What to shoot in the spring

There are five types of spring hunting on a feather: on a woodcock; on black grouse and wood grouse on the current; on the drake with a decoy; on a goose from an ambush. Consider all these hunts in order.

Let’s start with woodcock traction as the most accessible and common among hunters of all links. Nothing, without imposing on anyone, I will share my accumulated experience.

Woodcock on the pitch

First of all, let us determine the fraction number that is optimal for shooting a woodcock on a thrust. One of the mistakes here is the random accurate shot syndrome. I will explain what it is. On one of the hunts in the Smolensk region, where I participated, a young hunter could not hit a woodcock flying at him for several evenings. Finally, in despair (they say, I still don’t fall), he shot two zeroes on the sandpiper, and to his rapid delight the bird fell right under his feet.

With a beaming face, he declared that from now on, he would only shoot with this fraction number. I didn’t manage to convince him with any forces that this is a ridiculous accident and that such large “balls” are not being shot at a small bird. What is the number of fractions should be used for the forest sandpiper? When I was a bench shooter, this question was not for me and my comrades.

We received only two types of cartridges – seven and nine. With full responsibility, I can say that the seven cleanly beats the woodcock in the near, middle and, what is remarkable, in the far (40-50 m) distance. True, many of the athletes liked to shoot and nine. Launching the birds on the near shot, they always put them at the right point, while ignoring the woodcocks flying by.

Table 4

Numbers fraction recommended for various objects and terms of hunting

Now we estimate. If you have a double-barreled gun, then why not distinguish between near and far shots? Feel free to put a nine (even eight) in one trunk, and in the other seven – and all the waders that appeared in the shot zone in your backpack.

If you have a semiautomatic device in your hands, then here you simply have nothing to do on the draft. At evening dawn, there is nothing more repulsive than the dashing lines of five shots. Woodcock does not shoot like that, because all the poetry of the hunt disappears. But if there is no other gun, then put the seven, you will not be mistaken. Among other things, there is one curious nuance. The fact is that the current woodcock flies 1-2 meters above the treetops.

Consequently, if you are standing among a low, 5-6 m, undergrowth, then the shot will be near. Accordingly , the fraction may be smaller. If around the forest, then there is nothing to think about a shot of a short circuit, in this case the seven is optimal, but by no means larger – this is overkill. As for the “dispersant” cartridge, under certain conditions of the terrain, it is not forbidden to charge it at the first shot.

Drake with a decoy

On this hunt, everything is simple: the distance to the target is almost always equal to the number of meters from the hut to the decoy duck. If the hut is solid and the arrow is not visible, then it is recommended to plant the duck 20-25 steps from the loophole. The drake must either sit down at once to the crackle, or after checking the safety it will float to it.

The main thing is not to rush and wait for the right moment. At a distance of 25-35 m of drake, you can cleanly hit seven. Especially because the bird sitting on the water often gets on the head. The exception is the so-called “professors” – seasoned and more than once shot individuals. Such a “professor” can sit at a distance of 40-60 m from the hut and, not approaching the inferior, call her to her from afar.

In this case, it is possible to shoot the fifth or even fourth number, but in any case not larger. When firing a large fraction of a bird sitting on the water at the maximum distance, there is a very high probability of a wounded animal that cannot be reached. It is impossible to get out of the hut in the spring. Yes, even if it is shallow around and you can jump out, a wounded man, wounded at a great distance from you, will be able to hide in the bushes and die a painful death. It is not for nothing that it is recommended to finish the wounded game with water in small fraction.

So it’s decided. A drake with a decoy – a fraction number 7, in extreme cases, the number 6-5.

Grouse on the current

The black grouse is somewhat larger than the drake, and its spring feather is stronger, and, consequently, the fraction will be larger. But what? Unlike the same drake, the black grouse is not tied to a certain point of the tokovische, it can be located at 5 and 100 times the hut. One day, a gambling rooster pounced on my black rubber boot sticking out of the hut.

What do you want him to shoot in this case? It is easier to break a beautiful bird with a sheaf, having any shell in a cartridge. But this situation is rare. Usually black grouses, especially in the middle lane, are wary of the hut and try not to approach it. So most likely you will be dealing with medium and long range. But again, you can not rush to the extreme and charge a large fraction.

