ORIGINAL: superstrutter
What are you calling a sloppy pattern? You don't have to have 200 plus hits at 40 to kill a bird at or beyond 40. If you have over 100 at 40, that's going to be a dead bird. I personally, would rather have a little more open pattern than what some of you are describing. I know I can kill him at 50 if I need to, but I also know I will have no problem killing him at 10 or 15. I'm not knocking anyone who loves a real tight pattern at 40 and beyond. I would like to see though, in person, not a picture on a computer, 300 hits in a 10 inch circle at 40 yards.
If you've got ducks I'd gladly drive down there in the winter and let you shoot the gun yourself
I put a 2-7x32 scope on the gun two springs ago and haven't missed a bird with it since. In the spring of 2006 I shot a bird at 18 yards and nearly took his head off. Took another one at about 25 and a third at 35. Only shot one with the bow last spring. Having the scope helps a lot with close shots I suspect. That and having the bird hold still for a second.