at the moment i have about a half box of remington game loads in 12 ga 2.75" with 1 oz of 6 shot, winchester super x steel also with 1 oz of 6 shot(half box)and also a couple boxes of 12 ga federal ultra clay and field in 1 1/8 oz 6 shot. the remington and winchester are both low brass, and the federal is high brass. just wondering what every one would recomend for crow, also i have an imp cyl, mod, ane full choke not sure which i should use. and at best the closest shot is in the 20-30 yard range, with most being in the 30-60 yard range, or more.
i also have a 20 guage with about 2 boxes of remington nitro pheasant in 1 oz or 5 shot, about a half box of federal game shock in 7/8 oz 7.5 shot, about a half box of federal game shock in 1 oz 5 shot, and about a box of winchester universal in 7/8 oz of 7.5 shot. which one would u recommend i use? and for this gun i only have imp cyl and mod choke.
one more question is how many decoys do u guys recommend, and should u use some sort of bait like a rabbit, or squirrel, or a deer carcass.
I've had good luck with the Federal Top Guns or Federal promo ammo at Walmart in the four packs in 7 1/2's. The Remington Gun Club shells in 7 1/2's work well for me as well. Both have a muzzle velocity of 1,200 fps.
What choke should i use and about how far of a lead will i need? And yes i know that it isnt the same for everyone, and that flight speed also matters.
Bird crossing at 30 mph = 44 fps. Time of flight of lead 6 shot to reach 40 yards is 0.134 seconds if launched at 1200 fps. In 0.134 seconds the bird will travel 5.89 feet if wind is not a factor. This does not take into consideration though what the perceived lead is. If the bird is quartering to or from you the perceived lead will be shorter. This does not change the fact the bird will have moved nearly 6 feet during that time. If you calculate this for each bird you are guaranteed to MISS 99 out of a 100.
Thinking is a great thing when your are practicing or planning. Thinking is not a good thing when your are wing shooting. Gun properly seated in the shoulder, head on the stock, eye on the bird, pull the trigger. That is all you need. The brain is a marvelous calculator if you will let it do its job.
As far as choke, most people, self included here, will do better with a more open choke when wing shooting.
Good luck.
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"If money can fix it, it ain't broke" The great theologian and my crow hunting partner AW.
Big Honkers is right, telling someone how much to lead something is near impossible. Some people are swing through the target and pull trigger other sustained lead shooters. People also vary in the ability to judge distance and speed. If most birds are in the 30 to 60 yard range you are in the recommended cone or pattern diameter of Modifed to Full choke. I'd use the choke for what range shot I expect to get the most of. The lead 6 shot will give great service at the logner range and has an edge over smaller shot when you get to the end of the 30 to 60 yards.
I shoot 12 gauge trap loads at crows most often, 7 /12 or 8 shot. Inexpensive promo loads suit most applications with the aforementioned.
If I was going to a sub gauge with a smaller payload I would suggest sticking to smaller shot sizes, nothing bigger than 7 1/2 , 8's are better or even 9 shot... effective range according.
Personally I wouldn't fret so much about shot sizes but focus more on getting those crows in real close for now. A open choke will then be you next best friend. Good luck and post your results.
Ted
-- Edited by M12Shooter on Friday 27th of January 2012 08:26:44 PM
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Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid. John Wayne
With the array of 1/2 boxes you got, sounds like you had an upland bird hunter in the family.
The average crow shooter here uses 1 1/8 oz. 7 1/2's @1200 fps, mod. choke. You'll get responses of 8's and 6's working too, different speeds and different chokes. Use up your 1//2s in between. Pattern your gun and have fun. You have to start somewhere and adjust from there or you'll be blaming all the different loads when you miss, but it probably just be you.
which AA shell would u recommend, i think i want 7.5 shot, in my eyes i just dont see a reason to use 8 shot, in my opinion it would be too small but if u can convince me otherwise i would appreciate it. also would u recommend the remington game loads in 1 oz 7.5 shot?
also should i move to the full choke, i waited a good 15-20 minutes for that one crow to come that low, so just wondering what kind of a range increase would i get with a full choke?
