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Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to watch a bird fly up onto a limb right outside my window, however, it landed right behind a cluster of pine needles. I had my air shotgun cocked and ready but I had zero faith in it being able to penetrate the pine needles and render a good hit on the bird. I switched over to the talonss and since I could see a good portion of the silouhette due to the lighting, I fired high in the middle of it and knocked the bird out of the tree with a lethal shot to the upper chest. At only 8 yards with a kodiak, didn't matter how much debris was in front of the bird, it was going down.

But I was wondering what your guy's take is on firing through brush or twigs. I know that targets in trees often are littered with criss-crossing branches, leaves, and twigs, and you just have to do your best to find an opening. Normally I don't do it, but in this case I was confident that the pellet would hit the bird since the debris was literally right in front of it and even a deflection would'nt have caused a miss.

Mar · Veteran Member

Guess you got lucky there as the pellet could have easily deflected...U did.'nt really have a clean shot at it.

Thank goodness you succeeded though.

broommaster2000 · Moderator

I think debris adds to the "lower-change-of-getting-a-hit-factor" too. Not really a proffesional way of doing it, imo.

Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

Hard and thick material will cause deflections but pine needles will move out of the way of the pellet. I had some chances at some birds again yesterday but they were too high up in the tree with too much foliage blocking the shot. They rarely re-position for a more ideal shot. And in true form, after a few seconds they just took off like bats out of hell. Sometimes you get em', sometimes you don't. I don't mind waiting until another day for a better shot.

broommaster2000 · Moderator

It appears that even small debris in the way can cause a projectile to twist and turn in weird corners. Remember that the bullet is spinning too, gyroscopical effects and blah. Mr. Green

Rogerflat · Silver Status Member

Yes, but it needs distance to effect the POI. I wouldn't shoot through a thick stretch of debris, but maybe past one or two tiny limbs or leaves.