Quote:Is it really illegal in *all* of the US to shoot a goose on the ground and/or with a rifle? ???
I was gonna shoot one with a shotgun anyway, but I didn't know it was illegal to shoot them on the ground with a rifle...are you sure about that, Smudge?
At any rate, I prefer size 7 or 8 shot, with a hefty dram load of powder...works well on clay disks at least. And the choke one uses is really dependant upon where (distance from the hunter) they want the focal point of the pattern. Some chokes give a tight pattern at 50 feet, some keep it tight even at 100 feet, etc.
Yes it's illegal to shoot bird game while they're on the ground with any weapon. If you do it, I have no doubt that the United States game wardens will catch you. The fact of the matter is that shooting geese on the ground with firearms of any sort is not hunting, it is a massacre as you can't miss the birds at all.
What is the average distance that you find yourself from geese until they fly away? The answer would probably be about 30 yards at the most. At that range you shouldn't even need a rifle.
By the way, Funslinger, No. 7 & 8 are great for pigeons and clay disks but they will not humanely bring down a goose or even a duck.