for discussion

[charlie cleveland]

is therely truly a such a thing as a shotgun that will kill a bird at a hundred yards fired from the shoulder.some say there is such guns and others shake there heads ...what do you say.... charlie

[OH Osthaus]

Which bird? And which shooter? What shot size? And how consistantly?

Can it happen - I think it certainly could -if for no other reason than one lucky pellet could drop a woodcock

Would I count on it enough to try it -to certainly not

[B. Dudley]

I would think some magnum loads to be able to have some velocity out to that distance, but of course the pattern would be so wide that individual pellets would not have the stopping power for anything of any real size.

At the gun club that I belong to, the trap fields shoot directly toward a highway. And I would say not much farther than a purple hundred yards. I know that is farther than we are talking about, but I am sure that there is zero velocity long before that point.

[MarketHunter]

The right gun in the right hands, it's more the hands than the gun.


DLH

[Kensal Rise]

This is a fun - and virtually inconclusive - question. But the killing power of a shotgun is not related to the size of the bore or the velocity of the shot at such a distance. It almost entirely depends on the size/mass of the pellet involved and where that pellet strikes a bird. (Maj. Burrard, decades ago)

Thus, a .410 firing No. 2 shot could indeed kill a pheasant at 100 yards, if that pellet strikes the bird in the right place. No. 6 shot at most any sane muzzle velocity peobably could not.

In all cases, however, it would be a lucky shot. Forward allowance would be staggering.

[Dean Romig]

I'm not much into sniper-shooting my turkeys... I think it would take most of the fun out of what is probably the most interactive hunting experience one could have.

[MarketHunter]

The two longest shots I can recall ever making were both with big bore shotguns and large shot. The first was a mallard drake with a 4 gauge and #2 shot at something like 82 big steps, bird fell straight down dead. The other was a teal with an 8 gauge shooting #4 shot. The bird was so far and partially across water I couldn't really measure. But, it was further than the mallard of that I'm certain, also graveyard dead in the air.

I wouldn't call either one luck, both days I'd been shooting at birds long range consistently and was in the groove. Some days I can't kill a bird at 35 yards let alone 70 plus yards but when you're on you're on.

The finest long range shots I've ever seen operate were deadly at 70 yards and could kill birds further. I once watched The Great Gurton kill five for five on a flock that started at 50 yards and when the last shot was fired were 70 easy. This was shooting a 12 gauge with short magnum shells in #4. I saw a goose guide in Scotland kill doubles at 70 plus yards on a regular basis shooting a 12 gauge and #4 magnum loads.

There are guys out there who are better with the gun than most of us could ever dream to be. I'm not saying 100 yards is where we ought to be shooting at anything, but it's possible.

There's a gentleman on this forum who's told me he can break a clay at 100 yards with an LC Smith Wildfowl. I've not seen the feat performed but I believe him.


DLH

[chris dawe]

I killed a snipe at around (what my brother considered at the time) 100 yards .One # 4 pellet in the back of his noggin from a full choke H&R single .It's not something I would even entertain now ,but being around 15 at the time I thought I was a real pro .


I can remember my brother yelling at me "It's too far ,stop wasting shell's !" and down he went

[Drew Hause]

Please watch for the article in the Spring Double Gun Journal about the Smith Long Range Wild Fowl, with actual pattern testing at 82 yards by David Williamson. The BEST pattern showed less than 1% of the pellets on target.
Being a victim of a public education in the great state of Missouri, I would respectfully request those claiming 80 yard kills (and not where the bird landed) to "Show Me" the pattern, unless the gun is a Woolwich



And yes, I witnessed a buddy kill a big Sage Grouse in WY at 50 yards with a single pellet in the head (I cleaned the bird). Unfortunately, thereafter he shot at every 50 yard bird, cleanly killed none, and likely left a number to die a bad death out in the field with a single pellet in the chest or gut

[Big D]

Look on YouTube for George Digweed breaking clays at 115 yards. Not every time, but enough to show it wasn't luck. I believe he was shooting his Perazzi 12 gauge, 34" barrels