10 Ga. Pass Shooting Geese

[Bassthoven]

Looking for experience on pass shooting geese, not opinions. I pass shoot geese with a 10 gauge browning gold hunter. Was using federal bbb steel, but recently started using some bismuth bb I rounded up. This is my first year waterfowl hunting, and we have a 12,000 acre public hunting ground 5 miles from me. Waterfowl hunting is permitted, but only from ground blinds set up surrounding the resting area. Not even close to the water. I am a rookie, but from what I have experienced, it is the very definition of skybusting. It is a very popular waterfowl area, opening weekends are drawn, opening day they stopped at 50 teams of 2 and 3 people...... I got drawn number 50 because I was hunting alone. Lol. I have been out there probable 20 or 25 times, dropped 1 bird. Most of it is tactical bird watching. So far from the water, only a smallllllll percentage of birds fly your direction. But, I have learned a lot. I have my duck boat pretty much completed, should get a lot of use next year. Problem is, there are wayyyyyyy too many conflicting opinions on ammo, 10 or 12 gauge, shot size, loads, etc, ethical shooting distance, blah blah blah. Fact is, I have witnessed first hand Hundreds of hunters, taking multiple shots, and so far, over 2 months into the season, the pigeon river fwa has had 82 geese taken thus far this season. I have personally heard thousands of shots while I have been out. Now I dont even want to get into the ethics debate, I have concluded that the state dnr has set up hunting guidelines that promote horrible hunting practices that don't only encourage, but disallow a fair chase. I can only imagine how many cripples there have been. It hurts to think I am taking part in this. So, I a fellow bird hunter, ask for your secrets. Please forgive my ignorance......Will a rangefinder work on birds flying way up in the sky? How much lead do you really give a goose at 50 yards? What ammo do you have experience with in a 10 that works.....and why? What does not? Im pretty sure my problem is probably innaccurately judging distance and lead. This seems to be the most widely varied set of answers and opinions on multiple forums that usually results in arguments and pisding matches. And I understand why, 1,000s of shots, hundreds of hunters and 82 geese. I'm not the only one who can't hit them. But there are people who can, seen enough videos online to prove it.

 

[globemaster3]

I'm not quite sure I understand what you are trying to ask. You want me to recommend lead on a 50 yard goose shot, somewhere it sounds like the hunting setup is poor, and you really don't like going there....

Then why go there? Why learn to skybust geese at 50 yards? You have a boat for water hunting. Work through the off-season in your boat to find some good water to hunt. Also, take time now to find where the flocks are feeding in the field and ask permission to hunt the fields. A nice layout blind and a couple dozen dekes and now you are taking birds proper.

I have shot countless numbers of ducks and geese. Mallard, widgeon, pintails, canvasback, bluewing/greenwing teal, shovelers, goldeneye, bufflehead, scaup, gadwall, Snows, specks, lesser, greater Canadas, shot them all. I've taken then gear down over the dekes; on low, looking passes over the dekes; and have been known to reach out on a single. I've also hunted FL, WA, OK, IL, and MO. The proper lead is "it depends". There are a lot of factors involved in lead computation... straight away, straight at you, what's the angle of crossing left-right or right-left (is it perpendicular or angling), are they descending or climbing, are they cruising, gliding, getting out of dodge, etc. There is not a single answer that will fit every scenario. The worst case (max lead) is a perpendicular crossing at getting out of dodge speed with a tailwind. The easiest is either a coming strait at you or flying straight away.

I started duck hunting in 1986 in Florida. Every weekend was a duck hunt, along with any holiday from school during the season. When the USAF got their hands on me, they took me to Washington State where I added geese to the menu. I also added trap and skeet. I will tell you the single best thing I did to increase my hit/miss ratio was shooting several rounds of trap/skeet a week throughout the year, and getting into the competitive aspects of the sport. I also did 98% of my post-steel mandated hunting with 12 ga 2-3/4" steel, either #2 or BB, depending on ducks or geese. The other 2% was when I tried 3" mags. I didn't see the benefit, so I went back. All of that was shot with my duck gun.

 

[Blindstitch]

Lead is one of the worst things to try to explain. It's more like a feel and percentage hit thing. I don't even think I could tell you the amount of lead I use that works. You could rely on math but that gets hard. A bird traveling at 40mph is traveling at 58 feet per second. The ammo can be a different story because the speed on the box is at the muzzle and depletes the farther it gets away. Then factor luck and it confuses everything.

All I can suggest is to shoot more and shoot some clays.

I use to take geese with copper plated #6 lead shot made by federal quite some time ago and 50 yards was doable but when you throw steel shot in the mix you have to increase the # to get the same distance. I use #4 Winchester 2 3/4 with 1550 at the muzzle for late season pheasants. It can reach out and touch them even at 50 yards so I would probably got to even bigger shot for geese. Pretty sure this load is meant for ducks but it works for me.

I haven't hunted geese in a while but when I did I made a network of farmers that didn't like the geese. They would call me when geese were on the field and I could move from one field to the next as others called.

 

[Bassthoven]

First off, I do enjoy going out there. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of geese flying in and out of there. And i have learned the right spots in the right time of day are almost a guarantee to have passing geese. But with everything freezing up, options from the water are basically all gone. I am in northeast indiana. Really trying to figure out lead and distance. That's where i need the most help. Shooting clays is fun, always keep a box in my truck in case anyone wants to go, spur of the moment. And, clays are easy compared to passing geese. If I could get a clay 50 yards up in the air moving 45mph, I could probably develop the right tactics fairly quickly. I have read anywhere from 1 to 2 feet of lead, up to 15 feet of lead or more. Question I have is, how much lead do you find on a goose at 50 yards? And is there a good way to determine how far away a goose is?

