How many cartridges should i take pigeon shooting.

[Country Boy]

ansa2 I think that 'clay-shooting' experience is advantagous to all newcomers to shotgun shooting because it teaches safety and promotes gun handling ( mounting and swinging )

 

Try going clay shooting - to a good sporting layout with a high tower - on a wet and very windy day, you will discover that clays can be as tricky as pinkfeet.

 

To address the original question : ALWAYS have a full box of 250 cartridges with you (in the vehicle out of sight) as well as your full cartridge bag when going pigeoning, don't be caught out like Chris Green "I only had 125 which I used before 2.0'clock and I had to pack up and watch the pigeons piling onto the drilled barley"

Cheers, C.B.

[Highlander]

I see an awful lot of 'first timers' going live quarry shooting and quite frankly it amazes me that a) they haven't even learnt the basics, they couldn't hit a barn if they stood inside it, c) they're quite happy to shoot something but haven't a clue about despaching a wounded bird/animal, d) certainly don't want to eat the damn thing and e) how the hell do people like that ever get a licence. I'm afraid it's all to easy to get a SGC and in my book there should be some basic training in gun handling, safety etc etc (including live quarry stuff) before you can even apply AND if you can't hit things with some sort of consistancy then stick to clays. Maybe the basic SGC should be granted a) for clay shooting then for live quarry shooting only after passing certain tests similar to a driving licence that's not valid for manual motors if you took your test in an auto.

[kdubya]

Any shooting is better than no shooting as far as gun mount and familiarisation go. And that's a load of **** about clays being useless for pigeons. Even a round of skeet or a few crossers thrown from a manual trap in a farmers field will help teach and reinforce the basics of lead and swinging the gun.

 

Regardless of how a pigeon changes direction, it's what you do the moment before you pull the trigger that counts. With a long crossing clay you'll have loads of time to pick up the bird, pull through and bang! With a pigeon changing direction it's got to be a lot more instinctive, but you still have to give it lead. If you've shot a few clays and are a bit sharper on the gun mount and swing then you'll have more time on the jinking pigoen. Simple as.

 

I've no idea where benelli is based, but those of you in the remoter parts of Scotland are in the minority as most of the UK has reasonably easy access to clay shooting. But I'm sure you're be the first to point out that's a minor disadvantage amongst the many advantages of living up there

 

 

spot on agree with every word

 

wish I had a pound for every "guest " who turns up at our syndicate and comes out with the immortal words,

I MUST get to the clays and practice a bit , as the birds sail on by, last season I watched one "guest" who had 17 birds driven directly above him on one stand alone, he emptied both barrels at every one, never hit ONE, when I spoke to him he said he did not use the gun much? jeez whats the point?

cheers KW

[lurcherboy]

How many cartridges do people normally take pigeon shooting.Im taking a 100 but i dont want to run out as its my first time shooting the pigeons.

 

ALLWAYS take too many

 

 

I see an awful lot of 'first timers' going live quarry shooting and quite frankly it amazes me that a) they haven't even learnt the basics, they couldn't hit a barn if they stood inside it, c) they're quite happy to shoot something but haven't a clue about despaching a wounded bird/animal, d) certainly don't want to eat the damn thing and e) how the hell do people like that ever get a licence. I'm afraid it's all to easy to get a SGC and in my book there should be some basic training in gun handling, safety etc etc (including live quarry stuff) before you can even apply AND if you can't hit things with some sort of consistancy then stick to clays. Maybe the basic SGC should be granted a) for clay shooting then for live quarry shooting only after passing certain tests similar to a driving licence that's not valid for manual motors if you took your test in an auto.

 

 

That's a controversial opinion Highlander. But one that I agree in wholeheartedly. No one should be allowed a opportunity to shoot live quarry unless they have proved themselves. If that means having to take a test, then so be it.

 

I know there will be shooters that were taught how to by family, friends, mentors and they would have nothing to fear by a test.

 

Kevlar lid on

 

 

 

 

LB

[gixer1]

I can see points in both arguments but i dissagree completely with the "if you aren't going to eat it you shouldn't shoot it" what a load of tripe!

 

you show me 1 syndicate member who eats his bag for the season (if he's a reasonable shot !)

 

Some rough shooting is done purely for crop/livestock/land protection and not for the produce taken when shooting, are there alot of people that eat crows on here? i've only ever seen them used in cookery by eccentric television chefs!

 

Regards,

 

Garry.

[highseas]

you show me 1 syndicate member who eats his bag for the season (if he's a reasonable shot !)

 

are there alot of people that eat crows on here

Regards,

 

Garry.

dont speak two soon their i have had a nibble of crow and i would eat it agen any day i just have to hit the bloody things in out syndicate (duck) we all only shoot what we want to eat if i only want a brace for sunday lunch then i shoot a brace and go home early or watch the rest of the ducks land in to get me out the house for a while longer

[gixer1]

If syndicate prices are comparable to here then you will find it rare that a member only shoots what he wants to eat, and i would say this would be the norm, as for the crows......how many people out of 100 that shoot them probably actually eat them??? not alot i'd bet.

