"The type of live pigeon match to which you refer is long gone and cannot be compared to pushing cheap birds out of a box, which is the comparison I made."
Kerryman, Actually, while rare, traditional box-bird shoots are not "long gone." They are shot exactly as they were at the turn of the century and as they are in Latin America. And unlike dog and cock fighting, they are still legal in some of our states. They are also a target of the PETA crowd, and in our current political environment, I suspect the sport is on life support. Still, I have had the opportunity to participate in shoots monthly, and for me, it is the most difficult competitive shooting I have ever experienced - that would include skeet, trap and clays.
As for game shooting, I would agree that driven birds are very challenging, particularly with a bit of wind and over trees. I simply find the ring more so. Others may have a different personal experiences and observations. And for a real challenge, try thrown pigeons where a whirling human dervish throws the bird.