Help with wild bird shooting

[Goosemaster]

If you’ve hunted a lot chances are pretty high you’ve shot a hen by accident.

I don't know anybody that has not shot one. In low light,snow, wind, it can happen.

[A5 Sweet 16]

I don't know anybody that has not shot one. In low light,snow, wind, it can happen.

I don't know anybody (that's hunted many years) that hasn't shot one either.
But saying low light, snow, etc. made it an accident seems absurd to me. If you were 100% certain it was a rooster (because you saw color or heard a cackle), then it would turn out to be a rooster.
I thought I saw color! I thought it cackled! But what a nice hen you shot.
In those cases, there's no way a shooter was 100% sure. He/she was pulling the trigger & hoping for the best.
It's hard to hold off sometimes (used to be harder when I was young). But if you don't, & you're wrong, it wasn't an accident. It was a mistake; an error in judgement; a poor decision.
It was a violation of one of the basic rules of hunter safety. "Be sure of your target." It doesn't say, "Be mostly sure & feel free to call it an accident if weather conditions make identification tough."

[waterdog09]

I would recommend shooting a IC choke maybe a Light MOD at most. No need to go to anything more than that, from opening day to the last day of the season I shoot an IC in my A400 20GA and can easily kill birds to 40+yds. Having that open choke will help in getting more shot on target at a closer distance. Most IC chokes are effective out to 40+yds doesn't matter the gun or ammo. I love the hevi-x #4 in 20ga for my gun and just purchased the same shell in 28ga for my new a400. Keep at it you'll get your first bird in no time, just relax and don't put pressure on yourself, it'll happen!

[Goosemaster]

I would recommend shooting a IC choke maybe a Light MOD at most. No need to go to anything more than that, from opening day to the last day of the season I shoot an IC in my A400 20GA and can easily kill birds to 40+yds. Having that open choke will help in getting more shot on target at a closer distance. Most IC chokes are effective out to 40+yds doesn't matter the gun or ammo. I love the hevi-x #4 in 20ga for my gun and just purchased the same shell in 28ga for my new a400. Keep at it you'll get your first bird in no time, just relax and don't put pressure on yourself, it'll happen!

12 gauge, "2 shot. Works great in ic.

[waterdog09]

12 gauge, "2 shot. Works great in ic.

For any person struggling with shooting, there is no reason to make it harder on yourself by putting a mod or full choke in. if your missing with a choke like that you need to open up your pattern by going to a lighter choke. Shot size does play a part in it but if your shooting with the wrong choke you'll have a tough time hitting birds. I can honestly say in all my years of bird hunting going on almost 30yrs now, the only people I see shoot full chokes are either guys with guns that have a fixed choke that is a full or duck & goose hunters shooting longer distances. In my opinion when pheasant hunting you should really never need anything more than a IC or Light MOD choke. Both are effective out to 40+yds and that is typically a long shot when pheasant hunting.

[Goosemaster]

For any person struggling with shooting, there is no reason to make it harder on yourself by putting a mod or full choke in. if your missing with a choke like that you need to open up your pattern by going to a lighter choke. Shot size does play a part in it but if your shooting with the wrong choke you'll have a tough time hitting birds. I can honestly say in all my years of bird hunting going on almost 30yrs now, the only people I see shoot full chokes are either guys with guns that have a fixed choke that is a full or duck & goose hunters shooting longer distances. In my opinion when pheasant hunting you should really never need anything more than a IC or Light MOD choke. Both are effective out to 40+yds and that is typically a long shot when pheasant hunting.

Thats right! I went to ic 30 years ago, and never went back to modified.I may try full, in late dec.

[JMc]

Unlike trap, a pheasant never will fly 30-45 degrees right or left. POI is the birds beak; just like a clay, keep swinging the gun. Most trap guys I know that are poor bird hunters miss because they stop swinging the gun and start watching for the bird. Cover the head and beak, pull the trigger and keep moving across the flight path. Let the dog do the rest.

Another issue may be your gun; is it set up for trap (built in rise)...if so, ditch it and get a field gun and last but certainly not least...get rid of the #2's and forget the 3's. Shoot 4's - 6's in lead (if you can) and put some shot in the air.

Good luck.

[Goosemaster]

Unlike trap, a pheasant never will fly 30-45 degrees right or left. POI is the birds beak; just like a clay, keep swinging the gun. Most trap guys I know that are poor bird hunters miss because they stop swinging the gun and start watching for the bird. Cover the head and beak, pull the trigger and keep moving across the flight path. Let the dog do the rest.

Another issue may be your gun; is it set up for trap (built in rise)...if so, ditch it and get a field gun and last but certainly not least...get rid of the #2's and forget the 3's. Shoot 4's - 6's in lead (if you can) and put some shot in the air.

Good luck.

What? Nobody can see a bird's beak! I like lead 4's, but in heavy wind, I will go to 3 inch lead 2's.Always in IC.

[JMc]

What...?...you can't...LOL. I was just using that as a reference...OK, the front of the bird (aka beak). But sometimes after a miss, I really do think I see their beak as they're laughing on the flight out.

[Goosemaster]

What...?...you can't...LOL. I was just using that as a reference...OK, the front of the bird (aka beak). But sometimes after a miss, I really do think I see their beak as they're laughing on the flight out.

I get what you are saying.For me, I can shoot modified pretty well on geese, in certain guns, but for pheasant, I like IC.It's a matter of finding the right fitting gun.