Thread: Close Proximity Shooting - Canada Goose - What could possibly go wrong?

Originally Posted by flock

Don't know how geese would react at night, but pigeans don't tend to fly when its dark example https://www.youtube.com/shorts/A-xRHh-pVBA

PCP has a air tank which is pumped up to 3000 psi and at fullpower I get roughly 80 shots. Pigeons I adjust the power down to half & get 150 shots. Handy to reduce power as to not blow holes threw roof iron & other damage.
Prenty of footage Uk clearing rats etc they run 12 fps with out needing a firearms licence. All PCPs require a firearms licence in NZ.
Mine is the FX wildcat M3, I have 2 18 shot mags. Running a, Pard 0800lrf night vision scope which ranges the gives me the hold over to aim for, programed in, so all I have to think about is windage. Accuracy, it pisses on a 22lr.
Only using pellets but if you have more grunt you can use the latest & greatest Slugs with a higher weight & BC people are shooting way beyond pellet performance.

Have seen them mentioned on here before but never knew what they were, cheers for the explanation

Pcp is pre charged pneumatic air rifle i have one as well it would be more accurate than my 22lrs, just not as heavy pill

So have any PCP owners every shot a Canada Goose through the brisket, or side on, at long range, 60 - 100 metres? What was the out come? Flapper or instant death? Would a PCP be your preferred calibre at long range?

Havnt shot one but being such a light pellet it probably wouldnt have the energy. Shot one on the weekend with my 6.5 grendel 120m made a mess of it

85gr hollow point

I also use a suppressed 17hmr which would be effective on a body shot on a goose. Just the price of ammo has become, over the top. Geese are stroppy buggers, so under stand HSs point of view.

My experience of Canada's is nobbing as many as possible in the absolute vitals (either brain or chest) at pretty close range with a suppressed .22LR on farmer's paddocks where the bastards were both destroying crops and destroying the paddock for stock due to crapping everywhere and basically just poisoning the outfit.

Got a couple of goes at them before they learned, and even suppressed .22LR did not drop the things reliably with a clean hit taking out the hydraulics and pneumatics at the same time. Headshots dropped them no problem. This was on farm land with no proximity and approved culling situation, and as I mentioned being able to be sneaky and hook up close using cover with not much concern with fire lines and obstructions in the cone of fire. The OP's job with close proximity, witnesses, the general reluctance of geese to cooperate all weigh on my level of confidence to even consider a PCP - I'd be looking at something in the famous 'especially dangerous' category as a minimum to get the pellet energy way up so no advantage over a proper rifle that I can see... My 2 cents worth anyway.

an accurate semi 22mag might be a possibilty?

Guess the experiment would be, at night, closer range 30 to 50 yards, infared scope, all head shots. The question is would the other geese go crazy. Being Geese, some say they are better security, than a dog.
At least at night you won't have an audience. Plenty of time to let them settle as they can't see you, the biggest fright for the other birds, will be the smack of the head shot & flapping bird. Worth a try, on a quiet dark night.

PCPs come in .25 and .30 cal also don’t they? Maybe even 6mm?


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Been a while since I was really into them but used to come in 50 cal as well

I've spent a bit of time on Google studying both the anatomy and skeleton structure of Canada Goose too work out the best bullet placement. I could get all the organs and skeleton in one image so the attached is the digestive system and I've added in the lungs and heart. Too my surprise the "Engine Room" is further forward than I initially thought. I think I was hitting them too far back, above the leg, when I first started. Now I'm aiming pretty much at the base of the neck, down a bit from the top, specifically to take out the lungs and spine. It's a pretty quick kill, with rapid projectile expansion on bone, whilst at the same time not damaging the breast meat and Drumsticks. Also there is no power shit in the meat! YUM!
I've printed and marked up images of geese with targets pasted in the correct kill zones for practice.

Yep that's gold, we were trying for head on shots to the engine room and just down from the base of the neck. Even with that area wrecked the damn things could create a fair bit of mayhem though. Headshots were more reliable but a little movement and a big whoops...

Only shot a couple of geese with the 22lr. Neighbors pet geese at night were lifting the frost cloth of their own market garden, and eating all of the seedlings. Pretty easy to get close at night, and the NV gear made the shooting pretty easy. After a head shot they flapped around for quite a bit. It's mate right next to it didn't seem to care.
But this was at 20M, so not exactly challenging.
I use a 17 Hornet generally for culling birds. Fast enough for a frangible bullet to vaporise on contact with anything, and plenty of oomph and range to make instant kills on Pukeko and larger birds.