Pheasant load

[Noreaster]

What shot size do you use for pheasant. I used #6 the last couple of years. Last year I crippled a bird and chased it around for awhile before getting it. The rest of the time #6 worked. This year I lost three birds. I would've blamed it all on my shooting skills but I witnessed my son hit a rooster solid at twenty five yards. The bird went down and ran. We couldn't find it. I stumbled onto him a couple of hours later on the way back, about fifty yards from where he was shot. I switched to #4 later that week and crushed the first bird I put up. What a difference, (actually too much damage!) I was thinking of going to #5 as a go between. What do you use in 12 and 20 gauge?

[sjf]

Pretty good idea,in my over under I use 1 1/8 oz of 6's in the bottom barrel and 1 1/4 of 5's in the top,  seems to be a pretty good combination, especially since my 1st shot is fairly close as I shoot over GSP's, if i had to use just one load I load I would use 1 1/4 oz of 5's. 5's seem to penetrate and just breaks them down better so they can't run.

In my 20 gauge I stick with one oz of 6's, just doesn't seem like there's enough 5's in a one oz load to pattern real well.

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

 ;)I would agree with sjf, I like 1 1/4 oz of 5's. More over I like the old heavy field load of 3 1/4 drams of powder and  the 1 1/4 oz of shot. This is difficult to find in the west, but when I do, I buy several boxes. It kills well and doesn't kick like the  heavy duck load that is so common.     

[woodsman44]

I would go with #5 shot 1.1/4 oz. should keep em down.

If there weary and flying before you get close, go with the #4 shot 1.3/8 oz
with mod choke.

good luck...Scott

[Noreaster]

Just found some 12 gauge #5 at wally world, on sale! Can't wait to give it a try. Still looking around for 20 gauge. Thinking about this season the birds are running and then flushing and the range is longer, may be the reason 6 shot isn't working.

[CGPAUL]

In hunting Pheasant for over 30 yrs in both Iowa and SD, trying everything from combo shot,5-7.5 1/3-8, stright 6`s,5`s etc, finally setteled on 1/1-4 oz 4`s about 20yrs ago and never looked back. Used to load 800x but changed that to 32grns of Longshot at an advertized 1440fps. Very few runners...we also have found that concentration on the birds head when flushing or flying, places most of the shot string there, instead of the backend when you center the rooster. If you don`t hit him, you can`t kill em. We also found with 4`s it does not take many hits to kill cleanly...lots of penitration and energy with that shot size.

I shoot an older 101 O/U with fixed I/C and Mod chokes. I hunt over a dog, so many shots are close, which is fine with me. I will not shoot a bird over tall grass way out there, cause if I don`t kill him, chances are I will not find him, dog or not. I will choose my shots, cuts down on cripples. YMMV.

[billythekidrock]

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[Tonk]

Now over my dogs, I will use #7.5's in the top barrel and #5's in the bottom barrel of my O/U. If I am using the semi-auto Remmy 1100, I will use #6's & #4's alternating in the magazine, hey it works for me so don't knock it until you tried it ok.

[prairiedog555]

I live in Pheasant country, have hunted them for 40+ yrs.  Consensus seems to be #7.5 first part of season and 5-6 later on.
But I have also gone the #4 and #2 route and can recommend them also.  Less shot to eat and you either kill them or miss them.  A lot to be said for that.
There are other variables, like what choke you use, hunt over point dog, flush dog ect.
I read that in England for driven hunts they use #7.5 trap loads and most those shots are high overhead.

[jwardiii]

Golden Pheasant #5 3"ers in the 20. Kills like the old 12 ga. 2 3/4" high base load in the same shot size (same payload). And you need to accept these birds are baling wire and rawhide tough (of course I'm talking about wild birds). I too came up & still live in pheasant country. I don't know how many times I've seen a rooster hard shot hit the ground in stubble or new wheat, bounce what seems like 2 feet in the air, and just be flat gone when I looked back after glancing away for an instant. Absolutely astounding how tough they are. Opening weekend I'll load a high velocity 2 3/4" 6 first up, but after that it's the magnum 5's. We've long ago shot out the sitters. Today's birds run.

T