-- Edited by toxic on Saturday 28th of January 2012 12:22:05 AM
-- Edited by toxic on Saturday 28th of January 2012 12:29:07 AM
no upland bird hunter in the family, just what i have around at the moment. so the first choice would be the #6 lead with a mod choke, then what would be the next choice the #5 20 ga with mod choke?or the winchester universal 7.5 20 ga
I beg to disagree, use of #9 shot on any bird is poor advice. It should be reserved for the skeet field with no application on game.
I respect your opinion NHC but can tell you I have shot a truck load of crows with #9 skeet loads! At normal ranges 9's kill like electricity. Only reason why I don't use them anymore is because of cost. Only 9 shot loads available in my area are higher end target loads ie: Win. AA and the like. At 9 buccks a box and 12 percent taxes I would do much better buying 2 boxes of promo loads.
Ted
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Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid. John Wayne
I shoot 12 gauge trap loads at crows most often, 7 /12 or 8 shot. Inexpensive promo loads suit most applications with the aforementioned.
If I was going to a sub gauge with a smaller payload I would suggest sticking to smaller shot sizes, nothing bigger than 7 1/2 , 8's are better or even 9 shot... effective range according.
Personally I wouldn't fret so much about shot sizes but focus more on getting those crows in real close for now. A open choke will then be you next best friend. Good luck and post your results.
Ted
-- Edited by M12Shooter on Friday 27th of January 2012 08:26:44 PM
tonight i went out and shot one with the 12 ga with the #6 lead, the shot was in the 40-50 yard range i think and i was using a modified choke. i think when i buy more shells im gonna get the winchester AA in the 7.5 or possibly 8 shot, unless there is something better for cheaper, or i cant find the 7.5.
tonight i went out and shot one with the 12 ga with the #6 lead, the shot was in the 40-50 yard range i think and i was using a modified choke. i think when i buy more shells im gonna get the winchester AA in the 7.5 or possibly 8 shot, unless there is something better for cheaper, or i cant find the 7.5.
That is THE reason the vast majority of crow hunters don't use #6 because quality equivalent loads to the AA and STS/Nitro 27 are not available and the Super X or Remington Express bring a high price and heavier than needed recoil.
also is there a way to get them lower, i cant seem to get them any lower they will get about 40-50 yrds then the go back up. i am using an '80s johhny stewart cassette tape call, with the ct201c crow death cry w/ hawk tape as its the only tape i have.
Try to find the J/S Come here tape or crow fighting Owl. You'll have to watch Ebay or make your own from a CD if you can find that. Nothing on Ebay right now I just checked. CrowMart may have some tapes.
Chances are you are not well enough concealed and they are seeing you. Tape callers with good sounds bring them in as good as anything else.
8fish, you amaze me with the stuff you figure out, you must have been a math major. I can't even understand it when I've read it 2 or 3 times, LOL
I don't even try to figure it out! My brain does it automatically...most of the time
Ted
Y'all are killin' me!
In essence, a bird traveling 30 miles per hour will move almost 6' by the time your shot intersects it at forty yards. It doesn't matter if the bird is inbound, outbound, crossing, quartering, fading, hooking, ascending, or descending, it will travel 6'.
Ted, That was the point. If you try to "figure out" the lead you will miss every time. Thinking is for the practice range where you can measure and correct your mistakes through repetition.
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"If money can fix it, it ain't broke" The great theologian and my crow hunting partner AW.
Talking about trying to hit crows in the air and what they do to evade being hit can be something to watch.
One of there most famous moves is when they are flying parallel to you and just as you get the shot off they turn 45 to 90 degrees in a split second causing you to shoot "in front of them" Ducks can fly faster than crows but they can't manuver like a crow!
Bob A.
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To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
Talking about trying to hit crows in the air and what they do to evade being hit can be something to watch.
