*Best shot size for crowS*

Well it depends on your situation. If Im pass shooting on crows just overhead a few yards I will use 7 1/2 size. If some of the shots will be overhead but a few may be out 20 yards in front of you, well thats where 4 or 6 shines. I ussually take a box of each along with several chokes. I handloaded some the other day with 4 shot. I think I should be able to reach out about 30 yards out with these, they are darn near magnum shells.
 
varminthunter06...

While there individual preferences, the concenses on them is from #9 to #7-1/2. They are hard to hit because of their aerobatics, but not hard to kill... they weigh only about a pound under all that black fluff. You need pattern density.

Many guys shoot skeet loads, 27yd trap shells, or 1&1/4 "Live Pigeon" loads, or handload the equivelent.

A 12ga with a modified choke and decent trap loads will kill them easily as far as you can hit them, but you have to get them to come in to your call... HA! That's the hard part.

6's and 4's will give you large holes and thin patterns, and with a good hold, you may have many just laugh at you as they fly off.

Go to:

http://www.crowblasters.com

... and do a search of their forum... you will get more info on shooting crows than you ever thought existed.

You don't have to be a member... just go to the middle of the first page and click on "Bulletin board"... and you can browse and search for free.

There are people on that site that have shot over 100,000 crows, and consider a morning of 200 crows just a walk in the park... they know what they're talking about!

CatShooter.
 
It is actually www.crowbusters.com and it seems you have to pay to be a member before you can search their site...
But thanks anyway.

I use #6 shot this is a "small bird" load and I consider a crow a small bird... hitting them is the hard part.

Now I know how a lion feels trying to pick out a single Zebra in a herd... lol you really have to pick one crow and aim at him (with proper lead).

Good luck,

Jeff
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i shot remington high-velocity low brass 6 shot for crows. i get the best results from this ammo. i've shot more crows this year when i started shooting this ammo. i have killed crows out to 40-50 yards while using my remington 870 magnum with super full turkey choke and truglow turkey sights.
 
thaks guys i went out yesterday and called in some and shot a couple times but i didnt get anything. Ducks and geese are my best game. My dad even wants to try crows now that he sees how easy they are to call in. Yesterday when i was out and i mixed it up a little bit and added some rabbit distress to the crow and almost immediately a bald eagle swooped down right over my head. That was worth the hunt in itself. Today i went to gander mountain and bought some number 4 turkey loads so that should take em down. Thanx guys
 
Personally,I think #4 turkey shells are a little too much. I normally use my leftover #7 and a half shot from dove season...though #6 shot will smoke 'em out the sky too! If you're used to shooting ducks you're proberly giving the crows too much lead. Crows normally circle around and swoop in slower than a duck.Maybe that will help. And when ya get them breast all defeathered....soak 'em in worstershire all night...rinse 'em off..roll 'em aroung in 50% flour and 50% mildly hot breader and drop 'em in the deep fryer......mmmm mmmm mmmm !good luck!
 
G'day! Just wondering if you have patterned your shotgun. I have a fabarm max luxus and with different chokes and shell loads i have found i get enough holes to drive a bus through. My field load for crows is 3/4 choke top barrel with32gram 71/2s and in the bottom barrel i run a 1/4 choke with 36 gram loads and its a very lucky crow that gets through without loosing atleast half of his feathers.One of my mates swears by 91/2 28gram loads in full and xtra full and I'll tell you now if you stand side on all you see is a great black cloud coming out.good luck with them crows but i dont know if i could eat them.
 
varminthunter06,
I reload my own ammo and use a 1 1/4 oz. of #5s. I prefer to use larger shot sizes for everything...it's a personal choice. I like to hit 'em and hit 'em hard. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Choke selection is very important. On cloudy days you can start out with a modified choke but as the day goes you'll have to switch to an extra full or turkey choke to gain the range that you'll need for the high flyers. On clear sky days I'll start out the my turkey choke tube already in the barrel. Crows tend to fly higher on clear sky days.

Good hunting, Bowhunter57
 
have any of you ever tried using a .22 to shoot crows? I was wondering... do u thing u could hit a crow in mid air with a rifle because they are so much faster or would it be pretty damn hard? Thanks
 
If your a really really good shot, you might get them that way. I would not shoot a rifle round in to the air!!! Do you remember the 10 commandments of hunter safety? I have taken crows with #6 and #4 shot. That is what I would recommend. If you have dove or quail loads they work too. Be safe. Don’t shoot a rifle in the air!

Darrin
 
I agree with Catshooter totally. I started reloading last winter. After doing extensive patterning with different loads (shot and powder) it is easy to see why the smaller shot will bring down more crows. I prefer # 8 shot and the reason is that from my gun this size shot leaves no holes in a 30 inch circle at 30 yards using modified choke. When using larger shot, more "holes" start appearing inside the circle which can lead to more misses. I do load shells a little on the heavy side, but this is only because it helps hold the pattern better. Remember guys, when it comes to crow hunting the shot is only half the battle, the other half is being skilled enough to call them within range. Using #8 shot, a crow can easily be brought down out to 40 yards using a modified choke, but as stated earlier, you have to have the proper lead for it to happen.

Just my opinion,

GB
 
what would u guys recomend for a choke tube for my beretta al-390 silver mallard? I like to take long shots and i us #6 turkey loads if i can find them cheap enough.
 
Varminthuntr. I'd go to your local gunclub and pattern the gun first as both of my shotguns pattern different with the same size load and they have identical length barrels. My Fabarm Max Luxus patterns better with No7 with half choke and to get the same results out of my Berreta i have to use 3/4 choke. I've been told that the Fabarm has better forcing cones than the Berreta.
 
I have had good luck with Remington Nitro Sporting Clay #7.5 shot. They seem to reach out and get the crows pretty far out there. A lot of people like larger shot but I would go for a denser pattern with the 7.5's. Good Luck.
 
The guys that kill the most crows (think kill counts of up to 100,000 life time kills) recommend small shot. 7.5 or smaller. Larger pellects don't have the pattern density for the small vital zone on a crow. Stick with improved cylinder or modified chokes unless are a very good wing shooter. Yes, you may get lucky and knock one down way out there with an extrafull choke and turkey loads but thats just what it is - luck. What a tight choke does is make you miss alot of the birds you call in close. Most of your shots on called birds should be within 30 yards anyway.
 
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