55 yard shots?

[shell waster]

I was talking to a loud mouth today at the local gunstore and he said he frequently takes and makes 55 yard shots on Canada geese. He said he uses Heavy shot #2 3". I actually laughed in his face, but I am wondering if anyone else has heard or can make such claims. The best waterfowler I know told me, "if you have to shoot generally over 30 yards change your setup or find a better spot"

[ 07-02-2004, 08:04 PM: Message edited by: shell waster ]

[A. Reiter]

Hello guys... When I was patterning my shotguns I took some long shots, like 50 e 60 yds. Using a larger lead shot like #3 , with 2 3/4" shells, 30" barrel and full choke, they went to target. Here we don´t have Heavy Shot or steel, just lead.

During hunts I´ve taken some long shots like that too, but in doves. The only thing bad in these really long shots is hitting the target.. Most of the shots gets late in the birds.
Sorry about the bad english.

[birddog]

Hi A. Reiter - don't worry about your English. It's understandable.

[Chessie Dog]

I think the guy making regular 55 yard shots is full of it too. Most ethical hunters don't want to cripple birds. Either he's very good or full of it. Ask him to give you a demo.

[Robert II]

I think the question to ask is a "Kill shot" possibable at 55yds? If so, what kind of shot, shell, barrel length and chock is best/used? I would be interested in the members experiences with "longest kills". Best, Robert

[A. Reiter]

Have anyone here seen the ballistical research of Bob Forker , or the Oehler Ballistic Explorer PC sofwtware ?

It said that the minimum energy of the lead pellets of a shotshell necessary to kill and average male pheasant (2,8 lbs) with just one pellet is 1,5 lb-ft, but in pratical tests, he also discovered that to have a larger possibility to hit the target ( pheasant ) it got to have at least 5 pellets in a circle of 6 inches in diameter.

Some results in diferent pellets sizes, to determine in which distance the pellet will be in 1,5 lb-ft energy, but remenber that before the pellet reach the distance wich energy = 1,5 lb-ft , before that distance the energy was even higher :

#7 = 32 yds
#5 = 65 yds
#3 = 100 yds
#1 = 135 yds
#00 = close to 480 yds

The size of the pellets ( 7,5, etc.. ) may not be the same here in Brasil and there, but they are very close.

The most dificult thing in long shot is actually choose the right pellet size to the right bird. Like an duck flying is almost the same in size as the pheasant, but I think that we need a little more energy to get a clean death shot in a duck than in a pheasant, so I would say that a #3 or #4 for ducks is nice.
In a pigeon I guess the energy of the pellets could be a little less, but they are a lot smaller, wich makes harder to hit them, so a smaller pellet, like #5 is nice for long shots.
Like the Chessie Dog said, we don´t want to cripple birds, but like the research of Forker said, is perfectly possible to get clean deaths at longs shots, even if just one pellet hit the targets.
If something wasn´t understandable about the english, please let me know.

[ 07-06-2004, 10:14 PM: Message edited by: A. Reiter ]

[Laz]

You really cant go on how the gun patterns at 50 yards because you don't know how long the shot string is.. Also because we cant use lead the most choke we can use and still have an effective pattern is a MOD. But the answer to the question is yes with heavy shot (steel no) you could kill a goose at 50 yards. As a rule I don't shoot anything greater the 25 yards give or take.. Then again I'm an odd duck. I hunt ducks with #6 steel... As long as you hold your shot until there committed to land in you pattern you will stone them every time. At that range anyone who shoots #4 knows how it just rips them up #6's are sweet. As for geese I live by the same rule but BB - #3 what ever I have around at the time... If there is a chance you wont kill the bird why shoot?

[mudhen]

To be clear, I myself do not shoot at that distance very often.

But I have several friends, all of which shoot a Benelli of one type or another, all of which pattern their guns religiously, all of which have specialized choke tubes like Patternmasters, etc., and all of these shooters can routinely make that shot on waterfowl with nontox shot like Hevishot.

Sure, we try to get the birds in as close as possible, but a goose straight up at 45-55 yards or hovering low over the spread at that distance is dead about 85% of the time.

mudhen - CA

[jchapman]

"Even a blind chipmunk can find an acorn once in awhile."
I have taken geese regularly at 40 with Heavi Shot B's, but as a rule they are out only about 25.
This guy may be stretching it a bit.

[Bill B]

Making kills with that load at that distance is entirely possible. I used that load last season on geese and had a kill which was that distance or farther. We decoy the birds and shoot when they are only 20-30 yards out but we also keep shooting as they leave.

On one shot last season, I fired at a goose with my second shot and it folded up and came down, stone dead. That shot was easily 50+ yards. They guys I were hunting were impressed, so was I. That Hevi-shot is an impressive and lethal load.

We don't sky bust them or pass shoot them at that distance but we do keep shooting as they leave our spread as we assume some birds may have been hit.

[ 07-27-2004, 06:29 PM: Message edited by: Bill B ]