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Favourite shell for crows


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I used to feel you needed a heavy load of larger shot, but clay loads seem to work just as good if you shoot straight and let them come in. Now I mainly use steel duck loads because its what I have most of 28 grm of no.3 steel or even 24grm of no4 if its fast and patterns well. I think the issue with killing crows well is its too tempting to take / try long shots at these birds better not to as they soon learn the score and seem to communicate it to others if you keep missing or lightly pricking them- dead crows don't though so dont give them a chance to learn!

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I used to feel you needed a heavy load of larger shot, but clay loads seem to work just as good if you shoot straight and let them come in. Now I mainly use steel duck loads because its what I have most of 28 grm of no.3 steel or even 24grm of no4 if its fast and patterns well. I think the issue with killing crows well is its too tempting to take / try long shots at these birds better not to as they soon learn the score and seem to communicate it to others if you keep missing or lightly pricking them- dead crows don't though so dont give them a chance to learn!

What speed you getting from 28 grams of steel?

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What speed you getting from 28 grams of steel?

Never seen a need to chronograph them the 28 grm are Gamebore mammoth. The 24 grm 4 are unofficial non CIP imports from Sweden (good widgeon shells that I have seen others kill geese with, though I pass on that with them ) . I don't generally check factory shells beyond the pattern to gun / choke test and don't load for the easy to obtain cartridge sizes.

I have recounted on PW previously about the crow flight that I thought I was using 32 grm lead no.5 and killed a mass of birds cleanly, on picking up the empties I realised that I was actually using no.5 steel clay loads ( if we have something to blame poor kills on its to ourselves we look last). That flight changed my mind on steel and I very rarely use lead these days, fibre wad and my best SBS being the only time I tend to use lead

 

To just give a recollection of the futileness of selecting heavy loads for crow;

Myself and a mate were shooting crows he had only an air rifle and was shooting any that landed I was taking any in the air that presented. I was shooting a heavy 3" lead load of no.1 as I was given way more than I needed for foxing. Anyhow I dropped one and blew most of it breast clean off, it hit the deck and started to hop off (my mate immediately made a perfectly executed longish range back of the nut shot with his airgun). Even a single no 7 in the head would have killed that bird at the range it was shot.

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i use 32/6 on crow but have used 28/7.5 when ive been after pigeons and our plans change and as long as i let the mget close enough they will fold and drop ok

 

have done some roost shooting in a quite high wood ona really blowwy. used a mix of 42/5 and 36/5 that day and they woeked as expected :)

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i use 32/6 on crow but have used 28/7.5 when ive been after pigeons and our plans change and as long as i let the mget close enough they will fold and drop ok

 

have done some roost shooting in a quite high wood ona really blowwy. used a mix of 42/5 and 36/5 that day and they woeked as expected :)

Maybe you are a crack shot, but I can't really understand the need for an ounce and a half of shot for roosting.

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