Mr pigeon Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 Hi people I was just wondering at what height a pheasant would be classed as a acceptable height to shoot at? Obviously there is the daylight rule, but sometimes that doesn't work, ie in woods etc. We have a little "sold" day coming up, so I was wondering what you guys thought, its hard to measure heights! Cheers all feed back is appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie-fox Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 if its a testing shot then i will take it...or try to. nothing testing about a bird 20ft up tho flying over your head, i just leave those..in my opinion i wouldnt shoot at one below 40ft maybe.. all depends really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody walloper Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 forty foot is only thirteen yards would not want to eat that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 I'd say it is 100% personal, if ur george digweed or some top clay/game shot u might not lift ur gun to anything under 40 or 50 yrd as a low shot. While i might not lift my gun to the same bird as out off my league and far too high for me. Will also depend on the type off shoot, on a flat low ground shoot that possibly will never show very high birds shooting a 15-20m high (prob average soft wood height) may be almost average bird so would be more acceptable than on better ground where most off the birds are nice well presented sporting shots so get plenty off chance to shoot good birds so odd poorer 1's can be left as will be better in the future As long as it is SAFE first and foremost u should shoot within ur own limitations, yes u want to push urself a bit but u still want to be having a reasonable shot to kill ratio and not just wounding birds u have no chance of killing cleanly. If ur inexperienced and shooting with a team of experienced guns u should be happy shooting birds that the better shots are not lifting there gun too and possibly letting some off the better birds go that the better shots are killing, nothing worse for a keeper than a team of guns who want high birds but can't kill them cleanly, not so bad if missing cleanly thou; but still doesn't fill the bag. Then u have walked up shooting which is very different to a driven day and so are the ranges. If in any doubt ask a more experinced gun/keeper or shoot captain any doubt just leave, once u pull trigger u can't take it back. Or wait and see wot the other guns are shooting first and see if that suits u, if someone is blattering them it doesn't mean u should however, stick with wot ur happy with. I have on odd occasions either put gun away or stopped shooting (and i'm not a fantastic shot) on keepers days if birds are too low while all around are gettin fired into them. Bottom line as long as u are SAFE it doesn't matter, any doubt don't, a poor but safe shot is always be more welcome on a shoot than a great but dodgy/dangerous shot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr pigeon Posted August 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 Cheers for that scotslad. You mention ratio, what is an acceptable ratio on a average mini driven shoot? 1-3, 1-4? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 Thats the big question? 3-1 is probably quite a good ratio while if u slipping down past 5 or 6 possibly ur doing something wrong or shooting at birds too high. Most commercial shoots will allow around the 4 or 5 to 1 so if u haven't shot ur bag say 100 head but have fired 400 or 500 shells they would say plenty off birds but u couldn't shoot them, so really no room for complaint If my ratio slips up and have no idea wot i'm doing wrong, quiet happy to watch them and shoot lower (althou i'm not talking really low 1's)ones to get my confidence up Like everything else it's a personal thing, i generally shoot game well within myself and don't push the range too much, more a pot hunter mentality My mate was loading for a gun who once shoot a lot and i mean a lot of shells and never hit a thing all day (200 odd bird day), compleltetly useless (but on a positive wasn't wounding either) and he get's an invite every year to shoot for free on a cracking estate. I personanally think it is the hieght off ignorance and shows a complete lack of respect towards the shoot owner and his birds and the keeper to not even bother to get a couple off lessons afore the invite comes round each year (this man really had not a clue). I would cut body parts off to stand drives on that shoot mid season, just don't know how luck they are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 (edited) I'd say it is 100% personal, if ur george digweed or some top clay/game shot u might not lift ur gun to anything under 40 or 50 yrd as a low shot. While i might not lift my gun to the same bird as out off my league and far too high for me. Will also depend on the type off shoot, on a flat low ground shoot that possibly will never show very high birds shooting a 15-20m high (prob average soft wood height) may be almost average bird so would be more acceptable than on better ground where most off the birds are nice well presented sporting shots so get plenty off chance to shoot good birds so odd poorer 1's can be left as will be better in the future As long as it is SAFE first and foremost u should shoot within ur own limitations, yes u want to push urself a bit but u still want to be having a reasonable shot to kill ratio and not just wounding birds u have no chance of killing cleanly. If ur inexperienced and shooting with a team of experienced guns u should be happy shooting birds that the better shots are not lifting there gun too and possibly letting some off the better birds go that the better shots are killing, nothing worse for a keeper than a team of guns who want high birds but can't kill them cleanly, not so bad if missing cleanly thou; but still doesn't fill the bag. Then u have walked up shooting which is very different to a driven day and so are the ranges. If in any doubt ask a more experinced gun/keeper or shoot captain any doubt just leave, once u pull trigger u can't take it back. Or wait and see wot the other guns are shooting first and see if that suits u, if someone is blattering them it doesn't mean u should however, stick with wot ur happy with. I have on odd occasions either put gun away or stopped shooting (and i'm not a fantastic shot) on keepers days if birds are too low while all around are gettin fired into them. Bottom line as long as u are SAFE it doesn't matter, any doubt don't, a poor but safe shot is always be more welcome on a shoot than a great but dodgy/dangerous shot That pretty well covers it. I don’t think that there are any hard and fast rules that apply. It’s all a matter of what your ability is and the conditions of the day. As long as your safe and take the birds that you shoot at, then it’s generally ok. No Keeper wants to put hundreds of birds over the guns for them to not raise a shot at them. On the other hand he will not want five hundred shots at two hundred birds and end up with 30 in the bag and 100 pricked birds. It’s great to shoot at them when they are up there like starlings but I’ve heard loud cheers when a gun on the end of the line drops a bird out wide and low going out the side. It’s like when there is a strong tail wind and they come over low like jets on the glide. Birds like that are really testing and not many guns connect with them. Safety has got to be the prime consideration. Take your time and watch what the other guns are taking. Edited August 25, 2013 by fortune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 On my little shoot I tell the guns that if they are end peg they can shoot low long crossers (of course if they are safe), as they may be the most testing birds they get all day!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted August 25, 2013 Report Share Posted August 25, 2013 Must admt no doubting there testing but i do the oppisate scolopax, the key words are if safe, but while i trust my fello guns accidents can and will happen. And there is a higher chance off an aciident shooting either ground game/foxes long crossers or wood cock even normally safe guns occasionally get a rush off blood Once on my wee shoot when i first joined a gun pattern plated his shotgun on the back end of a digger shooting towards the caravan/car park and on the neighbouring shoot a very experienced (possibly complacent) gun shot 3 of there pick ups shooting with 3 different shots at long crossers forgeting parked behind it, despite being warned after the first shot.His gun was put away after that and rightly told not to come back. Those are extreme's but it does happen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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