Bright but breezy

[Timerider]

Hi Guys, total newbie here so be gentle. I finally managed to get out again yesterday after weeks of bad weather here in Northumberland. It was only my 4th time out with a shotty after about 35 years as an air gunner. I`ve been fancying a shotgun for years but just never got around to getting my application in, and always spending my spare cash on air gunning gear. Anyway a good friend of mine is a passionate shotgunner, and judging by the amount of trophies he has he is a top class shooter, he finally persuaded me to get my finger out and get my sgc. I got it last year, and since then we`ve barely had a decent day`s weather. First trip out was with a couple of experienced shooters, and we set the hide up to shoot over a rape field. we had a couple of magnets, a couple of bouncers and about 20 shell decoys. we watched huge flocks of pigeons dropping on to rape about 1000yds away but they just wouldn`t come anywhere near the deeks. I didn`t get a single shot at a bird, and at the end of the day I fired a couple of cartridges just to feel what it was like to fire a shogun, and to see if my gun actually worked (louder than I expected but not as much recoil).  Second trip out I by went by myself to one of my own permissions that i`ve shot for years with the air rifle, I know the usual flightlines, and after watching all the vids of messrs Garrod and Crow, I decided to test my knew found expertise (haha) and set up my hide on the edge of a wood with my decoys just on a grass field which has a lot of clover. It actually worked exactly like in the videos, and the birds dropped into the pattern perfectly in two`s and three`s. Everything was spot-on (except my shooting) I had about 20 shots and only bagged 2 birds. I reckon if a good shooter was there they would have probably bagged about 30 or 40 but I just kept missing what were pretty easy shots ( yes I really should have gone to the clay range first to find out where to point to the gun). Third trip out was on my own again to the same spot, but hardly saw any birds. Had about 10 shots and having only bagged 1 single bird and missing 9 easy ones I decided to see where I was firing, so I stuck on old plastic drum in the middle of a very large puddle and paced out 30yds, had several shots and discovered I was shooting way too high, I adjusted my aim point lower and lower till I was hitting the drum cleanly with each shot, and felt a bit more confident for my next trip out.  Yesterday was my fourth time out and it was quite a nice day,  the temperature rose to a balmy 8 degrees and the sun made an occasional appearance, although the wind was about twice as strong as the 15mph forecasted. I set up the hide in the same spot, which wasn`t easy in that wind, and waited for the pigeons. They decoyed very well again and a good shooter would have probably had 20 or 30 again, but in that strong wind they were moving pretty quick so I chose not to shoot at a lot of them. I had 18 shots and ended up with six in the bag, including a really high one straight above me which seemed to take forever to hit the ground. (not great shooting yet I know, but getting better)  I just need to suss out lead now and I should improve a lot more. I can`t wait for my next trip out, and i`m looking forward to the beans going in now as the pigeons have hammered them the last couple of years (if the ground ever dries enough to get them in), and there`s a large field of wheat which should be good shooting come harvest time, and hopefully the rape will bring them in this summer too.  I`m still very new to this and i`ve got a lot to learn, but i`ve got to admit i`m loving the shotgun after so many years sitting under the trees with the air rifle.   Any advice for a new shooter would be very welcome.

  Cheers guys.

[dougall]

I would suggest that your gun is not ideal fit..this is fairly important with a shotgun as you want it to shoot where you are looking..also as a newbie cant beat taking the time to a) go practise on clays and b) do this with a coach/instructor at a clay ground.......not only will they give you a good steer they will soon see if your gunfit is badly out.....it will be difficult to improve much if your gun is not shooting near where you point it.

35 yrs with rifle/air rifle it is v likely you are 'aiming' your shotgun where what you want/need to be doing is having a gun and and a gun mount that shoots where your eyes are looking(you look at target not barrels/sight/beads with a shotgun)....you also need to get to grips with concept of 'lead'/forward allowance/gun movement/swing which I think is best explained/discovered on a few clays......a round of skeet would be ideal.Have you a nearby clay ground?

all best.

[Timerider]

47 minutes ago, dougall said:

I would suggest that your gun is not ideal fit..this is fairly important with a shotgun as you want it to shoot where you are looking..also as a newbie cant beat taking the time to a) go practise on clays and b) do this with a coach/instructor at a clay ground.......not only will they give you a good steer they will soon see if your gunfit is badly out.....it will be difficult to improve much if your gun is not shooting near where you point it.

