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Old 10-22-2008, 12:18 PM
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Alsatian
Giant Nontypical
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
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Posts: 6,357
Default RE: New to Waterfowl

greatone: See the other posts linked above. I assume you are not experienced as a shotgunner. Getting some experience shooting at flying targets is a good thing to do before you go out duck hunting. Find a skeet range, a trap range, a sporting clays range and goshooting a few times. You don't have to become expert, just work at it a little bit.

Be aware that there are some things different about shotgun shooting from rifle shooting. You don't "aim" you "point" a shotgun. What this translates to in terms of real-world action is a process: (1) you mount your gun by bringing it up and back to place it firmly against your shoulder with your face contacting and aligned with the stock (this is done while your eyes remain focused on the bird); (2) your eyes look at your target (flying duck); (3) you swing the gun barrel from behind the duck, over take and pass the duck and -- without stopping your swinging motion -- pull the trigger. No aiming took place -- no conscious alignment of rear sight, front sight, and target. This is a key point to understand. The rest is just experience and adjustment. Different shotgun loads will shoot shot at different speeds, which maps to different amounts of lead. Different angles of duck flight maps to different amounts of lead. Different speeds of duck flight maps to different amounts of lead. Different distance of ducks maps to different amounts of lead. Generally, people don't think a lot about these things, they just do what feels right and get dialed in with more and more experience. Your "dialed in" condition can be thrown off if you change shotgun shell loads, but otherwise you're probably OK.

I'm sure there are other shotgun shooting refinements that are important, but if you master the above, you are probably 80% of the way to perfection. From what I read, a smooth, consistent mount of the shotgun accompanied by balanced steady footing are key to skilled shotgun shooting. Things like selecting loads, chokes, shooting glasses to enhance vision, etc., is getting into a more advanced mastery of the art to which I am not yet privileged to be admitted. I guess when I think the birds are going to be shot at relatively close distances I use an Improved Cylinder choke and 2 3/4" shotgun shells with #6 Hevishot Duck when I think the birds are going to be shot at in a middle distance (later part of the season whenbirds may be more wary and reluctant to drop into the decoys)I use a Modified Cylinder choke and 3" shotgun shells with #4 Hevishot Duck, but that isn't exactly what I would call super sophisticated adaptation to conditions.
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