I remembered the incident that occurred in Karelia. Alarmed by the previous hunt, the roosters settled this time around the perimeter in 50-60 steps from the tent. At that time, I only had ammo in my arsenal equipped with the second number. Considering that this is exactly what is needed, I shot them alternately. Tetereva continued to sit. I make a second shot at the next – and the whole pack rises on the wing.

But, what is the saddest thing, my two shooters also flew away. The fight for my browning is more than satisfactory, therefore, the cartridge is to blame. Or rather, an excessively large fraction that “surrounded” the target. I, for example, shoot black grouse on the current with a fiver, and my comrade with a troika and also with unchanged success. Once he even managed, shooting the third number, to take 6 roosters with two shots, and after each shot 3 birds remained in place.

So shooting with grouse current should be considered only in the range from No. 5 to No. 3 (see Table 4).

Wood grouse on the current

In preparation for this hunt, special attention should be paid to the cartridge. Not every day and not even every year the luck falls to get on the grouse current, and to miss such an enviable trophy due to the fault of the patron is simply unacceptable, and it is just like making a wounded dress. To ruin such a bird in vain! I do not even want to talk about this, but, nevertheless, this happens and is not so rare as it is commonly believed.

It would seem that something simpler: he came up and fired at a calmly sitting bird, which also does not hear anything. But no, he shot, and she took and flew. So break your head, either he missed, or the gun was to blame, or the cartridge failed. To begin with, we exclude from this list a cartridge.

I remember that in Karelia, my friend twice only wounded the birds as they approached and, chasing them, dispersed all tokens, so that they did not return to these places even the next year. When analyzing the errors, it turned out that he had shot two and three bullets. No words, the fraction is powerful, heavy, killer, but only a little of it. Even when shooting such a large bird, only 1-2 pellets fall into the carcass from an average distance, and this is not enough for a true defeat. Here and wounds happen. With the same success, I shoot wood-grouses only the first number, although recently I switched to the “Magnum”, but it only got worse. Too many complaints from taxidermists.

So, for the wood-grouse, the fraction range is from No. 2 to zero.

Geese on the passage

Hunting for geese is my favorite hunt, there is something to ponder and experiment with. According to my estimates, I have more than 1,000 geese mined in my account, so more than one thousand ammunition were shot at them. What conclusion did I come to?

At a distance of 25 mgus, you can safely hit buckwheat porridge, chopped nails and any fraction number, starting from sevens. I myself saw how geese were shot down even by a bullet. But at a far distance, everything is much more complicated – here I would expand the range of goose shots from No. 4 to 00. I had to mine the largest geese, for example, the Canadian brant, with fours at medium distance. A large number of grains increase the likelihood of hitting the head or neck, and these are fatal injuries.

Of course, we need a canister to shoot at exorbitant heights. Some even shoot tied up with canister, but I don’t give my hands to such archers, and I don’t even consider them as hunters. Masked them too lazy to look for a place prisady not enough time. Such a “hunter” will rise on a hill higher and sit time after time with the canister over the flying wedges. He has some fun, but for the rest, the hunt is spoiled. However, I also had to apply the canister once, but there was simply no other way out.

In the Arkhangelsk region. we arrived without profiles and transit geese did not want to go below 60 m. Fraction number 00 did not take them. Having charged 6 mm, I knocked out a couple of birds from a flock passing by and set them in the manner of “living” stuffed animals.

The remaining geese began to react to them, to decline, and the hunt went. In general, the diameter used in goose hunting fraction, depends entirely on the method of hunting. With good profiles and high-quality stuffed animals, geese are reduced to 20-30 m. In this case, the troika and deuce work well for them. For shooting at medium distances, I would recommend a unit and zero, well, and for long distances, as your imagination tells you. At least shoot a bow or crossbow. They say that the Erlikon anti-aircraft guns have recommended themselves well.

What to shoot in summer, autumn and winter

It is believed that the slaughter distance to the flying game is one from which the hunter can see the legs of a bird in clear weather. From this distance we will proceed when choosing the number of a fraction for shooting a certain game.

Cartridges for shooting birds in the summer-autumn period

For shooting a goose at this time use the same fraction numbers as in the spring. At the end of summer and early autumn, almost any duck in the near, up to 25 m, and an average of 35m, is pure (of course, with an accurate shot) taken by a seven. Later, closer to the cold weather, it is necessary to move to larger numbers, for kryakovyh and diving ducks – to number 4. Pintail, gray duck, sviyaz and shvyonokosku – hit five. In teals shoot (to ice) seven.