Edited April 2, 2008 by gixer1

[highseas]

we are a duck shooting syndicate we all chip in for rent and feed for the ponds and maintaniance

[ditchman]

How many cartridges do people normally take pigeon shooting.Im taking a 100 but i dont want to run out as its my first time shooting the pigeons.

 

 

Whats the weight limit on your pick up truck ?

[Guest Mr Pieman]

I invariably shoot with a friend (AND a gun!! In case LB wanted to be funny! ) and I always take 750 cartridges. I carry 100 in a bag and hide the rest up in the car. I twice got caught out by not taking so many, so it is now a habit!! Even when roost shooting I pack them all - just in case!!!!!

 

I never shot clays as a youngster, nor did Mr Pieman Snr. Whilst I consider myself a good shot, my father was an exemplary one at pigeons. However, he couldn't hit a driven pheasant for trying - I think he just saw them coming for too long!! I think you CAN be good at one and not the other, or good at both - or rubbish at both, for that matter!!

 

Go with what suits you. Gun mounting etc IS important, but there is no requirement to fire a shot to practice gun mount. As a child, I remember spending hours on end practicing in my bedroom, fake swings etc and it all helps.

 

I think we should help the newbies and give them support, rather than caning them all the time. If you can find a clay target that appears from nowhere, while you're sitting down holding a flask and munching a sandwich, you'd probably be able to argue the case! Clays may help some, but it is practice at shooting a clay/pitch composite disk which often flies along a similar line if thrown from a particular trap on a ground - not a wood pigeon.

 

Love each other, there are plenty of others who don't love us

 

I wonder how many protagonists would support a law insisting you spent a minimum number of hours on a clay ground to earn a proficiency badge to move onto live quarry? Sad day indeed!! DO NOT COMMENT ON THE LAST POINT, I DON'T WANT TO HIJACK THE THREAD!!!!!

[charlie 1]

Well after reading most of the replies to this thread i am amazed at the attitued of some shooters on here.

to start with just to answer the question i always take around 250 if i have that many i am however lucky i have a gun shop about 5 mins away i can get to if need be.

 

however i do think that Everyone should start off with a few clays just to give an idea of lead and gun mount which are the two crucial points of shooting. whether or not he can consistantly dust a clay is irrelivant. as longas his mount is right and he is understanding that lead is important and that it is better to miss infront than behind. i belive we owe it to our quarry to respect it and if that means a couple of goes on the clays for practise then so be it. and for those of you that don't have a clay ground that close i am sure you could find a trap or even one of those hand thrown ones. it is better than nothing but you DO need to practise ( Preferably with someone who knows what they are doing) before you even consider live quarry.

 

charlie

[chrispti]

i normaly take a brick (250)

 

 

I normaly take my gun!!!!!!!!!!!

[vole]

As well as a practise on the clays there is much to be said for shooting within your limits .It is important to know how to dispatch an animal humanely before you even set foot in a field which would be best learnt from someone experienced.

On the whole I have found PW members encouraging and helpful.There is a minority however who would like ,it seems to deny a bite of the cherry to newcomers who are the future of the sport.. The last thing we need is an increase in regulation. There is enough of that already in this country thankyou.

So,take plenty of shells. Enjoy your shooting but better still take someone with alot of experience. If not possible,be safe and be humane.

Edited June 15, 2008 by vole21

[chrispti]

How many cartridges do people normally take pigeon shooting.Im taking a 100 but i dont want to run out as its my first time shooting the pigeons.

Take as many as you like, would you rather run out or end up taking the unused extras home? I take 250

Edited June 15, 2008 by chrispti

[Chard]

If you can find a clay target that appears from nowhere, while you're sitting down holding a flask and munching a sandwich, you'd probably be able to argue the case! Clays may help some, but it is practice at shooting a clay/pitch composite disk which often flies along a similar line if thrown from a particular trap on a ground - not a wood pigeon.

 

So, is the purpose of this post just to churn out the old done-to-death argument that clay shooters can't shoot for ****, according to game shooters (yawn)?

 

Well, I admit I've met ONE pigeon shooter, sho could wipe the floor with any clay shooter, including the best in the country, in my opinion. That's ONE. I've seen the rest, missing everything at the clay ground

with their green gear and S/S's

 

Clay shooting isn't easier than game shooting, it's different to game shooting. I've heard all the old cobblers from game shooters about how they regularly thrash all the expert clay shooters. Yeah, yeah, yeah, course you do (yawn)

 

When you're swinging a gun, a target that slows down on you can be just as tricky as one that speeds up. All it means is that the speed is variable. And if you think you could eat a pack of sandwiches and slurp a cup of coffee before you pick up a gun and shoot a clay at Worsley, I'd like to see you do it. You'll have a serious dose of indigestion

Edited June 15, 2008 by Chard

[Cranfield]

Keep the thread on the subject, if you want to start a "live quarry-v-clay shooting" debate, please open another thread on a different section.

 

To answer the question, I take more than I expect to use.

If I am expecting a hot day over decoys, I will have over 500 in the truck.

For an afternoon walk round the edge of the woods, probably no more than 50.

