Jim Legg and I are in total agreement on this one. Well said, Jim. But, look at it this way, if you will.
If the target you mentioned is moving at 30 mph, that is 44 fps. If the shot charge has dropped to 900 fps at that distance (arbitrary number), it is moving at 613 mph.
Now, for each foot the target moves in forward progress, the shot charge will move 20 plus feet. Let's assume (since I'm making other assumptions and guesses here, such as fps) the shot string is as much as 5 feet long at that distance. During the time the entire 5 foot long shot string moves through the target the target will only move 3 inches (forward progress).
These are assumed values for fps at target and shot string length I know, but you can vary them to suit your beliefs and it will not change the fact that the length of the shot string (assuming reasonable values) has very little bearing on whether or not you hit the target/bird.
To take this a step further lets say we're talking about a 4" diameter target. Every pellet in the entire length of the 5 foot shot string that is contained in a 4" circle has the ability to hit the target before it passes out of harms' way. We understand that this would be a slightly DIAGONAL 4" section of the string, not a 4" section of the pattern that we see strike a pattern sheet, but given a reasonable even pattern the effect would be the same.
Interesting stuff to talk about at night and while it's raining too hard to shoot, but it is not something I will spend three seconds considering when I carry my gun in my hands in anticipation of a shot, game or clay. Good mechanics and lots of practice is what brings down birds with regularity.
Stan
