kitchrat Posted December 27, 2023 Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 Similar story to JDog's, on Xmas eve. Super windy, wood busy with pigeons, fresh from local rape fields. Very tall beech trees, (30M?) but some firs to shelter birds lower down, on the less windy side - PERFECT? BUT, they are still very cautious, swirling about in the turbulence above the trees, not committing to landing and I have a very small sight window. Beaten hands down, shot a dozen, with a few lost but for maybe 45 shots. Reflexes too slow, body too stiff etc, but great fun trying!! Going again Thursday, with lots of ammo! PS: What choke do you chaps use? I had 1/2 and 3/4 because they seem a long way away, have I overdone it?? Cheers and Happy New Year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted December 27, 2023 Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 (edited) hello, Well done, what cartridges were you using, i remember a post by JD where this was discussed , i only use 7.5 28g and figure that a usual improved/half would be to open to 30/35 yards, last time decoying i tried 3/4 full, i am sure MM uses 7.5s, back many years it was all Grand Prix 6s 30g , 30 yards in a 30 inch circle, a pigeon 100 ft up in windy conditions is a testing target Edited December 27, 2023 by oldypigeonpopper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Boggy Posted December 27, 2023 Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 1 hour ago, kitchrat said: Similar story to JDog's, on Xmas eve. Super windy, wood busy with pigeons, fresh from local rape fields. Very tall beech trees, (30M?) but some firs to shelter birds lower down, on the less windy side - PERFECT? BUT, they are still very cautious, swirling about in the turbulence above the trees, not committing to landing and I have a very small sight window. Beaten hands down, shot a dozen, with a few lost but for maybe 45 shots. Reflexes too slow, body too stiff etc, but great fun trying!! Going again Thursday, with lots of ammo! PS: What choke do you chaps use? I had 1/2 and 3/4 because they seem a long way away, have I overdone it?? Cheers and Happy New Year! The absolute cream of pigeon shooting. It`s not about kills to cartridges, but the enjoyment of pitting your wits against the most trickiest of birds under those conditions. Smaller shot (7s) and fairly open chokes (IC & 1/4) seem to work best for me. Good luck for Thursday. OB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted December 27, 2023 Report Share Posted December 27, 2023 (edited) 33 minutes ago, Old Boggy said: The absolute cream of pigeon shooting. It`s not about kills to cartridges, but the enjoyment of pitting your wits against the most trickiest of birds under those conditions. Smaller shot (7s) and fairly open chokes (IC & 1/4) seem to work best for me. Good luck for Thursday. OB hello, if i ever get a chance next year on the pigeons i will try more open chokes with my 7.5s , 1/4 1/2 might go improved/ 1/4 , , i have never tried on a pattern plate, Edited December 27, 2023 by oldypigeonpopper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted December 28, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2023 OK, maybe I have been going the wrong way, with 32gm No5 shot and the tighter chokes, because I was afraid of having to shoot at some considerable range and often through some light twigs etc. Maybe I had too tight a pattern. I'll try my normal 32gm No6s, with 1/4 and half choke tonight. Nice and windy in the forecast! Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted December 28, 2023 Report Share Posted December 28, 2023 31 minutes ago, kitchrat said: OK, maybe I have been going the wrong way, with 32gm No5 shot and the tighter chokes, because I was afraid of having to shoot at some considerable range and often through some light twigs etc. Maybe I had too tight a pattern. I'll try my normal 32gm No6s, with 1/4 and half choke tonight. Nice and windy in the forecast! Cheers! I only ever use 1/4 and 1/2 and generally the quarter choke first…..wouldn’t believe some of the ranges I’ve killed flighting pigeons with the open choke barrel, usually with 28g 6 or 29g 6’s. Personally don’t think pigeons need the firepower to bring down the bigger birds that a pheasant does for example. Great weather this week for roosting/flighting…..good luck 👍🏼 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitchrat Posted December 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 Well, the jury is still out on this one! I arrived in good time, only a couple in the wood and found myself a good spot in a bramble bush so |I had good cover and a better window than last time. However, in spite of identical (very windy) weather the birds had learned something: a) noticeably less showed up and b) they avoided the better sheltered trees (where I had shot at them a few days earlier) and dropped in from a height into the centre of the 30-acre wood. One gave me a perfect shot and the 1/4 choke did get it down. I had to move deeper into the wood, found a good window but I was less well hidden and things got really tricky, birds swirling away at a great height before I could get a shot off. Missed a few! Reverted to my 1/2 choke and the 32gm No5's and things got better, ended with 7 for not too many shots. I suspect the improvement in average was due to the better window more than anything else. Still great fun! I'll let them build up again for a few weeks and try again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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