35 yrs with rifle/air rifle it is v likely you are 'aiming' your shotgun where what you want/need to be doing is having a gun and and a gun mount that shoots where your eyes are looking(you look at target not barrels/sight/beads with a shotgun)....you also need to get to grips with concept of 'lead'/forward allowance/gun movement/swing which I think is best explained/discovered on a few clays......a round of skeet would be ideal.Have you a nearby clay ground?

all best.

Yes you are right dougall, I am aiming the gun instead of just watching the bird, The gun does feel short so I will put an adjustable butt pad and spacer on as soon as I get a chance. I`m also stopping the gun as I pull the trigger instead of swinging through,( I`m definitely doing everything wrong),  it is very different to what i`m used to with the air rifle.

I`ll improve my technique with practice but again you`re right I would benefit from some time on the clays, I live about 2 miles from a clay ground and my friend/neighbour is the chairman, instructor and top shot at the club so i`ll get some tips from the best. I`m loving learning the new techniques of shot gunning, I think i`m hooked already.

Thanks for the advice, very much appreciated.

 

[marsh man]

A nice honest post , if you are getting pigeons dropping into your decoys then you are doing something right as far as decoying goes , as for skill with a shotgun , time will tell and some tuition wont come amiss and if I was you , I would spend as much time as possible in a hide because the more you learn about pigeons the easier they will be when you are more efficient with your shotgun .

GOOD LUCK and I hope you keep breaking your personal best .         

[motty]

Can't really add anything to what has already been said, but getting half decent on clays will definitely help in being able to kill pigeons.

[dead eye alan]

 

 Great first post you will of cause go totally mad as most pigeon shooters do. After a short time you will improve and enjoy it even more.

 Good luck keep going and post your progres, looking forward to the next instalment.  

[Timerider]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement guys, really appreciate it. I`ll get as much time in the hide as possible, and get some instructions on the clays when I get a chance. I`m loving it so far, and surprised at how well the pigeons are decoying now the big flocks have started to break up, they are coming in well considering i`m just shooting over grass with a dozen half shells, I think they`ll come in even better once the beans go in, (any advice on shooting over beans) do they they find them as soon as they are drilled?

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, depends if the beans have been well drilled and not many on the surface, just keep a look out once the fields done, its all about reconnaissance watch and wait then if your lucky a good days shooting  or more, maybe get some full body pigeon decoys like those feeding, i just got a magnet with 2 pro flap decoys and a pigeon bouncer set, all set to go when they do the bean field down here.    

[Timerider]

22 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

hello, depends if the beans have been well drilled and not many on the surface, just keep a look out once the fields done, its all about reconnaissance watch and wait then if your lucky a good days shooting  or more, maybe get some full body pigeon decoys like those feeding, i just got a magnet with 2 pro flap decoys and a pigeon bouncer set, all set to go when they do the bean field down here.    

Thanks  oldypigeonpopper,  i`ve watched the pigeons hitting the Beans for the last few years,  but i`ve never seen them being put in so I don`t know what machinery the farmer is using, but they aren`t in very deep, and there`s quite a few right at the surface, so the pigeons usually feed for a good week or so,  but having been using an air rifle, and watching them dropping in well out of my range, my only option has been to sit in the woods and await them coming in to sit and digest their feast. I`ve had quite a few this way but they tend to land in the conifers and getting a clean shot even with a good rifle and scope is a bit   `hit and miss`  if you`ll pardon the pun. I`m hoping this year will be more successful with the shotgun, and i`ll have the option of either setting up the hide and decoys on the edge of the bean field, or just putting the hide at the edge of the woods and hopefully dropping them as they approach the tree tops.  It might even be worth getting another gun in and covering both positions at once (what do you think? )  I`ve got a couple of full bodied deeks and a spring wing, and I`ll get myself a couple of bouncers when spare cash allows.

thanks for the advice,  it`s all good info for a new starter.  It`s great to be able to get knowledge from experienced shooters.

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, how are you using your spring wing decoy????

[Timerider]

2 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

hello, how are you using your spring wing decoy????

I`m not sure whether you mean position in the pattern, or how i`ve got it fixed up?

I`ve got it mounted on an old fibre glass tent pole, which I drilled and put a screw into and i`ve attached the spring to the screw so that the wings are level, it works quite well with a bit of breeze.

If you mean position, then i`ve been putting it just inside the third decoy from the front, if you know what I mean.