Best Pheasant Loads

[uplander]

Im getting ready to go on my first pheasant hunt and have been shooting trap with a few different loads. the bestload ive shot so far is winchester xpert game/target steel shot- 1 ounce of no.7. and It also happens to be the cheapest round ive shot so far.Is this round powerful enough for pheasants out to say 20-30yds.? what do most of you use? thanks alot for any help

[Wicked Deep Stix]

I shoot an over/under 16 gauge. ic/mod chokcs- normally i use winchesters or kent. First shot is a 7.5 1oz 2.5 to 2.75 drams of powder, the second shot is a #5 or #6 1-1/8oz max dram of powder.

[Sterling Tackle]

At 20 yards any load will kill a pheasant. The problem with the smaller shot like 7.5's is that there are so many pellets that you end up with good meat getting all shot up. Small shot is fine with smaller birds because their bodies are smaller. It is always 6's for me. Words fine in close and at 40 yrds. IMO

[BarnesX.308]

I use #6 shot, high brass in my Baretta O/U 12 ga. Not the magnum or premium stuff. Just plain old high brass #6 shot.

Low brass is marginal for pheasants for the longer shots, I think. Price isn't as big a consideration as when I'm dove hunting or skeet shooting because I don't usually blow through several boxes a day.

Low brass and small shot might leave you with more cripples too. Less penetration.

[The Wadd]

If Im just hunting Pheasants,And Grouse. I use my Trap Loads and maybe
some store bought 6s! But if Im up state and a Duck season overlaps Pheasants,I use #4 Steel, Not that I want to just because of the laws!:fight:

[RUSS0079]

If you are hunting wild pheasants out west, I suggest you use number 5's or 6's. If you are shooting preserve or stocked birds, your trap loads will do fine, although I do agree with some others, when shooting my doubles. First barrel 7's second 5's or 6's.. If you hunt over pointing dogs like mine!! I don't even load the gun, I just hit them with the butt stock of the shotgun, LOL!!! It's like bird baseball!!!!!!!!!!
Russ

[The Wadd]

Thats Great Russ! I no what you mean! I was thinking on hunting with my
Thompson 44 pistol with bird shot! :thup:

[RUSS0079]

I've been chasing grouse too Long!!!!!!! Pheasants are like big flying chickens. Grouse are like hen pheasants with rockets shoved up their A-Ses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That right, thats what I said!!!!!!!!! Although, Kansas Pheasants are really tough.. Still big flying chickens though. Was't too impressed with the Pheasants in South Dakota either. But hey I'm tainted.. I love grouse!!

[The Wadd]

Sounds like you Love grouse!:cheers: :shoot:

[RUSS0079]

That reminds me this is my day off. I'm going to my bar down in the basement and drawing myself a Lager from the tap!!! Cheers:cheers:

[RUSS0079]

Wadd,
Check the Lodge Posting. I'm trying to get something going for Barners on this side of the river... Chime In!!!!!!!!!

[maine_sport]

Im getting ready to go on my first pheasant hunt and have been shooting trap with a few different loads. the bestload ive shot so far is winchester xpert game/target steel shot- 1 ounce of no.7. and It also happens to be the cheapest round ive shot so far.Is this round powerful enough for pheasants out to say 20-30yds.? what do most of you use? thanks alot for any help

I like to pattern my shotguns on paper with the loads I intend to use before making a selection. For pheasants using a pointing dog, my 12 gauge pheasant shotgun does very well with 2 3/4" high brass 6s. It's an autoloader bored skeet. Rarely do I need to shoot over 30 yards.

[Setterman]

Im getting ready to go on my first pheasant hunt and have been shooting trap with a few different loads. the bestload ive shot so far is winchester xpert game/target steel shot- 1 ounce of no.7. and It also happens to be the cheapest round ive shot so far.Is this round powerful enough for pheasants out to say 20-30yds.? what do most of you use? thanks alot for any help
#7 steel shot should be fine for pheasant under 30 yards, but I would question it's penetration capabilities in certain situations. #7 1/2 hard lead shot in any gauge is okay for pheasant under 30 yards and many use this load for the dense patterns it puts out, especially in the larger gauges, but I switched a long time ago to using #6's first followed by coppered #5's should I need a second shot. I alternate between a 12, 16 and 20 gauge throughout the season, and hunt over a pointing dog, but my loads are always the same. It depends too on what kind of cover you hunt them in, conditions, whether you see the southbound end of a northbound pheasant all the time or have chances at crossing shots and head-on's. Pheasants are decidely easy to kill when crossing or coming straight at you provided you hit them because their head and chest are more exposed. However, they can and will soak up a lot of lead should you get a dead-on going away shot that may not hit their wings. We all know that pheasants can run forever with a broken wing and two good legs. Those bigger and heavier pellets penetrate better and offer a better shock value over something like 7 1/2's. When I hinder myself to a one-ounce load of #5's in a 20 ga., there really aren't a lot of pellets coming out the muzzle compared to a 1 1/4 oz. load of #6's or #7 1/2's. But I can vouch that #5's are quick killers and I am never searching for wounded birds that the dog has to trail. Many old die-hard pheasant hunters swore by #4's, and I still have boxes of my grandfather's paper-hulled 16 ga. #4's in the closet that date back to the 40's and 50's.

The other item I want to note is that over time and with experience, you will learn when to take and when to pass up shots that are not the best for the situation if you want results. Yes, when I was younger and had no money to buy shells and nothing but a half-box of #8's in the locker at home, I still had the dogs and the urge to get out and I would kill pheasants with these loads. But, that was my impetuous youth.

Just my two-cents on the subject about what I've learned in 45 years of pheasant hunting. The fun part about this is that you get to try and find what works best for you. Good luck.

[WardMan]

I use a high brass 6 shot in both chambers now of my Beretta O/U 20 gauge. I used to use a 7 shot in the upper chamber with less choke, but like the shot of the 6 better and there isn't much difference in kick. Love my Silver Pigeon V also :)

[uplander]

Thanks alot for all of your help, i cant wait to get out in the field. good luck

[Bird Boy]

i use a winchester super-X high brass lead shot. it has 1 oz and is 2 3/4 inch. i killed every pheasent that i saw this year and thats what i used

[WoodsHunter]

I'm really hooked on humming birds, use 00-buck, now thats shooting ! !


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[RUSS0079]

nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WoodsHunter]

I use the countdown load in my auto-loader, 7, 6, 5, after that the bird deserves to continue flying into the sunset:razz:
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