Anyone going Duck hunting this weekend?

[Big Browns]

I'm going to be taking my kids squirrel hunting this weekend. I'm hoping to find a few ducks on some ponds while looking for tree rats!

 

Adam

[6ANut]

Have fun adam. I have not seen any ducks on the ponds around munds. Hoping this weather in Utah etc... will start to bring some down. Zero ducks at my duck spot.

[Scooter]

I'd love to- but I don't have time to get up in the Mountain Zone...

[Big Browns]

Have fun adam. I have not seen any ducks on the ponds around munds. Hoping this weather in Utah etc... will start to bring some down. Zero ducks at my duck spot.

 

I'm sure your hot spot will be Awesome as soon as the weather hits! I'm not expecting much this weekend. As long as we can find some squirrel's we will be happy. I would love to find some Duck's for my son, but if not we will have plenty of squirrel's & rabbits to shoot at.

 

Adam

[Guest akaspecials]

I"m headed out after work. Please remember guys, if you can't see their eyes, they are too far to shoot! Skybusting ruins it for everyone on the water!

 

Good luck guys!

[Yuma Archer]

I can never remember seeing there eyes.

 

I am an habitual sky buster, lol

[muledeerarea33?]

Ignorance showing here. Sky busting is shooting ducks that are flying by, not called in or are coming to decoys? If so I'm guessing that's only an issue for folks huntin on the big lakes and ponds near cities, where there are lots of hunters at one water source?

[mr.smith]

Ignorance showing here. Sky busting is shooting ducks that are flying by, not called in or are coming to decoys? If so I'm guessing that's only an issue for folks huntin on the big lakes and ponds near cities, where there are lots of hunters at one water source?

You describe pass shooting. Not necessarily sky busting. Sky busting is shooting at ducks way up there and out of range. Mostly just scaring or wounding birds that won't/can't be retrieved.

[Guest akaspecials]

Ignorance showing here. Sky busting is shooting ducks that are flying by, not called in or are coming to decoys? If so I'm guessing that's only an issue for folks huntin on the big lakes and ponds near cities, where there are lots of hunters at one water source?

You describe pass shooting. Not necessarily sky busting. Sky busting is shooting at ducks way up there and out of range. Mostly just scaring or wounding birds that won't/can't be retrieved.

 

Mr. Smith is right on.

 

For waterfowl you have to use steel shot, which is a lot less dense than lead and therefore you can't shoot nearly as far. In most guns with a full choke 50 yards is about the max distance, and that's pushing it. Skybusting lends to more wounded animals. It also scares them out of the area real fast.

 

A lot of times when a flock of ducks is working someone's decoys they will circle around the body of water too. Sky busters will shoot at these high circling birds that they have no chance of hitting. It scares the birds off the water, ruins it for the guys calling them into decoys, and no one gets the birds.

[trphyhntr]

saw a couple flocks of canadian honkers coming in while i was in show low last weekend. hopefull i make it out to do some waterfowling this year.

[Scooter]

Ignorance showing here. Sky busting is shooting ducks that are flying by, not called in or are coming to decoys? If so I'm guessing that's only an issue for folks huntin on the big lakes and ponds near cities, where there are lots of hunters at one water source?

You describe pass shooting. Not necessarily sky busting. Sky busting is shooting at ducks way up there and out of range. Mostly just scaring or wounding birds that won't/can't be retrieved.

 

Mr. Smith is right on.

 

For waterfowl you have to use steel shot, which is a lot less dense than lead and therefore you can't shoot nearly as far. In most guns with a full choke 50 yards is about the max distance, and that's pushing it. Skybusting lends to more wounded animals. It also scares them out of the area real fast.

 

A lot of times when a flock of ducks is working someone's decoys they will circle around the body of water too. Sky busters will shoot at these high circling birds that they have no chance of hitting. It scares the birds off the water, ruins it for the guys calling them into decoys, and no one gets the birds.

 

 

Please do not regularly shoot steel shot through a full choke unless you know what you're doing. And even if you do know what you're doing... Why would you? When steel shot hits that full choke constriction the result is almost always a blown pattern to some degree. It may even mess up your choke tube a little. If you want a better pattern with some extra distance go with a wad-stripping tube or use hevi-shot.

[Guest akaspecials]

Ignorance showing here. Sky busting is shooting ducks that are flying by, not called in or are coming to decoys? If so I'm guessing that's only an issue for folks huntin on the big lakes and ponds near cities, where there are lots of hunters at one water source?

You describe pass shooting. Not necessarily sky busting. Sky busting is shooting at ducks way up there and out of range. Mostly just scaring or wounding birds that won't/can't be retrieved.

 

Mr. Smith is right on.

 

For waterfowl you have to use steel shot, which is a lot less dense than lead and therefore you can't shoot nearly as far. In most guns with a full choke 50 yards is about the max distance, and that's pushing it. Skybusting lends to more wounded animals. It also scares them out of the area real fast.

 

A lot of times when a flock of ducks is working someone's decoys they will circle around the body of water too. Sky busters will shoot at these high circling birds that they have no chance of hitting. It scares the birds off the water, ruins it for the guys calling them into decoys, and no one gets the birds.

 

 

Please do not regularly shoot steel shot through a full choke unless you know what you're doing. And even if you do know what you're doing... Why would you? When steel shot hits that full choke constriction the result is almost always a blown pattern to some degree. It may even mess up your choke tube a little. If you want a better pattern with some extra distance go with a wad-stripping tube or use hevi-shot.

 

Full choke (rated for steel) with number 3 or 4 patterns great for me and my friends/family... We use modified when they are decoying at 10-20 yards and full when we are pass shooting or they are decoying at 35-40. As long as it’s rated for steel and groups well there isn’t an issue? Am I missing something?

 

And the reason is tight groups. Clean miss or clean hit and less cripples.

 

Edit: I'm assuming people know not to use steel smaller than 2 or 3 in an old gun not rated for steel. As for the blown patterns, it took me 3 or 4 loads to find one that patterned well.

[Scooter]

Rated for steel is what I was talking about... Those are usually a little bit "looser" than older guns with fixed-chokes and older full-choke tubes were. There isn't an issue as long as you're using chokes that are designed to shoot steel. The key is- you pattern your guns and know your equipment, some people don't really know if they're factory chokes will hold up or not. I personally use a Carlson's IC Hevi Shot extended choke with Steel #2's (Win Drylock Supreme 3") and it patterns out to 40 yards+ way better than my factory invector plus MOD! Kills ducks deader than dead... Just be sure you know your equipment! It's probably not going to blow a barrel up, but you might score a tube/barrel or see blown patterns and wounded ducks. Both issues are minor as far as safety- but avoidable.

 

akaspecials- the #3's and #4's have some room to constrict in your choke , but if you ever bump up to BB's or bigger for geese/sandhills you might see some blown patterns- maybe, I don't know because it's really a toss-up as far as experience goes.

[6ANut]

I have a Carlson choke tube on my super black eagle and used Black Clouds last year both the 3" and the 3 1/2, for the first time. Holy Smokes, just a leathal combo on Ducks and Geese. Yes, they are pricey but when you shoot less overall shots as compared to other shells it makes up for it.

[Scooter]

I really like Black Clouds personally, but can't find them down in SV. 3.5" shells are VERY forgiving!