Long range shotgun - crows

[retrieverman]

Dang it boy!!! That sounds like fun!!!

Do you have to have a barrel that gets you half way to the target or will your loads work with a short barrel. My Benelli has a 21” barrel.

 

[Master Carper]

Dang it boy!!! That sounds like fun!!!

Do you have to have a barrel that gets you half way to the target or will your loads work with a short barrel. My Benelli has a 21” barrel.

It's a whole lotta fun!

Me personally, I like the longer barrels for the increased velocity and longer sight plane.

I have shot these same loads in my 30" 870 barrel, but patterns were not worth a poot much much past 40 yards.

With my 34" barrel, I can get 100% patterns a little past 60 yards, which is why I can stretch the distance on it.

My 30" barrel will keep a 100% pattern at 40 yards, but will start opening up pretty good after that.

With a 1 1/8 load of magnum #2 lead shot, there is exactly 100 pellets per load.

At the velocity I am pushing these loads, non buffered loads were a little disappointing, but still good to around 60 yards or so. With the addition of buffer though, patterns tightened right on up and became much more uniform.

As far as your 21" barrel goes, I have no earthly idea how well it would pattern. I had to shoot a LOT of different loads in my barrel to be able to get a "good" load, then I went through a LOT of different choke tubes before I found one that gave me the long range patterns I was looking for, that made long range crow shooting possible.

 

[GnometownHero]

Back in the mid 60's my dad and his friends hunted crows over at Ft Cobb lake. I have shot so many shot shells in a weekend that my arm was too sore to write my schoolwork on Monday. We loaded 7 1/2 shot pretty hot, Made up some #5 shot loads for the high flyers

 

[retrieverman]

It's a whole lotta fun!

Me personally, I like the longer barrels for the increased velocity and longer sight plane.

I have shot these same loads in my 30" 870 barrel, but patterns were not worth a poot much much past 40 yards.

With my 34" barrel, I can get 100% patterns a little past 60 yards, which is why I can stretch the distance on it.

My 30" barrel will keep a 100% pattern at 40 yards, but will start opening up pretty good after that.

With a 1 1/8 load of magnum #2 lead shot, there is exactly 100 pellets per load.

At the velocity I am pushing these loads, non buffered loads were a little disappointing, but still good to around 60 yards or so. With the addition of buffer though, patterns tightened right on up and became much more uniform.

As far as your 21" barrel goes, I have no earthly idea how well it would pattern. I had to shoot a LOT of different loads in my barrel to be able to get a "good" load, then I went through a LOT of different choke tubes before I found one that gave me the long range patterns I was looking for, that made long range crow shooting possible.

My go to shotgun is the Benelli, but I also have a Belgium A5 Magnum with a 30” barrel. Thank you for posting this. It’s sounds like something I‘m going to have to try.

 

[Master Carper]

My go to shotgun is the Benelli, but I also have a Belgium A5 Magnum with a 30” barrel. Thank you for posting this. It’s sounds like something I‘m going to have to try.

If you need any load information or information on my "crow board" just let me know.

 

[jbarnett]

How is the recoil difference between factory loads and yours? Does it kick like a mule?

 

[retrieverman]

If you need any load information or information on my "crow board" just let me know.

Now, I’ve just got to try to find some #2 shot.

 

[Master Carper]

How is the recoil difference between factory loads and yours? Does it kick like a mule?

To me, no it doesn't kick like a mule. I would say that it is kinda sorta close to that of a Federal Hi Power or Remington Express Long Range 1 1/4 oz. factory loads.

 

[retrieverman]

Maybe I missed it, but what powder are you using?

 

[Master Carper]

Let me explain my "crow board" and how I go about determining my maximum shooting distance.

Take a 2X4 and cut it to a length of 10".

Center drill one end of the 2X4 and insert a hardwood dowel. I use a 3 ft. long dowel 3/8" or 1/2" in diameter.

Paint the 2X4 black.

This is your crow target board.

Shoot the target, and if you can consistently put on put at least 3 pellets in your target, then you should have no problem killing crows out to that distance.

My 30" barrel will keep a minimum of 3 pellets in the target board out to 60 yards, but my 34" barrel will keep 3 pellets in the target board out to a couple of feet past 90 yards.

Yes, I have killed a few crows grave yard dead at 90 yards, but at the same time, I have also had to run down a few crows to finish them off.