wild chukar shooting

1078 Views 11 Replies 10 Participants Last post by pathfndr, Dec 29, 2005

dennis7450

Discussion Starter · Dec 11, 2005

Gentlemen and gentle ladies,

I am having a serious slump in my shooting WILD chukar. I got into the sport last season and I'm hooked...and over fifty, but in decent shape. At least good enough to climb cliffs for three hours, chasing the little fellas.

I have a great dog (English Setter) a good 4x4 truck (Toyota), at least one weekend day to chase them...AND I HAVE MISSED ERVY ONE BUT ONE, totalling about 25 birds missed!!!

I shoot a Beretta 20 ga, o/u, 26" barrels, use #6 shot, choked I/M, and an uggie 16 ga, 27", choked I/M. I use #6 shot in the Uggie, too.

I have rarely, ever missed a pen reared chukar, or pheasant. A few pen reared quail, but for the most part I'm pretty good with pen reared birds.

On the skeet range I took both guns and shot 18 out of 25 with both of them. They both have had the stock cut to my dimensions, which are pretty standard, except the 20 ga single trigger has a 14&3/4" pull while the doulbe trigger Uggie has a 15&1/4" pull. Both have a 1/4" cast, as is standard on the Uggie, and was put in on the Beretta.

Now, when shooting wild chukar, most of the shots you're off balance and winded, AND the birds are flying down and around hills. But this morning I had a going away shot that was classic, although the bird did go down and then up, following the terrain, but that's how it should be! And I missed with both barrels.

So, who among you who have hunted WILD CHUKAR, and are not 25 years old, so your lungs don't burst after the first hill, can give me any advice as to books, DVDs, etc. that might help...along with going to the skeet range, of course.

Thanks,

Dennis

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TexasTon

· #2 · Dec 11, 2005

I would suggest a Sporting Clays range, if you have one near, tell the manager your plight and ask if he has something similar to the flight path you refer to. Most likely he will accomodate you, as he knows he has found another sucker once you see the idea. :wink:

All I can tell you is, I don't jump/panic shoot unless they are going out of sight for good (trees/rocks etc). Keep your eye on the target, smooth mount and move to the bird, find your lead and know he is coming down. Smooth is the key, on birds and targets alike, you are somewhat hindered in using the light/short gun you are (I wouldn't carry a heavy gun either) so you need to learn to control its movement.

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UltraMag

· #3 · Dec 11, 2005

I agree with TexasTon fully.
More time on the sporting clays range.
And try not to mount your gun too quickly, i know this is hard to
do when you hear the rush of wings, but try to lock on a single bird visually very well , then mount and shoot.
If you mount at the sound of wings, you'll mount without really knowing exactly where to immediately place the muzzle, and then your playin catchup, riding the bird, stopping your swing, lookin at the birds butt because your tryin to catch up to it with the gun, and on and on i could go about all the bad things that happen if you mount too early.
And staying calm, as TexasTon suggested, is a vital part of being able to watch a bird or covey rise, without wanting to mount your gun instantly, you do have a little bit of time, use it to lock on visually before you move the gun.
Lead with the eyes first,
and then the muzzle will go to the right spot with the proper movement/lead.

I got 1 rooster and 4 quail today, up in the snow at 2400 feet.
I missed another rooster ,it got up at the exact second my foot slipped on the snowy sidehill and a was layin on my side, GO FIGURE!
Just like a rooster.....
I had a lock on it visually, but the gun mount was a bit of a problem layin on my side :wink:

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McKie

· #4 · Dec 11, 2005

How long are the shots? Around here the chukars learn fast and they flush from 40 yards or more after the first few days of the season. If they're holding tight for your dog that's one thing, but if not you might need a longer lead. #6 is a good choice of shot size, but if the shots are out there at 40 or 50 yards you might want a tighter choke. Oh, and if you'd seen the way I shot on my last chukar hunt, I don't think you'd listen to my advice.....

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dennis7450

Discussion Starter · #5 · Dec 11, 2005

McKie said:
How long are the shots? Around here the chukars learn fast and they flush from 40 yards or more after the first few days of the season. If they're holding tight for your dog that's one thing, but if not you might need a longer lead. #6 is a good choice of shot size, but if the shots are out there at 40 or 50 yards you might want a tighter choke. Oh, and if you'd seen the way I shot on my last chukar hunt, I don't think you'd listen to my advice.....

You're right. Range is important. I have missed from 10 yards to fifty yards, although I almost never shoot fifty yards out, if I can help it. I wish i could say it was a range issue, but it seems to be at all ranges.

Dennis

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hardnose

· #6 · Dec 11, 2005

Any shot in those shells?

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dennis7450

Discussion Starter · #7 · Dec 11, 2005

hardnose said:
Any shot in those shells?

No. I'm hoping the wad will do the job.

Dennis

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maltzahn

· #8 · Dec 13, 2005

Never hunted pen raised Chukar or the wild birds. But late season pheasants in Iowa can mean 40 to 50 yard shots, and my favorite load for those peckerwoods is a buffered 1 1/4 oz of copper plated 5's, out of a 12 gage with a improved modified choke. Vengeance will be mine.

Maltzie

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bridgeburner

· #9 · Dec 15, 2005

Maltzie,

They hold fairly well... kinda in between quail and pheasants. Depends on hunting pressure on the wild birds. They fly like quail.... that is, seldom in a straight line.... more of an arc / curve. My thought is that he's shooting behind them and needs to force himself to lead the bird.

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geogh

· #10 · Dec 22, 2005

Don't feel bad, was in Lemhi Idaho for 2 weeks and tried huntin those buggers in craggies at ~8000" and they weren't there. Darn blasted things were cluckin at me from on high an tossin rocks down for fun. Haven't had so much fun since climbing Mt. MoFo when I was a youngin. Skated down the frosty side of da mountin a couple times...looked like a mudpup comin back to the cabn.

:lol:

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ChukarHi Up.

· #11 · Dec 27, 2005

I have been hunting Chukar for about 35 years in the inland northwest,primarily eastern Washington.I can offer a couple of tips that might help a little. First, I would get a different gun. The light weight short barelled guns are nice to carry in rough country, but are difficult to hit with. I have taken many Chukar with my Browning lightning 12,28" choked ic and im. but I think any similar gun would do as well. Second, the Chukar is unlike other birds in several ways, primarily because of the habitat the live in, big steep rocky canyons sometimes a mile or more deep. They are seldom found in easy to hunt places. And as you have probably observed, they ALWAYS run up hill, and almost always fly downhill. After a few wing beats they are moving VERY fast. So, just pick out one bird, keep your head down on the gun,swing under the bird and take a good lead. :wink: It is almost impossible to over lead a Chukar flying down hill at close to 60 MPH. Good luck and good hunting....

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pathfndr

· #12 · Dec 29, 2005

My guess is that you are shooting over them. Try holding lower than you think you should and see what happens.

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