pheasant
 

what number shot do you prefer for pheasant?

RE: pheasant
 

Earlier in the season I'll use 1 1/8oz 7 1/2 shot as the birds are usually at close range when they flush. Later in the season after birds have been hunted and cover depleted,I will go to 6 shot. If its really windy in the late season, I use 4's.

RE: pheasant
 

I have always liked 5 or 6 shot.

RE: pheasant
 

i like 7.5. I just like the few extra pellets in my pattern

RE: pheasant
 

7.5 here as well. As cowboy said, I like the extra pellets in the pattern. Know your effective range and they work very well.

RE: pheasant
 

,

RE: pheasant
 

just wanted to invite you to my farm pheasant hunting we also do a fin feather and fur package in october. 1/2 day fishing followed by 1/2 pheasant hunt next day archery hunting or gun hunting for deer [fair chase] next day 1/2 bird finish up 1/2 fishing. all equipment provided you can also split this up anyway you want 585 590 2948
[align=left] [/align]

RE: pheasant
 

If it's my semi then.... #7 1/2 then #7 1/2 and last shot #6, as I figure that when they get further away I need a little more help with the distance and the heavier shot helps.
Later in the season I go #7 1/2 then #6 then #6.

If it's my double then 1st barrel = #7 1/2 and 2nd barrel = #6

RE: pheasant
 

20 ga mod choke remington 23/4" #5 1 oz

RE: pheasant
 

I usually go with 2 3/4" 1 1/2 oz #6 at 1300fps.

RE: pheasant
 

wow, lol really wanna put the hammer down on them eh

RE: pheasant
 

one that hits them hahahaha
[align=left] [/align]

RE: pheasant
 

.

RE: pheasant
 

No cripples and usually I can find most of the pieces of the bird

RE: pheasant
 

Here in South Dakota, our birds have been educated and are very wary. Opening weekend I might put 6 shot in my gun, after that, its fives and fours, usually 3 inch, and I have plenty of boxes of shells with 1 5/8 oz. shot. I think I have seen 1 7/8 oz. shot for sale as well. But like I said our birds are very jumpy, and in the late season they get very thick skin. They would be laughing at you if you tried to bring them down with 7 1/2 shot.

RE: pheasant
 

i dont believe anyone said anything about using 7.5's on pheasant.

RE: pheasant
 

Did you read any of the posts?

RE: pheasant
 

hahahahhaa OOPS! lol i guess i didnt as carefully as i thought. yes i agree 7 1/2's a on the weak side for pheaants. our bnirds in maine are all stocked and not skittish at all and i wouldnt use anything smaller then 6's. personally i like 1 oz of #5's and a mod choke. works well

RE: pheasant
 

3 1/2 # 2's...we grow em BIG up here :)

RE: pheasant
 

Rimjob's right, our pheasants would probably swing back past you againjust to rub it in if you tried 7.5 shot :-) Unless you're plannin on shooting them right off the end of your barrell, (good luck getting that close) more shot isn't going to make a difference when it's light anough to deflect off them!

RE: pheasant
 

I use #5 shot all the time.....best compromise between amount of pellets of the #6 shot and distance/punch of #4 shot

RE: pheasant
 

X2 I use #5 too... #4 tears em up too much, and #6 leads to a lot of cripples. its just right for the type of hunting out here in iowa

RE: pheasant
 

I hunt without a dog, so when I knock them down, I want them to not Bury themselves. Usually #6 with the first shot and #5's the next two shots. 7 1/2 seems way to light for me. I think the birds would laugh as they flew away and wonder if someone was shooting at them or it was beginning to rain.

RE: pheasant
 

I hunt in Kansas and our birds are just as tough as anyone's and the last week of the seasonI can easily kill pheasants with 7/8 oz 7 1/2 20 guage shells at that. Your choke tube pattern is more important then the shell you're shooting. Pattern your gun. You'd be surprised at how different guns and chokes are. I have a Benelli super 90 with Briley tubes and it will murder pheasants at 40 yards all day with the shells I described above.

RE: pheasant
 

In Nebraska I prefer #5 shot, my father likes #6 magnums. If we are in an area where quail and pheasants are a possibility, my first shot in the O/U is usually a 7 1/2.

RE: pheasant
 

1 1/4 oz of 4's at 1300fps is great for me and the 1100

I would like to reload some 1 3/8oz loads with 4's in them but don't have any blue dot laying around.

I like 4's because I know the bird is gonna be dead when it hits the ground and I can really stretch out and hit the long shots since my pointer ranges out there sometimes I just gotta have them 4's........

RE: pheasant
 

Another South Dakota boy here and I too wouldn't use anything less than 6 shot. I use 4 shot all season. I don't like taking the chance of having a runner. If I hit them, they are down for the count over 90% of the time. When someone does have 7.5 shot, we politely ask them to put it away. It has become part of our "safety talk" before each hunt to our customers. If anyone needs a place to hunt but doesn't want to pay, there is plenty of public ground in S.D. and we have had a very good hatch. Numbers are really good this year.

RE: pheasant
 

12 ga mod choke with 2 3/4 inch and 7.5 size shot.. works pretty good for me.

RE: pheasant
 

I run eastern CO and western KS with 3 GSPs and shoot a 28ga Ruger. I shoot 3/4oz loads of 6s then 5s.

RE: pheasant
 

I like using #6 shot with a modified choke on them..

RE: pheasant
 

I use 6's in 2-3/4" loads out of my Franchi O/U..

In my 20 Ga o/u I like a 2/34 6 shot in the bottom and a 3" 4 shot in the top.

Dangit. The 100's of pheasants I've killed in South Dakota since moving here in 1996 weren't supposed to die when I hit them with the 7 1/2's? I guess some one forgot to tell me and the pheasants that. They work fine in South Dakota. Out of a 20 or 12 gauge. Like I said, know your effective range and shoot them in the head, they die. Shooting back and breaking a wing with a #4 cripples just the same as a 7 1/2.

I've heard it all before and been lauged at with the #3 and #4 shooters. I give them all the opportunity to prove their light load moxy and have yet to be taken up on it. Go stand at 30 yards and let me shoot you in the face with my 7 1/2 girly load. If you are afraid it may kill you I'm thinking it would do more damage to a 2lb bird.

12 GA 2 3/4" 1 1/4 onz #4
20 GA 3" 1 1/4 #4
Both Mod or Full Choke

2 3/4"(12 gaueg)
7 shot
thats my main shot

That has to be one of the dumbest things I have ever read. I wouldn't want somebody shooting at my face from 30 yards with a red-rider BB gun, but that doesn't mean I would use one for phesant hunting....

Not saying that 7 1/2's don't work.....I just like the puch of 4's or 5's

Almost as dumb as insisting that you need a #4 out of a .12 gauge to kill a thin skinned, light boned bird that weighs in at 2 lbs.

The guy likes 4's and you like 7's. I like 6's because I THINK they shoot better out of my gun and I like a few more pellets in my pattern. Eventually, we'll all be slinging steel and then we can bitch about that. I shoot 4's in steel where I have too.

Who gives a $hit what the other guy likes...someone asked for an opinion. You guys are acting like a bunch of f-ing ladies...

haha....lmao! good luck this weekend for everybody that has an opener

I have used them all #71/2 to #4 using the same 12 ga. gun with full choke, and I settled on #5. I find that most of the time, there's hardly any pellets spoiling the meat.
Having a good retriever helps also.
Lately I've been using a 20 ga. single modifed choke and I find #4 works for that better. I even have to wait and shoot later as the gun points really fast being very light.