot size is a personal preferance. Strawberry ice cream or butter pecan. When you are shooting crows at 40 yards and under and are shooting the same load you are gonna hit em eventually. I recently purchased 10 cases of ammo. Now this was after shopping and looking around for the best price. When I picked up my shells I opened every case and made sure that the loads I bought were 1200 FPS. The guy at the store could not understand why I took the time to do that. Because he is your average sack that shoots anything. Sure I could have bought estates, or federals cheaper. The Estates were 1220's and the federals were 1290's. I am CONSISTANT with the gun club loads at 1200 FPS,,, And yes I like Butter pecan it's my favorite
Yep I met an O'l boy from Maine once,,,real nice fella,, never understood a dam word he said All I could remotely understand was what part he was from Sounded like " Winna Hobba" We didn't have anybody to interpret so I just nodded at him and left the poor tongue tied devil in peace
-- Edited by chip on Thursday 6th of October 2011 04:21:37 PM
Yep I met an O'l boy from Maine once,,,real nice fella,, never understood a dam word he said All I could remotely understand was what part he was from Sounded like " Winna Hobba" We didn't have anybody to interpret so I just nodded at him and left the poor tongue tied devil in peace
-- Edited by chip on Thursday 6th of October 2011 04:21:37 PM
So the guy was from Winter Harbor. What's so hard about that? At least he wasn't one of those liberal pukes from New Hampshire.
So the guy was from Winter Harbor. What's so hard about that? At least he wasn't one of those liberal pukes from New Hampshire.
Kev
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Wow a NH liberal pukes comment coming from a guy living in Maine. Now that's funny. Must not get out much, because Maine unlike NH has an income tax, a sales tax, (Maine has the 2nd highest tax burden in the nation beating out California and New York) helmet laws, seatbelt laws, no hunting on Sunday. Maine liberalism is understandable, after all it was part of Massachusetts
Oh ya if all that wasn't enough Maine closes the fall crow season before the migration starts "Maine, the way life should be", waa haa haa haa haa haa"
-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Friday 7th of October 2011 12:39:19 PM
You never got your answer. Your tread got high jacked with shot size, chokes and ice cream. I just got back from my annual fishing trip on the salmon river, N.Y. and there is a few birds that look like 2 pounders. All the salmon carcasses to fatten up on.
The smaller the target the greater the need for a tighter pattern. That's why trapshooters, even at the 16yd line use full choke as they are shooting a clay pigeon presentation that is more on edge than not. Practice, practice, practice. Shoot skeet with a tight choked gun helps one to realize the correct lead is more important that a few more inches of pattern.
Somebody mention ice cream??
Are youin's gonna pull them pistols or whitle dixie
I thought it was some indian name
