Skybusting....a lost art??
 

With the development of constantly improving chokes and shells, would it be safe to say the old definition of skybusting{45 plus yd.}should be re-thought.After-all, many hunters now seem to be able to pull off 60yd. shots with ease, or so they say.So, tell me guys,whats the new definition of skybusting, now that shells are proven to cleanly kill past 50yd. and chokes can hold the patterns tight enough to get multiple hits at those ranges.

RE: Skybusting....a lost art??
 

Plainsman
I think there are very few people who can hit birds consistently at 45 yards let alone anything beyond that distance, even given the advancements of chokes and shells. One - people are terrible at estimating distance. Two - they don’t practice enough. Three - if they practice it is rarely beyond 45 yards. Four – if they practice they don’t do it with the same loads and guns they use when hunting.

RE: Skybusting....a lost art??
 

If you ask me I think anything after 40 yards is sky busting. If you can't get'em in close your doing something wrong. I think birds die at 40+ yards, but you get alot of cripples and lung shot birds that fly 150 yards and then die. I've seen it happen way to much. Plus you start to educate birds when you go and lay into a flock of 100 at 50 yards.

RE: Skybusting....a lost art??
 

I had shot a duck at about 40 yards. But I didnt think he would drop, but he did.

RE: Skybusting....a lost art??
 

im not sure what my farthest shot was but we had a flock of snow geese come over about 50 yards i had a improved modified choke shooting 3 1/2 #2 shot and i took out 2 geese im guessing that was the farthest. i would call it skybusting

RE: Skybusting....a lost art??
 

I feel that as a ethical hunters, you should allow for the birds to come as close as possible. Taking potshots past 40 yards typically will end up in wasted ammo and wounded birds. Part of the fun of goose hunting is having them come so close, that you feel the wind from their wings. Personally my longest shot was at a collared and banded bird at about 60 yards, but i was young and silly then, i wanted the jewelry!

RE: Skybusting....a lost art??
 

and we wonder why birds get so skiddish when they make it all the way down here to Texas. I personally think it is unethical to take a shot past 35 yards. Especially passing shots. I prefer to see their landing gear before I shoulder my gun. JMHO

RE: Skybusting....a lost art??
 

Was taught 40 years ago by my Grandfather that anything past 30 yards for the average hunter is cripple not kill. He made me chase a cripple for half a day to prove his point. Was not sure if the duck was going to die or if I was plus it ruined the rest of the day for me hunting wise. It is probably just an old man with great memories talking but I would rather kill em at 30 than wound them at 35. So for me anything over 30 is skybusting.

RE: Skybusting....a lost art??
 

well we all seem to have one thing in common, we all think the shots should be as close as possible.;) of course you can kill at 50, 60, even 70+ yards. the keyword is can. your chances of hiting a bird with enough kenetic energy, amount of pelets, and where it all hits. one pellet can kill if it hits a bird in the head (of course other places as well). but what are the chances you can get the bird to fly into your one pelet!

i agree that the reasonable range is 40-45 yards. any more than that and you need to know the patterning of your gun at the different distances, in varying weather conditions, with the gun and choke you will shoot, and the best possible load for all the variations. then there is the practice, practice, practice.

if you take the time to do all this, take the longershots. otherwise, it is skybusting!;)

RE: Skybusting....a lost art??
 

I wait till they're w/in 35 yards before doing anything. I often take my little brother and when I do, I usually wait till they're 20 and closing.