One of there most famous moves is when they are flying parallel to you and just as you get the shot off they turn 45 to 90 degrees in a split second causing you to shoot "in front of them" Ducks can fly faster than crows but they can't manuver like a crow!
Bob A.
Absolutely, I can hit a duck easier than a crow, but the steel shot removes feather half the time while allowing the duck to keep on going.
This month the local gun shot has cases of federal ultra clay and field for 45.99 the federal top gun for 46.99 and the winchester super target (i think) for 47.99. Which one would be the best to buy i know the clay and field is 1 1/8oz i think it is like 1250fps. Im not sure what the others are.
The federal ultra clay and field shells are 3.25dram at 1255 fps with a 1.125 oz load. The federal top guns are 2.75dram with a 1.125 oz load at 1145 fps. And the winchster super target are available in a 3 dram load also with a 1.125 oz load. Also if it is the same price i will get the remington gun clubs 3 dram 1.125 oz load. I think i want the 7.5 shot over the 8 shot but am welcome to input. Also i want them in 20 gauge also. And if anyone can find better shells online for less than $50 per case post up a link.
I'm with you M12,,,,,,,, 8 is a badass,,,,,,,,Guy's like him make a livin with thier brain instead of thier back Would like to have grown up around him, would have saved a ton of money
Go to walmart. Federal Top Gun 3 dram 1 oz loads in 7.5 & 8 for $4.77 a box. Tough to beat that price. Rogers is a great place to look too. I get almost all my waterfowl loads there.
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Friends & Family Outdoors. Spread the Addiction!!!
Keep an eye on Rogers Sporting Goods, Liberty, MO., website ...
www.rogerssportinggoods.com/
Great place to buy from. I have bought lay-out blinds, decoys, etc.... from them. I have saved lots of money shopping there and they ship everything very quickly. Lots of free shipping.
I personally noticed hitting more birds when I went to lower velocity loads years ago. My motive was to save cost since I was shooting about 500 shells a week back then - mostly at blackbirds. I reloaded all my own. I had been using 18 grains of Red Dot powder and 1 1/8 oz shot. I cut back to 16 grains of powder and 1 oz of shot knowing I would save money but fearing I would miss more birds due to patterns with lower density. Now I've never been patient enough to shoot a lot of patterns and count holes in a 30" circle but I do know that I continued to hit just as many birds as before. This very light load was even very effective on the longer shots....by long I mean maybe 50 yards. Possibly a bit more??? Of course what was happening with these very light loads was that I was sending more pellets out in the center of the pattern because the lower pressures/forces in the gun deformed fewer pellets and round pellets fly straighter. Also since a round ball is the least efficient "bullet" you can have, increasing muzzle velocity doesn't gain yo that much in flight time anyway. 100fps added at the muzzle amounts to little at 40 yards. OF course nowadays, it's not cost effective to reload shotshells. I only do so because I still have a lot of components left over from years ago before shot got to $50 a bag!!!!
-- Edited by Shotgunner on Tuesday 7th of February 2012 10:24:32 PM
-- Edited by Shotgunner on Tuesday 7th of February 2012 10:26:45 PM
Well today my dad brought home 2 boxes of reloads from a guy he works with. All i know is that it is 8 shot and the hulls are remington gun clubs.i dont know the weight or velocity.
Well today my dad brought home 2 boxes of reloads from a guy he works with. All i know is that it is 8 shot and the hulls are remington gun clubs.i dont know the weight or velocity.
Just shoot them the crows won't care.You been given a ton of good advice on loads,just keep it simple.You really cant go wrong with the 1oz or 1 1/8 ounce loads in 12 ga. #7.5 are probably the most popular size shot,but 6's and 8's work great as well.Shoot and find out what you and your gun like.Like mentioned,make sure you are hidden as well as can be,one of the most important things in crow hunting.If the birds bust you ,game over.Unpressured birds will all but take your head off at times in sweet stoops as they rock into your set.Sorry about the bold type,don't know how I did that.
. A open choke will then be you next best friend. Good luck and post your results.
...most of the time
Hey like some one said what ever works best when U patteren gun 