[THEINVISIBLESCARECROW]

If I'm going for a stroll along the hedge's takeing the dog for a walk I take about 10, I often come back with 10, sometimes as little as 8 but you never know so I allways make sure I take 10.

If out for a couple of hours under the sitty tree with a flask then at least 25, 10 to 15 shots is normal but you never know.

If I decide to have a crack at the crows 25, I nearly run out once.

I've now got a magnet now & will take 100, If I do shoot all 100 my face will ache from the wide grin so I'll need to go home & get a sharp knife out & get busy picking fluffy feathers off the kitchen floor.

I used to go after rabbits with my shotty before going to rimmies. 10 cart's were plenty to come home with a rabbit or 5.

Are you walking around a wood roost shooting, walking hedges in the morning, in the hide for the day.

Have you been watching the area to know what sort of numbers you are going to see or hope to see on the day.

A huge flock of 500 birds fly in then bang, nothing for the rest of the day.

Take two cart's just in case you miss with the first shot.

[ferretman]

i have always been told take 250 when ever you go for a days pigeon shooting.

[bignoel]

i take a bag that holds 125 cartridges a belt that holds 25 and a brick of 250 left in my jeep if needed if the day is good going the last thing i want is to have to go home.

[mossy835]

i take 150, when there gone i come home.

[DANO]

take a load !! take 100 / 150 of them with you and leave a load in the car

[Topgunners]

You seem to be suggesting that all new guns should be proficient at clays before they shoot live game. But for some like me clay shooting ruins my aim for live game so for me to shoot clays defeats the the whole purpose , so whats the point. Its more important to develop your skills at clean live kills . For the people who have problems with real live shooting , then perhaps go and take clay shooting lessons and see if it helps their style of shooting.

 

If you develope a style of clay shooting first it may well be very difficult for a new gun to adapt to the different skill of live bird shooting. Of course some may find it easy , but others not so easy. The whole point of my thread is we are all different in our style and adaption of shooting skills and what suits one gun may not suit another.

 

 

I agree with most said by anser and others; but I strongly suggest that you do go along to a clay ground and pay for an hour or two's professional tuition, where you will learn all about gun safety, stance, lead and swing.

 

Then try to get out in the field with an experienced live quarry shooter who is willing to watch you from behind and point you in the right direction (pardon my pun).

 

As the personal touch by an experienced mate is far better than the line our pockets mentality of some of the clay grounds I visited at the start of my shooting.

 

Many of you know of the large bags that we have shot over the years and some of our kill ratios have been exceptional to say the least. Alan is one of the best shots I have seen in the field AND also at the clay ground; BUT that is a rarity. The normal shooter would have to do 1,000 - 1,500 clays a week like he did to get that good. (he was in the England squad)

 

The one most important thing in my opinion is to try and make sure the GUN DOES FIT PROPERLY and practice,practice,practice but most of all enjoy yourself and don't pay too much attention to the "snipers" on this forum ( too many at times) who try and shoot PEOPLE down.

 

Above all think safe, and be safe at all times; and be concerned with the well-being of the shot, nicked or pricked bird.

 

Don't try the long range SUPER/GLORY SHOTS until you are a lot more experienced.

 

As for the cartridges; you don't want to know how many we carry but I would agree a "slab" of 250 would be enough at the start for you.

 

 

Dave K

Edited September 28, 2008 by Topgunners

[webber]

Take as many cartridges as you can safely carry, leave the rest in the car, just in case.

 

When I was learning to shoot shotgun I was tought to respect the quarry. My mates wouldnt let me anywhere near anything with a pulse untill I could confidently break clays from numerous different stands on various different sporting layouts. Once you learn to read the target, and shoot acordingly, it should matter little what the target is.

 

I am disapointed that some members feel that it is acceptable to practice on live quarry, not the spirit of good shooting in my opinion.

 

webber

[crazyfarmerboy]

i think that clay shooting helps pigeon shooting because it gives you confidence about when to shoot. if you set up a good hide pigons are not changing direction. also if you do not have a local clay shooting club buy a trap off ebay for £30. i have one and i think it is good to get used to shooting with clays then move onto pigeons. this is what i have done and on some days i get 9 out of 10 shots and the other day i only got 8 pigeons in about 40 shots. also you have to take into consideration where you place your hide. if you are under a overhanding trees and they are flying high it is difficult. i went out today and for 3 pigeons then used them as decoys and pigeons were landing next too them and i was shooting them once landed. i think pigeon shooting is about having a good plan aswell as a good shot.

 

i got 13 pigeons today in 2 hours with 25 shells. i think that is quite good. the stew is nice. i am eating it now.i wanted enough for a stew so i took 1 box and went home. there were lots of pigeons about but i did not have all day to sit under a tree. i did some rolling.

 

hope this helps

Edited October 12, 2008 by crazyfarmerboy

[Masson]

No one is suggesting that you need to a champion clay shooter to shoot live birds.

 

But, as Henry started off by saying, 2 weeks from not knowing about leading a target to then going out on pigeon? That's a jump, isn't it? Clays can help get the eye for lead, distances, mouting etc - not to the point where you're a star at it, but to get the basics of gun use and basic technique.