12 gauge CROW load?

T

trickrick

New member
Hey everyone, tried out my ECHO on some coyotes this past weekend.....no coyotes but before I left I gave the crow call a try. I did the adult distress call and after about a minute I had a sky full of crows!
Problem was we only had rifles:-(

What 12 gauge size shot would you reccomend for crows? I havn't shot a shotgun in a long time and am guessing a 7 1/2?
Thanks for your advice
 
A few of the hard core crow hunters I encounter argue between #6 and 7 1/2" as to which one is better. As for what choke,take the gun to the range and pattern it on paper and see how many you can get into a 30" circle at a distance of about 30 yards.
 
HideHunter is right,I kill a ton of called and decoyed crows,I use #8 skeet loads that I load myself,I load them a tad on the light side for good dense patterns.They are not that tough when hit in the air.For chokes if they are decoying close and shooting is a frenzy,I use a skeet choke,windy days I may go to a full choke. I have killed them at 60 yards many times.Remmy Gun Clubs are great for crows just check your patterns you will be surprised.And by the way I use a Franchi 620 auto in 20 gauge as my main crow shooter.So get your kids in on the action.
For more crow info hit CrowBusters!!

http://crowbusters.activeboard.com/forum.spark?aBID=136119&subForumID=507392&p=2

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I suggest using high brass #6 with modified choke - they have leaf-cutter capabilities when necessary.

p.s. - owl/crow fight, crow in distress calls, place a $10 plastic replica of a Great Horned Owl (Wallyworld Garden Dept) out in the open next to a single crow decoy (downed) and those crows will get a lot closer..

I've had murders of crows so worked up that the sound of their wings reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock's movie "The Birds".

Good Luck & Enjoy watchin dem black turds fall from the sky..
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I've shot quite a few decoying crows with 20 gauge Estate #6's from a Beretta with an I.C. choke.If I take a 12 ga because it's windy I use #7 1/2 trap loads.
 
I must be off track. I shoot #8 target(low base) at them allll the time and the kill rate is 1 for 1 1/2 shots using the low base # 8s. Rather keep it cheap. AND, have had many 50 yarders using my REM 870 with modified choke.

I don't know what your populations are, but, here, in the winter? ours run about 1,000,000 birds in, mostly, one monsterous swirling mass when not dispersed and feeding. Most of my shooting comes from the morning rush to feed and the afternoon return flights.. These are all migrant birds.
 
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