Shot number 7 is used to shoot woodcocks from the beginning of the discharge and before departure. Only the smallest numbers are suitable for quail, snipe, snipe, crake and other small species, from No. 9 to No. 11, which in German are called “dunst”, which in translation means “dust.”

Very often on the opening day of hunting for grouse broods, cocks and hens are still very small. I would not recommend to touch them, but if the hunter cannot resist it, then the smallest fraction should be used; its size increases as the grouse grows.

When choosing a fraction number, three components are usually considered: game size; distance to the target; plumage density, depending on the season and age of prey. Based on them, and it is necessary to select a high-quality cartridge. But do not get involved in the firing range. In this case, the fourth component enters – the width of the spread and the game can get into the windows between the pellets.

Cartridges for shooting small and large animals

In order to reliably defeat a hare, the fractional velocity must be at least 200–250 m / s. If it is lower, the pellet will not overcome the resistance of wool and undercoat and will not be able to penetrate deep into the body of the animal. The grains that hit the target will either get stuck under the skin or cause a contusion without serious injuries.

At short distances, 20-30 m, a small animal can confidently take the top five. But any hunter is interested in the possibility of the most distant shot. The main difference between a large fraction and a small fraction is that it maintains a speed not lower than 200 m / s at a distance of up to 60–70 m. This distance should be considered as the limit for a large fraction. But one, even a large grain that hit the target, may not be enough. It is necessary to hit several pellets with a total damaging energy corresponding to the mass of the beast.

It is believed that Central Russian hares can reach 5 kg. But usually, on average, a hare weighs a little more than 3 kg. Therefore, it is desirable that the energy of the pellets that hit the target was not lower than 30 J. Based on the energy value of one pellet, it follows that at a distance of 60 meters this effect can be achieved when 6 pellets No. 3, 4 pellets No. 1 or 3 pellets. The question is, will the drilling of the barrel and the method of equipping the cartridges provide sufficient scree density for such a number of hits?

Consider the narrowing of the trunk pay (0.5 mm), which occurs most frequently.

With good accuracy of the half-shot (60-65%), a shot from a 12-gauge rifle in a circle with a diameter of 75 cm / 60 cm distance is approximately 31 hits of pellets No. 3 and 16 hits of zero. In fig. 17 shows one of the possible pictures of hitting the target; implies achieving a fairly uniform scree and covering the target with the center of the scree. In all three cases, a sufficient amount of pellets falls into the animal.

A shot of any of these fraction numbers will give a sure defeat to the hare (with the maximum exposed area of ​​the lesion), since the total energy of the pellets is sufficient for this (more than 30 J.). The probability that one of them will hit a vital organ is also great. Even if there is a match, it is not easy, and you can immediately get it. It would seem that everything is clear and there is nothing to discuss. But is everything so simple?

At long distances, the shot charge spreads widely and the distance between the pellets is already considerable. Moreover, the distribution of pellets in the scree is often unpredictable. Therefore, if the goal is somewhat reduced in size, then it can simply be framed, without causing any serious harm. What does the goal mean decreased in size? If the beast ran out to the shooter sideways and at the same time stretched out in a jump, then the area of ​​its body, open for firing, is maximum. But he grouped before the next jump and reduced his apparent size by almost 1.5 times.

And if the hare rose from the bed and went to the hijacking, then its zone of destruction decreased by almost half. Accordingly, it will be 2 times harder to hit him. This is how lucky. If you are unlucky when using fraction number 1 and number 00, then you can complain for a long time about a bad gun battle, too much distance and bad ammo equipment. And in fact, luck turned away from the shooter, and the whole powerful shot shell missed the hare through itself. That is why a smaller fraction, for example No. 3, is always preferable to zero. And there is enough slaughter, and it is more difficult to slip through the net of shotgun debris.

The same theory can be safely used while hunting foxes.

For shooting a wolf, a well-proven 6.2 mm canister is used. Years of experience have shown that a wolf can be hit at a distance of up to 50 m. Longer distances usually use rifled weapons of various calibers. The most optimal caliber .308 Win, aka 7.62×51. The Leopard and SKS carbines are also suitable.

Elk, wild boar, deer, bear, roe deer, all wild sheep and goats are fired with any caliber or sneak bullet, except for a round one. Round is generally prohibited due to the high probability of rebound. The most effective German bullet “Brenneke”, and the most accurate bullet “Field”.However, these are just my recommendations. I repeat: you can shoot any bullet.