Is it time to allow 5-shot guns?

[Aging Baby Boomer]

Have you ever hunted public water (especially this year!) and had only one or two groups of birds in gun range all morning? Would a fourth or fifth shot have given you another duck or two in the bag?

If the bag limit is never going to exceed six ducks (market hunting is over and gone)....and if two "blind partners" can currently unleash a legal six-shot volley at a flock of incoming birds....is it time to consider allowing migratory bird hunters to get rid of the plug? Is there a bona fide conservation benefit to the three-shot limit on repeaters?

I am barely skilled enough to put three shots to good use. But I have to believe there are some of you out there who could, on occasion, benefit from a fourth, or even fifth, shot.

Is it time?

[FlockKnocker]

If nothin' else it would make the skyblasters run out of shells quicker

[WhitewaterDuck]

I don't think it will actually help when it comes to cleaning up a miss, but when you are reloading and another group rockets by, it would be nice to be able to give them a go. I've never understood the restrictions on number of shots, baiting etc if everybody obeyed the limit. I guess the problem is that there are far too few officers to make sure everybody is obeying the limit, therefore they must limit us in other ways. I dunno?

[Palmetto Bug]

I'd rather they back it off to two so folks would have to try harder to make their first shots count. I'd also be in favor of limiting the number of shells possessed by one hunter to a one box or less.

[buckshot1224]

by the time I get to my 3rd shot I'm either to aggravated that I missed with the first 2 to hit anything on the third or the birds are pushing out to where they are pushing the range I prefer to shoot.

[duckcrazed]

No...The only folks that would truely benefit would be sky busters...

[sprigdog]

that would be a delta skybusters dream...

i can picture it now, "looky here boys, we got us a duck coming..kill it...boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom...reckon we'll ever find that merganser over that dike?"

my dream would be here is SC that shotgun shells cost $100 a box. 4 bucks everytime you pull the trigger...i'd bet more ducks would get killed.

i'd be out $28 the past 2 days...worth it.

[DUCK MASTER]

I could have used a an extra shell this mornin. We had 4 come in and my Dad killed one and I cut 2 out and my last shell I hit the other. The last bird was still within gun range after I ran out of shells. Usually all you need is three shells, but there is that occasion

[Mergie Master]

I've never understood the restrictions on number of shots, baiting etc if everybody obeyed the limit.

There was a time when I sorta thought like that. But it doesn't work that way. If baiting was legal people would get the limit on a more regular basis and the resource couldn't take that kind of pressure.

Just because the limit is set at six ducks doesn't mean the resource can handle every hunter getting a limit each time out. If that were the case the limit would probably be around 2 birds. It's simply understood by the biologists and resource managers that hunters aren't going to kill a limit on every hunt or even the majority of hunts.

[KCM]

2shots and a 12 shells is all that is needed in SC per day......does not matter if it is good or not, you shoot your 12 you go home.

[sprigdog]

.is it time to consider allowing migratory bird hunters to get rid of the plug? Is there a bona fide conservation benefit to the three-shot limit on repeaters?
?

the reason it was put in place was for conservation. I'm sure you realize all migratory bird regs are put in place by the Feds and are the same everywhere. I believe it was all about cripple rates, the average hunter has an extremely hard time not emptying his gun at everything he shoots at...picture how many 3 round volleys you hear every morning..seems like a constant. By the time the third round is shot, the bird is usually at max range, give someone 2 more...they just keep shooting.
Sure it may be a benefit once in a great while, but in the long run i guarantee it would do more harm than good.

Now my thought process. Dont miss the first, second and third shots. I talk to people all the time and they say "shot 12 times" or missed 2 easy ducks, etc. I look at it this way...if i have an opportunity at a duck in range and i dont kill it, shame on me. Around here, a couple birds can make or break a hunt. I am truly shocked and flabbergasted if i pull the trigger and something doesnt die. Eats me up inside. If people learn how to shoot and judge ranges 5 shells wouldnt be needed. Not saying i dont miss, just not as much as the guy next to me.

[skrimp]

I think we need to really look at limiting the # of shells per hunter. I would be happy to see a 15 shell limit but even a 25 shell limit would help some. How many skybusters would take some of the shots we've all seen them take if they had only 15 shots? If you can't get it done with 15 you need to practice more.

[trailertrash]

I'm glad some of you guys don't set the rules. 2 shots I could deal with, thats no big deal but $100 a box. That's just stupid.

[Fish]

An idiot and a redneck would answer this question with a similar response, "Hey Bo, where can I get me one of them mag-a-zine extension tubes?"
Gentlemen understand that anything less than two barrels is positively uncivilized. Therefore, any gentlemen will tell you that two shots is preferred and perfectly adequate, that three is tollerated, and the very idea of more is just not done.

[Mergie Master]

Gentlemen understand that anything less than two barrels is positively uncivilized. Therefore, any gentlemen will tell you that two shots is preferred and perfectly adequate, that three is tollerated, and the very idea of more is just not done.

Gentlemen?

Fish are you drunk? Do you not realize where you are? This is SC Ducks man, finding a gentleman in here is like finding a lawyer in Heaven. Odds are against it!

[sprigdog]

I'm glad some of you guys don't set the rules. 2 shots I could deal with, thats no big deal but $100 a box. That's just stupid.

guess you dont get out the house much? called sarcasm.....i'm so tight I cant shit a greased BB let alone pay $100 for shells.

but a shell limit. hell yes, hard to enforce, but a couple sweeps a year by the green jeans and the kids would get the message.

[sprigdog]

Gentlemen?

you know he was directing that at me...

[Steelin' Ducks]

Other than a dove shoot I have never needed all 3 shells in SC. Now, in Arkansas or Canada, I could use more shells all day long.

[LabLuvR]

The way my duck hunting has been going I barely even need a shotgun, much less five shells.

[Duck Gumbo]

Don't really care- I used to be big on cutting triples, but now like to extend the fun a little. Two draws of birds coupled with a triple and double and you're done.

If you have any shooting proficiency, triples and doubles on decoying birds is really not that hard.