[Slick13]

How often to you guys encounter targets that don't break when when they've very clearly been hit? It seems rather rare at the club I normally shoot at, but I was shooting at a different club today, and I saw at least six or seven birds (including one of my own) out of the 500 our squad shot at, that were clearly hit but didn't break. Afterwards one of the guys commented to me on that bird I smoked "I don't think you could have hit that bird any harder." He was just as suprised as I was that it didn't break.

As far as I can tell, this is the first bird I've has this happen with while shooting trap, and was suprised to see the frequency with which it happened today. It wasn't all that cold, so I'm wonder what was causing the problem.

Michael

 

[Clay Buster]

Maybe different brand of clays? I didint think that would have to do with it but maybe so. Were you shooting the same shells as always?

 

[TrapDt10]

This will happen when you are shooting Biodegradable targets. I went to the main state shoot for ATA and this happened, ALOT. It didnt happen to me because my gun is choked extremely tight, but alot of my friend had trouble with this. I dont know if they were bio but they could be and this is what may be causing the problem.

 

[vetteman]

A few years back,we had a bunch of targets get wet in the storage house we had at the time.Once they had dried out they were as hard as rock.You were able to hit them hard but only push some of them around.No dust,but an obvious change in trajectory.
Dave

 

[ShootingStar]

It's usually refered to as dust, as in "you dusted that one". "Smoked" has always meant that you obliterated the target.

I attended my first World Skeet Championships in 1990 in Savannah. Watching the shootoff's under some incredible lights, one thing I immediately noticed was how many dusted targets there were. More importantly, I was amazed at how many of those actually had visible pieces and therefore were scored as "dead" targets.

I have little doubt that in the light of day many "visible pieces" are missed, and many of those would have been called "lost". Those lights made even the smallest piece stand out like fireworks against the all black background.

I couldn't help but think about the lost targets I'd had over the past year, and wonder what shooting all my targets under those lights would have done for my scores and averages.

 

[cowpoke]

last week where I shoot we were shooting at the handicap house and during one station all four of us (two 4 man teams) each only broke 1 bird out of five and the score keeper said you guys knocked a lot of dust off every one of them birds that didn't break.

 

[TexasTon]

i've shot alot, [alot] of bios, a few i've dusted but it wasn't the target/gun/or shell---i didn't read it correctly and went over it, but i am rarely underchoked.

 

[Slick13]

This will happen when you are shooting Biodegradable targets. I went to the main state shoot for ATA and this happened, ALOT. It didnt happen to me because my gun is choked extremely tight, but alot of my friend had trouble with this. I dont know if they were bio but they could be and this is what may be causing the problem.

I'm not sure what brand or type they were, but when I shot my second 100, I don't think anyone in our squad had a problem with birds not breaking. So, maybe it's like one of the other posters mentioned, maybe some of the targets got wet and hardened up.

First time I've seen I ever seen that happen with more than one bird during a round, and it was quite suprising.

Michael

 

[driller]

Other than the color of the "smoke", I really cant tell much difference in the way Bios and regular pitch targets break.

A "dusted" target simply means you got a little sloppy and didnt center the target in your pattern. Or you are shooting a choke that isnt up to the job.

 

[TrapDt10]

I dont know, The targets we were shooting at in main this happened alot and the friends I shoot with arent sloppy shooters. These kids are always getting 100's and really close to 200's, maybe just a freak thing.

 

[Slick13]

I dont know, The targets we were shooting at in main this happened alot and the friends I shoot with arent sloppy shooters. These kids are always getting 100's and really close to 200's, maybe just a freak thing.

The guys I was shooting with didn't seem to be sloppy shooters either (not many chipped birds), and they wound up with scores near 100. While I'm not at their level yet (I shot a 92. Darnit! Should have had at least a 94, the birds were flying very nice), I wasn't chipping birds either, was shooting a full choke, and was right on on that bird I got dust off of. I said to myself "You gotta be kidding me" after I shot at that bird, because I knew I was right on. But after seeing a half dozen birds "dust" before mine, I knew I was gonna get one too.

Michael

 

[ShootingStar]

Not buying it. {F* If you're shooting targets at "normal distances" and dusting targets, you may think you were, but you were NOT centering your shots. You were dusting them with an occasional flyer, or from the fringes of the pattern.

Even the best shooters have bad days from time to time, and the rest have more of 'em. Sometimes the good guys can still run the 100, but it ain't always pretty.

 

[TrapDt10]

Yes this may be true but from what I have been told those few bb's would have broken the non bio birds. I dont know, my misses were misses that weekend, alot of people were having trouble with the dusting though.

 

[Slick13]

Not buying it. {F* If you're shooting targets at "normal distances" and dusting targets, you may think you were, but you were NOT centering your shots. You were dusting them with an occasional flyer, or from the fringes of the pattern.

Even the best shooters have bad days from time to time, and the rest have more of 'em. Sometimes the good guys can still run the 100, but it ain't always pretty.

Well, it was only happening at one trap from what I can tell, and I was told that until recently, that trap had been under a foot of snow. If it had had birds left in it during that time, wouldn't suprise me if some of them get wet when the snow melted.

Or maybe you're right, our squad was just off a little for those birds, and we were on or way off for all the rest of the birds we shot at other fields.

Michael

 

[maltzahn]

Dusted targets!!! This issue has been the main basis of debat for years at the Iowa state shoot. White Flyer vs Remington. Old Winchester traps vs Pat traps. An internal political agenda implied because we have distributors of each brand of targets in IA. One year we purchaded Midwest and the shooter liked those better by a wide margin. Debate becomes heated, but some facts remain. A Pat trap puts more spin on the target and spin alows for more pellet damage during contact. Target materials content will reflect on target breakage. Bio's may infact break as well as pitch based targets, but are preceived as not to, because of no black cloud of debris at contact. At any shoot, you will be able to go out past the trap house and pickup targets with pellet holes. ive personally looked at targets scored lost with six pellet holes. Whats-up-wi-dat? Target too hard or not enough spin? The debate rages on....wthout resolve. Shoot 7 1/2's all the time, shoot a tighter choke, center your targets better. Whatever gives you confidence, makes it all better.

Maltzie

 

[DGH]

If you have a chance nd you walk out when no shooting is going on, You will be amazed how many targets will be laying on the ground un broken,,, but if you pick them you will see they are full of holes..

I remember this from my youth when I used to set targets at a gun club,,

keep shooting,

Doug