Increasing Pattern Density - What would you do?

[Billy Bob]

Finished birds all the time. First shot imp mod Bottom barrel 1oz #4 bismuth 3rd or 4th bird back. Top barrel #6 1oz imp cylinder. Maxus same thought imp cylinder start a back with #4 closer birds#6

Are your birds turned to burger? Im really not getting how you think birds are going to be turned to burger. I can say it doesn't happen unless it's a bad shot.

Do you not know the width of of a pattern fired from a full choke at 20 yards? It's about 12 inches. Not too hard to keep it off the bird as they stall in the air when you pull up and then hang there for another second as they try to go back to horizontal flight. Could body shoot them with a .22lr when theyre hanging in front .
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[Buster_AZ]

I’ve hand plucked more than my fair share of ducks. To preserve the meat, the majority of the pattern needs to be ahead of the bird. This level of accuracy can be obtained by frequently practicing at the sporting clays range in the off season. Here’s a simple illustration (not to scale):

When done correctly your birds will look like the photo below. I read of this technique on this forum several years ago and, when done correctly, drastically reduces the pellets to the body.

 

[Billy hill]

Funny- two billies in disagreement. I already said I must not know, and am more than willing to learn... if you ever head to westport area I would treat you to a few rounds of trap. I take advise. We can shoot all you can afford in shot. I will take care of the clays....

 

[Jim Atlas]

Wait, if I but the pattern only on the head, the mallard will end up like the lemon or the lime?

 

[Native NV Ducker]

Only if the head is GONE can it be considered a "head shot". Even if the only pellets that strike a bird do so in the head, that's not a head shot. It's luck.

Where can I look up this definition of 'head shot', or is it just your opinion?

If there are no pellets in the body, but there are holes in the head, how is that NOT a head shot? See the pictures above to help you answer that question.

 

[Buster_AZ]

Wait, if I but the pattern only on the head, the mallard will end up like the lemon or the lime?

If ya put the majority of the pattern “ahead” of the bird, the skin will be as clean as either! Citrus and duck are complimentary flavors.

 

[Billy hill]

A little funny viewpoint... to prob only me. If buster AZ’s duck in the pic was drawn on a pattern board with those holes would you correct that with cast-off or cast-on. Assumption is a right handed person

 

[JRS]

I could post pictures of blind, dead ducks ad nauseum- but this is a really stupid argument anyway.

 

[Billy hill]

So I take it that you won't be participating anyway. I think it's interesting to see the devolvement in what's a good dense pattern and what still is agood pattern at a given distance altho a little thin

 

[Billy Bob]

In busters first pic the pattern could be2 inches or more to the right and still not put pellets in the meat.

This is not something that is going to be simulated with clays......clays do not hang like a balloon over the decoys. I used to think head shooting was impossible too. I used to think small shot sucked and I needed larger, high velocity shot too. Got educated by guys like Native NV Ducker and became a convert. Wish I had converted years before.

He posted pics of geese he killed with steel 6's and I had to try.