# Are chuckar made of kevlar?



## ted (Oct 22, 2011)

I went out with a buddy who lives in Elko, NV on my first chuckar hunt this weekend. I see why they're called devil birds. 

Most coveys flushed at 60+ yards. My shotgun jammed after the first shot on the best group we saw. When I did manage to take a few reasonable shots on a pair that flushed ~20 yards out, all I saw was a couple puffs of grey and birds that kept right on flapping. 

My buddy says they're made of kevlar. I think he might be right.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

They actually fall pretty easily when you hit them. They won't give up easily though. Wing a bird, and you better have a dog if you wanna recover that bird. They run like a logger when their legs are intact, and usually uphill, which means unless you have super-human abilities, you just won't catch them. 

What gun/shot size/load weight/choke were you using?


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## ted (Oct 22, 2011)

I was shooting 1oz. of #6 lead out of a full-choke 16ga. Might go with 1 and 1/8 oz. of #6 from a mod choke next time out.


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## Sprig Kennels (Jan 13, 2009)

i have found they go down pretty easy (when they do get hit) but are just hard to hit. I think hitting a rooster is much easier than connecting with a chuckar, possibly because the rooster isnt flushing down hill like chuckars often do.


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## Bret (Sep 7, 2007)

Sprig Kennels said:


> i have found they go down pretty easy (when they do get hit) but are just hard to hit. I think hitting a rooster is much easier than connecting with a chuckar, possibly because the rooster isnt flushing down hill like chuckars often do.


+1
I have a tough time with that sinking shot they often give, but when I hit them they usually crumple.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

I would think opening up that choke to a mod like you said would be smart. Later on in the year, when you get more wild flushes at longer distances, the full choke could help a bit. The toughest part is just hitting them. When you're out of breath, standing on a steep slope, where you often don't have good footing, its very difficult to hit them. Especially when several flush, making it a challenge to pick out just one target. 

Count your blessings though- you got out hunting, and got some shooting. That's more than I can say for myself this year. Only been out twice. Once for doves, once for grouse. Tried going after ducks, but I had that unfortunate experience with the bungee cord that has forced me to rest until my eye heals.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

When you center them, they go down. When they flush downhill and hide behind an outcropping, they're tough. Same as grouse, really; some shots are easy, others impossible. I miss more than my share, even gimmies. You'll probably kill more with a more open choke. But no, there's no Kevlar involved.

What kind of 16 gauge?


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

I shoot 'em with #6 through improved cylinder and they usually drop stone cold dead.


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## Trooper (Oct 18, 2007)

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I know the #6s are the chukar hunter's favorite, but my stone-dead/dropped-leg ratio went way up when I started shooting copper plated 5's. Just something to think about.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

ted said:


> I was shooting 1oz. of #6 lead out of a* full-choke *16ga. Might go with 1 and 1/8 oz. of #6 from a mod choke next time out.


At 20 yards that full choke pattern ain't much bigger than the bird...go with the modified at least and I recommend 7 1/2 shot.


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## Trooper (Oct 18, 2007)

BPturkeys said:


> At 20 yards that full choke pattern ain't much bigger than the bird...go with the modified at least and I recommend 7 1/2 shot.


I never get that 20 yard bird anyway, because I emptied on the two 37 yard birds that got up just a little before.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

Trooper said:


> BPturkeys said:
> 
> 
> > At 20 yards that full choke pattern ain't much bigger than the bird...go with the modified at least and I recommend 7 1/2 shot.
> ...


   Been there.


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

I went out last year and bought a cheap 20 gauge semi-auto for the very reason you guys are talking about. I take the plug out for chukar hunting. 5 shots are better than two when the flush is staggered. 

I never should have opened my big mouth about knocking birds dead. Today I honestly thought that I had missed a partridge. My dog gave chase and I was calling him back and vibrating his e-collar like crazy. The dog knew better than I did. He came rolling back minutes later with the bird in his mouth. I had hit the bird with exactly one BB. The bird flew a good three hundred yards or more and did not appear hurt. :roll:


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Chuckers like quail often humble the most experienced shooter no matter what you are shooting.


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## ted (Oct 22, 2011)

Thanks for the tips and commiseration, guys. Seems there's no real consensus on loads or chokes... sounds about right. :lol:



> What kind of 16 gauge?


I'm shooting a Remington 11-48 from 1951, which makes the full choke pretty darn tight. It's light with a dependable action, but it would be good if I could just swap out choke tubes instead of having to collect barrels.

Thinking about sending the full-choke barrel to Briley to get it threaded, but have reservations modifying anything on a 60 year old shotgun.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

Since your gun is so old, you may benefit from some perspective. When that gun was made, the hulls were made of paper, and plastic wads had not been introduced. Many people thought full choke was the way to go, because patterns tended to open up earlier than do modern shells. Bob Brister, who was perhaps the foremost expert on shotguns during his time, did extensive tests with loads, chokes, etc. He felt that full chokes were for experts only. They're inferior to more open chokes at the usual ranges game is taken, (20-38 yards) because their patterns are too small. Full choke patterns aren't cones, they don't expand linearly with increasing range. Rather, they open much more like a trumpet. So, any advantage they offer over more open chokes is only for a rather short distance but at ranges well beyond at which most guys shoot.

A Remington 11-48 isn't really a collector item. I had my 1960's vintage JC Higgins Model 20 opened to IC. You could have tubes installed, but opening it up to fixed IC or Mod will be less expensive. Either option should put more birds in the bag. To quote Brister, "Full choke is a demanding mistress; improved cylinder a forgiving friend." I understand Mike Orlen does good work at reasonable prices with fast turnaround times.


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