My head hurts.

I just had to buy a few chokes (I bought Carlsons) as my shotgun only came with 2 mods (also carlsons). This is exactly how I felt!

I did but the waterfowl pack and I didn't use these chokes during dove season. I know I can shoot and the way everyone is talking these are some good chokes. So I'll just chalk this weekend up as a loss and start fresh. I did connect with a few birds and liked the results but I know I can do much better.

I have Carlson's skeet choke for my Maxus, been very pleased with it. Other than that I shoot the IC that came with it for ducks with Kent fasteel #3's or #4's. Somewhere I heard the rule of thumb is that you're choke is one size smaller when shooting steel- so IC = Mod, mod = full, etc. Anyone else confirm that? This may not apply to purpose built waterfowl chokes, hence the reason to pattern your gun. I never have, but, I've never felt like missing birds was on any other accord than my own either.

I've taken lessons from one of the best in the country and the very first thing we did was pattern our guns and check for proper fitting. He can't teach without making sure the gun is shooting where you are looking.

We aren't disagreeing that fundamentals are important but if the gun doesn't shoot where you are looking then you are whizzing in the wind. I'm assuming this guy knows basic fundamentals because he is hunting and killing dove. I really don't think it is a fundamental problem.

I get what you are saying and you're right.

And the wood ducks thank you for it.

You can't blame a guy for stirring a cow patty every now and again!

I do completely agree on fundamentals. But you learn those with lead, not steel. Steel changes everything in the game. Lead conforms going through the choke, where steel will not. So I say yes learn the fundamentals but when you get to steel you can settle for an average pattern or you can dial it in to put a good pattern on a bird.

To Ishoitspoonoes- apparently what you bought to use hunting worked. There are times when they don't. You say you will never shoot paper but one day, if you experience a problem, paper is where you start to find it. It is the same thing with a bow, the paper tells all.

To Judd-please kick yourself in the nads for comparing me to Marcus!

My O/U has been rocking two Carlson extended mid-range chokes since I bought it. Plenty of dove and duck harvested. Plenty missed as well. Dang good chokes for lead and steel IMO. 3rd shot?....nah

Damn you a straight up duck killa. Sweet humble brag.



Shane

Haha you win. Erase 'plenty' insert 'more' in front of missed. I'm happy with one duck after all the effort. A limit is a blessing. But 3rd shot?....nah

It's all good brotha. guess you were on spoon patrol last week. Way to get after them.

Eh. I kill some, I miss some. It's has more to do with my piss poor shooting, rushing shots, and not leading birds than it does to my choke/shell combo. I'm a terrible shot. It's not my guns fault, or my chokes, or my shell.

In fact... That gives me an idea for the OP...

Let your buddy shoot your gun if he's killing birds with his, and see if he kills with yours. And you shoot his. Hmmmmmmmm.... Thinking outside the box.

#trouthead

You do realize you just instructed him to run a test to see if weapon was shooting correctly, right? Just saying!

Yeah. I do realize that.

And I'd put money on it the same results occur that were happening before the gun switch. Guy killing birds kills birds. Guy missing birds misses birds

Jo... let the red headed Guy you hunt with show you how to shoot he can shoot great IV hunted with him alot

Might try leading a little less. I know there's always a transition for when I hunt dove for the first time every year. When I go from a tight choke with fast duck shells to an IC with whatever old lead I can find, it's a whole new ball game. If your shooting anything over 1400fps just lead them a little bit and swing through your shot, might be suprised.

Not to get into the choke vs shooting argument but take a video of you shooting and see if you're mounting the gun correctly when you're hunting and that you're putting your head down on the gun. I know it sounds stupid but people get excited and don't put your head on the gun and shoot over the birds. But when they go practice they shoot fine because they arnt in the moment and the rush of hunting. I've been a competition shotgun shooter for a long time and one of the biggest things is gun fit. Have someone that knows shotguns and shot gunning look at how it fits you. Your gun should have different shims to fix it if there are any problems. If you would just hit the duck you would be a better shooter

also practice in your heavy hunting coat. I mount the gun great when I am in a t-shirt at the range. Then you sit in a pit when its 10 degrees in thermals, a sweatshirt, and a heavy waterfowl coat, and all of a sudden you are not mounting the gun the same over 15 layers of clothes.