 

[globemaster3]

The geese are going to go from water to field a couple times a day. Follow them to the field, find the owner, and ask permission to hunt. That'd be your best bet.

Carrying a box of clays and a hand thrower is completely different than going to a real skeet range. You could practice stations 3-5 and stand at a distance behind the station and get great practice at the shot you are trying to replicate.

The best way to judge 50 yards is put a goose at 50 yards and look at it. Find geese somewhere and get a mental image of how they look.

As for lead, again, what kind to speed and are there any angle involved? You are asking a question fraught with variables and each has an impact. I cannot tell you "it's 15 feet"... Nobody probably can. You have to practice the shots to learn what your lead needs to be.

 

[bird_dog]

6 feet, 2.5 inches I've found to be a standard lead at fifty yards, allowing for the fact that you must swing at the exact speed the bird is flying and follow through.

Hope this helps.

But seriously, for longer pokes at geese a couple of body lengths is usually a good rule of thumb. That said, the variable (as stated by others) are endless.

 

[AllenJ]

Will a rangefinder work on birds flying way up in the sky?

Don't know as I've never tried it. I would try hunting with an experienced hunter, he can help most with judging distance on waterfowl.

How much lead do you really give a goose at 50 yards?

50 yards is a poke with steel shot, even with a 10 gauge. Start your bead at the birds butt, pull through to his head, do that again until you're about a bird length in front of him and shoot. If you miss chances are you shot behind him so give a bigger lead next time.

What ammo do you have experience with in a 10 that works.....and why?

I don't have a 10 gauge but I can say this without reservation: If you want to make everyone around you think you're shooting something illegal, shoot Hevi Shot. I know it is expensive but once you learn how much to lead birds, it'll crush them at 50 and beyond. When hunting over decoys it is not needed but for pass shooting it is just plain cheating....or at least that is what my friends tell me in the field

Im pretty sure my problem is probably inaccurately judging distance and lead.

This is the trick to shooting any flying target and the only cure is practice.

 

[Husqvarna]

How much lead do you really give a goose at 50 yards?

none you are supposed to see the whites of their eyes

I was under the impression that 10 gauge doesn't do anything but slow down your shot, and give you recoil

I hunt with decoys that works

be upwind because the geese use the wind to land and are at their most vunerable when going in for landing

edit i read to quickly, I read lead as in lead shot not lead the target, points still stands thou, I am not George Digweed so 50 yards is way too far for me to shoot

 

[Longshot4]

Ok The globemaster3 seams to have a lot of practice and I sure am not going to argue with him. I hunt with a family that has been duck and goose hunting for 3-4 generations on one of our Michigan islands. They are the most skillful hunters I have ever met. I have noticed that a 10 gage is sure not needed. Dump the 10 and get a 12 gage extrema2 it will not let you down. I'm sure other shot guns will do but none better. Make sure it fits you. Have it fitted. Geese can be tough but #2s out to 40+ Yds will work to fill out the pattern. We use 3" but some like 2 3/4" For 50+ yards BB or BBB can break them down hard. I like my loads to be moving 1450-1500 fps. but what we don't like is using loads that are all over the place in vel. Pick a load or two and stick with it. That can be your problem. Shoot skeet and find a load you like and stick with it. Get some nice decoys and learn to call them in. You have to practice calling also. Don't sky burst let them come in to 35 Yrds. Practice and use some skills and you will become skillful. If you want to hunt like a pro you are going to have to become one.

 

[Magnum Mike]

Remember to keep the gun MOVING! LOTS of people miss by stopping instead of following through after the trigger is pulled! I always use the same speed on my swings too no matter the distance. Tail,head , squeeze (not yank)!
I helped my daughter get the hang of it by sitting in the back yard dry firing on birds, following power-lines.
Did you pattern your gun?
For a lot of people 50 yards is a poke, and also is closer then they think.

 

[Snyper]

Are these Canada Geese or Snow Geese?
Either way, you will improve your odds if you set out some decoys, even if you just use some white trash bags

I second the advice to follow them to where they are feeding, and try to hunt there rather than some random field.

Around here, Winter Wheat fields are popular

I've seen literally thousands of Geese in fields around Lake Mattamuskeet

 

[Bassthoven]

Just got back from vacation in wichita. First off, northeast indiana does not share the major flyway that I thought it did. We see flocks ranging from 6 to 60. Sometimes I'll see these frocks come in 7 or 8 in a row. That being the peak of the hunting. I saw flocks of thousands in wichita last weekend. On the ground and in the air. No hunting for me though. Wifes family is all vegetarians. Next year, im renting a cabin. As far as patterning my gun, I have. I get the most out of my browning 10 gauge semi with larger shot, forget which choke worked best. Lol. My 935 was second best. My sx3......never shot large sized shot through it, duck loads patterned the best. It eats number 4s remingtons at 1700fps. The other guns cant touch it for decoying ducks, lightweight, quick swing, and patterned number 4 awesome. Point at the head and shoot The browning 10 has little recoil, except with bb bismuth 1 7/8 oz loads. Dont leave your jaw slack, it'll clack your teeth. And we shoot canadians, no snows here. I will focus on more lead and concentrate on follow through next time I am out. Season ends today for me.

 

[mulespurs]

what I think

You just keep that 10 ga and practice. I used to shoot Federal F or T shot and felt good on 10 pound canadas at 80 yards with a Browning BPS with 3 1/2" shells. I think that the 10 ga bashers never mastered one.