Crows - Shot Placement?

[Cedric 132]

If a head shot is not available what's the next best option for shot placement?

 

Will a .22 12flbs pellet penetrate a crows wing for a heart shot? I've always been concerned that a chest shot might strike the thick breast muscle and not penetrate.

 

Any ideas ?

[Rez 4,960]

Hi man. There's a post on YouTube regarding this, a chap tests a pellets penetration, I think in .22, on a bird, in this case a wood pigeon that has already been shot. The bird is literally in half, and with him aiming at the centre bone running within the pigeons breast, fired shots, very accurately actually. The pellet did indeed pass right through the pigeons breast bone, and though the rest of the bird. You should check it out, or have a search about it.

 

Re your main question. I use .177 on any corvids, there feathers can be like damn armour, so find this drops um very efficiently. To be honest, I aim for the chest, vital organ area with any crow, headshot or not, as I cant be sure, of a clean 'brain' shot as the pro's say. Just clipping the back of the head of a tough crow, it'll still piss off... But stick one through the heart lung area, it does indeed drop. Rabbits are another story.

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

My hw100kt .22 at 11.3 ftlb with 16gr pellets absolutely destroys whatever it hits its got some right dropping power!!

[silentshot1 206]

Boiler room shot will do it! Will drop like a rock in .22.

[j j m 6,539]

I take them through the. Base of the neck snaps there spine stone dead

[smecky 52]

I always choose the heart lung area with my hw 100 .177. With any corvid. But pigeons head shot only.

[Wildling 520]

Chest shots used to be considered the norm for feathered quarry years and years ago and I'm not against using them if and when situations dictate it.

[WhiteRabbit 112]

Aye, sometimes your best aiming for the engine room rather than the cockpit... As they say

 

Depending at your range, I'd be rather conscious of your pellet placement as you may only clip the wing, break it and leave it wounded and to suffer if you're unable to give it a follow up shot- not cool!

I'd always go for a one shot kill, no harm in follow up shots if it meant a swift kill but it's about understanding your rifle, pellets, range and quarry. They can all vary.

 

White

[dafid69 1]

Sub 12 I use 177 as I usually take longer shots. So head shot but closer up I can get either head or if they're on the move a quick aim on centre mass. I did shoot a crow yesterday with my rimfire 40gr subsonic at  just over 100ftlb.

I wasn't using it for that reason but I saw the opportunity.

 

[philpot 4,977]

On 01/09/2024 at 10:01, dafid69 said:

Sub 12 I use 177 as I usually take longer shots. So head shot but closer up I can get either head or if they're on the move a quick aim on centre mass. I did shoot a crow yesterday with my rimfire 40gr subsonic at  just over 100ftlb.

I wasn't using it for that reason but I saw the opportunity.

 

Welcome aboard Dafid but after ten years I doubt if Cedric will see your post. 

Phil

[j j m 6,539]

welcome to the forum bud

[dafid69 1]

Oops sorry I didn't see the date.

From me answering the question now, it seems a similar issue has come back around. 

So maybe after 10 years nothing has really changed.

Which would be very sad.