[Guest]

I've hunted for a while but am pretty new to ducks.

The long and short of it is, I still can't figure out how much to lead.

I'm hoping someone has seen a chart showing the average required lead at several distances or knows where I can find one?

 

[Guest]

FIRST, YOU CAN'T USE LEAD WHILE HUNTING DUCKS. IT'S STEEL ONLY.

OK, OK..............................JUST PUT IT ON THE END OF THEIR NOSE AND KEEP YOUR GUN MOVING. OF COURSE, FOR THOSE SWIMMING SHOTS DON'T MOVE YOUR GUN AS MUCH.

 

[Derek Parsons]

If you are having problems fiquring out how far to lead a duck, try the shooting method " Wing To Bill ". Take your lead off the closest wing towards the bill and keep swinging with it and fire. Now you have to have an angle on the duck or it won't work. Of course if the duck is coming straight at you or flying straight away there is no lead required. Try that , it takes a little practice but if you can get that down to a science you will like it because you don't body shoot your birds they are mostly head shot and that is easier on the teeth when it comes to consumption.

 

[Partsmanrep]

I have killed a lot of ducks in my lifetime. I usually aim at the beak of a duck moving from right to left or left to right and have always had good luck. The only time I will change from that is when I am shooting Teal or Wood Ducks. They fly so fast you have to lead them more. I usually leag then about the length of their body.

 

[DUKHTR]

Using a sustained lead is very difficult to master, yet alone use as a novice. I would suggest you use a swing through method. It has worked for me and I am a long time fowler. Start your swing behind the bird, pass through the bird and pull the trigger while maintaining the swing as a follow-through. The gun never stops and you are moving it with the speed of the bird. Of course at shorter ranges touch off the shot sooner and late ron the longer shots. If you miss, just increase the space from bird to muzzle because if you miss, you are likely behind.

 

[Steelheader]

Depends on the type of hunting you are doing timber the ducks are up close and personal= No lead. Cover them with the barrel.
Open water 25 yards and in on the bill
30 yards a foot lead just out in front of them
40 yards a couple feet
50 yards 5 feet
Depends on the type of shot you are using also. I shoot Kent fast steel, and Hevy Shot HV. These rounds are hot and putting it out there at over 1500 fps.

 

[Fowlercon]

Stop over thinking and take em'. I shoot clay no less than 6 times in the off season. After that practice on doves. After that woodies and teal. After that you will understand instinctive shooting and no longer entertain notions of leading-- you will just shoot and they will just fall. This is a lesson that a 50+ year duck hunter, my father-in-law, taught me for which I am forever in his debt. If you want to jumble your mind with questions concerning shooting, make sure it is about shot size, chokes or types of guns--all of which you can learn about here. Good luck and try to shoot em with their feet sticking out.

 

[berettaman]

Here Here HVACFOWLER! I can sit at home and rethink all the birds shot at the end of a good day and I can't think of a single one that had a preconceived lead. The best advice I can give to you DAVE is for close birds, to swing on through them and once the beak is reached, squeeze it off. On longer pass shoots out to 35-40 yds, a sustained lead is a must and STEELHEADER is right on although I shy away from the 50yd shots just due to the increased probability for a crippled and worst yet lost duck. Practice up and I am sure you will master it in less than a season. Good luck.

 

[ejnhvn]

Great question. Answer varies depending on seven varibles. Bird speed, shot speed, air resistence to shot, distance to bird, wind velocity, shot size, and shot weight. I have put these varibles into a MSExcell spreadsheet and calculated the lead for speeds up to 60 miles per hour and distances up to 60 yards for 19 diffeerent different shot weights and velocities. Contact me at [email protected] for a set of tables in spiral bound book. Emmitt Nelson

 

[Quackerstacker]

What is the air speed velocity of a drake mallard?

Just kidding. If you want to consistantly kill ducks (I'm talking mallards) just wait until they are hovering directly over the decoys and cover them with the bead. If you have your decoys placed close enough to the blind (with in 30 yards) they will die and you won't have any cripples.

 

[duckmanwalking]

1, Get the birds close! 2, Focus on only one bird at a time! 3, Imagine that the duck is smoking a cigar and shoot the cigar out of his bill. (Tip: Keep your chokes handy and change with the birds. If they are in close use your open or modified etc… (Also don't shoot at the lead duck, pick one (remember one) in the middle of the flock, you'll be surprised at how many birds you hit that are not the one you're aiming for.) Missing is half the fun, no one shoots them all.

 

[OzaukeeDoug]

I was hoping some other people would confess to not thinking about leading 'em. I have never thought about a shot in my life, I just shoot them.

 

[98ramtough]

Don't you love it when a flock of teal buzz ya right at the waters edge and you squeeze a few off and you can see your shot and just how behind you were. I love those speed balls!

 

[jmike]

all im gona say is swing through on all your shots , dont let the gun stop moving ....................jmike

 

[duckplucker]

I was hoping some other people would confess to not thinking about leading 'em. I have never thought about a shot in my life, I just shoot them.

I dont think about it when im shooting. It's just instinct. Whenever you try to think about it, you can overthink.
Many do think about where they are placing their shot at. when you do this, You always have to take into consideration wind, which will carry your shot a little, velocity of your shot, size and weight of shot, and speed of the animal. After awhile you will just come naturally i think and you will shoulder your gun to the right spot, shoot, and always follow through is the key. you often shoot behind when you stop swinging. :thumbsup:

 

[quackkiller]

When I first started duck hunting I would put it right on the end of the bill and when I would shoot I think I would stop leading. Once I learned to follow through the shot my kill numbers went up. Now After 10 years of duck hunting, it's like instinct to me. I don't worry about how far to lead, when I pull my gun up it is like I automaticlly know where to put the bead.

 

[teamberetta1]

I believe that when a person shoots, there should be no thinking involved, it should just be instinctive. I have been shooting competitively now for about 4 years and have won numerous titles and awards. Before begining competitively, i couldnt hit a dam thing, but after shooting skeet, trap, and sporting clays, i hardly ever miss. In order to become a better shooter, you must put in some practice time on the range, i garauntee it pays off. When you start talking about air resistence and bull**** like that, you are jsut plain over thinking it. Go out to the local skeet range and bust some clays. Oh and if you buy a Beretta it will also help greatly,lol.

 

[98ramtough]

teamberetta-

please remember there are young readers on this board and to use language accordingly.

thanks,

Mike

 

[twoscoots]

go to the store and buy some skeet . Get off to the side of the thrower about 15 yards . Put the most open choke that you have in the gun and start trying to break the skeet as fast as you can . Start with the gun down in your hands just like you were looking for ducks. when you hear the thrower ,see the skeet with the gun barrel closing quickly from behind, just as the bead passes the skeet....pull the trigger! When you get the hang of this ...you will not be thinking about the lead, only swing, sight, target , Bang. this really made the "lights go on" when I started doing this, dove limits were easier, ducks are hit harder, and now I dont even remember where the bead was when I hear the 'bang'! its almost instinctive shooting

 

[duckbuster]

i have used two types of shooting when it comes to ducks and geese. first is what i tend to use the most, which i call point and shoot. i normally pull up and point bout 3-6 inches in front of them and pull the trigger. works well once u get ur gun figured out on ur margin u have to put between the bird and the bead. The other one i just swing through the duck and once i have started swinging and am bout at the breast i pull the trigger and keep swinging through, i use this method when hunting ducks on the water that come barreling through the decoys on an attempt to land down further.