Originally Posted By: 2-piper
The thing to keep in mind is the ability to make a "Lucky" one pellet kill does not depend upon gauge, choke, amount of shot in the load & only to a very, very small extent to the velocity of the load. What is required is that one pellet hits a vital spot with enough force to penertrate to the vital area. To reliable & consistantly make kills at a given range is a totally diferent proposition & requires a dense enough pattern to ensure a vital area being hit. Those who intentionally & habitually shoot at ranges beyond their guns patterning ability on the "Hopes" of making a one pellet kill are "PooR" sportsmen indeed. I realize most everyone who has ever gone afield has taken an occasional shot they shouldn't have. A few have been "Lucky" kills , most have been "Assumed" misses. Countless birds have flown on away with a single pellet buried in their Guts.


Miller,
I get your point. But, I'm willing to put dollars to donuts that more birds have flown away with pellets in them from a shot "within range" than the "occasional shot" beyond statistically lethal range. I believe that shooting "on wing", even "within range", is statistically a poor proposition, certainly on upland game.