"...As Bob mentioned above, a pattern can be deceiving in that a Bird normally will not be hit with all of the hot center, in that it is passing thru a longer string than represented in the 2 dimensional plate pattern..."
now you guys got me thinking. trying to visualize the actual dynamics of a shot string or "cloud" and how a flying bird (or clay) passes into it, and possibly intercepting a shot or two or three, once in a while!
