Well, got up at 04:30 and was set up on the field with my shooting partner Gareth by 06:00. Unlike Saturday the day started very slow. By 11:00 I had 19 birds, and my oppo Gareth had 9. For some reason the birds just weren't appearing, and Jose that did were rarely decoying. So at 11:00 Gareth said he was calling it a day, and started to pack up (he was at the other end of the field). I decided to as well, went and got my 4x4, and as I drove onto the field crows were buzzing my decoys, so drove back off and walked back up to the hide to continue. However, after another 30 mins, only two birds had appeared, so I left the kit o the field, took my gun, and drove home to wait for the postman, and have a brew and a bite to eat. At 12:00 the postman came, so I went to the garage, and got some air in my front tyre (slow puncture), and some milk and bread. Heading back home I discovered where all the birds where. They were on a stubble field, and the farmer had sprayed it with liquid manure the day before or that morning. Must have been 300+ crows on there, but not my permission
So, got back home, but the milk and bread into the fridge, then headed back to the field at 13:00
A steady trickle came in upto 15:00 when the one farmer decided to turn the straw, and was racing up and down in a tractor in a next door field. At 15:30 another farmer decided to start chains sawing in another adjacent field, and at 16:00 another started in another field. At 16:30 I decided to call it a day with 38 birds shot, and 35 recovered.
I only had one box of no4 shot, so when those ran out I went onto 7.5 which is fine for pigeons, rooks, and jackdaws, but no good on carrion and grey. Result was a lot of birds flying on after being shot, and four of those had legs hanging down, but I count them as misses if they don't drop straight away.
-- Edited by Redditch on Monday 8th of October 2012 07:23:08 PM
__________________
If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
keep on killin' and sharin' and 7-1/2s will definitely kill them dead, get them in closer than 35 yds if your still not dropping them, then try a different choke or something, you are not hitting them with the bulk of your pattern for some reason, dropped legs means barely getting any bbs on target,catching them with a couple strays, I don't think your "carrions" are any bigger or tougher than our "american" crows, someone correct me if wrong,just keep letting lead fly and they will die
ok, let me get this wright 4's were on target but the 7 1/2 s were not, like we have been saying 6's are the best with any choke or ga. you should not have to worry that crows are in side 35 yds all the time to shoot them. i saw the same thind 35 years ago with 7 1/2;s fixed it fast with 6's or bigger 10gcs
Are not English shot sizes smaller than American, ie: English fives are actually sixes in the U.S., Canada and most of the remaining world? Not that this is all too important as number of pellets/ounce would be more important I would think. Put metric into the forrmula and things get even more confusing.
Ted
-- Edited by M12Shooter on Tuesday 9th of October 2012 12:27:06 AM
__________________
Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid. John Wayne
keep on killin' and sharin' and 7-1/2s will definitely kill them dead, get them in closer than 35 yds if your still not dropping them, then try a different choke or something, you are not hitting them with the bulk of your pattern for some reason, dropped legs means barely getting any bbs on target,catching them with a couple strays, I don't think your "carrions" are any bigger or tougher than our "american" crows, someone correct me if wrong,just keep letting lead fly and they will die
__________________
"There is never a wrong time to do the right thing"
keep on killin' and sharin' and 7-1/2s will definitely kill them dead, get them in closer than 35 yds if your still not dropping them, then try a different choke or something, you are not hitting them with the bulk of your pattern for some reason, dropped legs means barely getting any bbs on target,catching them with a couple strays, I don't think your "carrions" are any bigger or tougher than our "american" crows, someone correct me if wrong,just keep letting lead fly and they will die
ok, let me get this wright 4's were on target but the 7 1/2 s were not, like we have been saying 6's are the best with any choke or ga. you should not have to worry that crows are in side 35 yds all the time to shoot them. i saw the same thind 35 years ago with 7 1/2;s fixed it fast with 6's or bigger 10gcs
keep on killin' and sharin' and 7-1/2s will definitely kill them dead, get them in closer than 35 yds if your still not dropping them, then try a different choke or something, you are not hitting them with the bulk of your pattern for some reason, dropped legs means barely getting any bbs on target,catching them with a couple strays, I don't think your "carrions" are any bigger or tougher than our "american" crows, someone correct me if wrong,just keep letting lead fly and they will die
Dropped legs means a bird was hit, none of us know in such cases how many pellets struck and where, but it is definitely a more common occurence with the target size shot regardless of choke.
Until you reload some trap load recipes with magnum 6 shot you are never going to be able to judge for yourself.
-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Tuesday 9th of October 2012 09:14:19 AM
A 3 dram trap load works for me in 7 1/2's and 8's. I've never felt limited yet with this load.
Bob A.
the Grand poohbah has spoken, anyone wanna argue with his results over the years???
I didn't think so...
I lure most of my "victims" right into the wheelhouse, but occasionally I'll need to reach out 35 + yds and the i/c choke with 7-1/2s kills em pretty dead, we've all seen "spaghetti legs" fly away, thats just from missing for the most part
__________________
"There is never a wrong time to do the right thing"
If they aren't close with the 7.5, then you won't kill them (these are 28 gram trap loads, and using these in preference to the Spanish 6's in 32 gram that are my usual reserve, as those have been missfiring and hang firing. The reason we use heavy loads here are for the greys and carrions. They Stay well out, often at 45-50, and sometimes 60 yards. The jackdaws tend to flock more, and come in closer, typically in bunches of 4-15 and sometimes 20 at time. The greys and carrion tened to come solo or in pairs and are very wary, anything at all that doesn't sit right with them they are off, and they learn very fast too, being highly intelligent. Hence with 36gr of no4 you can knock them down at the range they. Are at without problem.
__________________
If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
What are the ones with the grey beak called in english? The ones that thump so satisfyingly when hitting the ground? ;) In Germany we call them Saatkrähe, unfortunately they are protected here, but I shoot them in Ireland, together with jackdaws.
Hey, for the members on here there is a neat film clip in the "On Line Videos Section" look for Scotch Double in the Sudden Impact Series. On the Home Page just click onto "Adavance Techniques"
Bob A.
__________________
To listen to this radio talk show go to episode 12, Bob Aronsohn
What are the ones with the grey beak called in english? The ones that thump so satisfyingly when hitting the ground? ;) In Germany we call them Saatkrähe, unfortunately they are protected here, but I shoot them in Ireland, together with jackdaws.
That's the rook, we get a lot of those here too.
__________________
If it moves and is legal but also moral, SHOOT IT !!
So, got back home, but the milk and bread into the fridge, then headed back to the field at 13:00
A steady trickle came in upto 15:00 when the one farmer decided to turn the straw, and was racing up and down in a tractor in a next door field. At 15:30 another farmer decided to start chains sawing in another adjacent field, and at 16:00 another started in another field. At 16:30 I decided to call it a day with 38 birds shot, and 35 recovered.
I only had one box of no4 shot, so when those ran out I went onto 7.5 which is fine for pigeons, rooks, and jackdaws, but no good on carrion and grey. Result was a lot of birds flying on after being shot, and four of those had legs hanging down, but I count them as misses if they don't drop straight away.
Just how I like them "low and slow"