Pheasant Phodder
Submitted by Bruce Buck on Mon, 11/23/2009 - 12:43pm.
When flying into Williston, Pierre or Bismarck, South Dakota, to start a pheasant hunt, we always would stop at the local sports palace to load up on cartridges. I generally got 12-gauge lead 3-1/4-dram, 1-1/4-oz No. 5s for my FN Superlight’s IC-choked first barrel and the same in No. 4s for the Modified second barrel.
That seemed to work fine when I did my part, but it certainly didn’t save my bacon when I screwed up and pointed the gun where the rooster used to be. Since I’m always looking for a technological edge that will make up for a lack of skill, I make a point of talking to outfitters, guides and other hunters about which shells they prefer for pheasants. The answers vary all over the place. Let’s look at some of them.
One set of guides said that they felt that high-velocity lead No. 5s were the best. They preferred high-velocity (3-3/4-dram, 1-1/4-oz) because the extra oomph was more likely to operate a customer’s poorly maintained semi-auto. They also felt that the extra velocity hit the bird harder at distance.
There are trade-offs to this if you do the math. The 3-1/4-dram (1,220-fps) No. 5s each have 2.74 foot-pounds of energy at 40 yards and 2.17 foot-pounds at 50 yards. The 3-3/4 dram (1,330-fps) loads have 3.05 foot-pounds and 2.39 foot-pounds at those ranges. Those are about 11- and 10-percent differences due to the different speeds. But the recoil your tender body receives for that little bit of extra impact goes from 30.0 foot-pounds to 37.8 foot-pounds—a whopping 26-percent increase. You might not care in an autoloader, but with a side-by-side or over/under you sure will notice.
Two of the better hunters I know use 20-gauge guns on wild pheasants. They prefer No. 6s in the smaller bore, and their results are excellent, even on long shots. The 3” 20-gauge shell has gotten a lot of bad press, but Remington Nitro Mags have buffering and seem to work well. Lots of people use No. 6s in 12 gauge, especially on preserves, where shots can be a little closer.
When in the UK, we usually were given British No. 6s for driven pheasants. That is the same size as an American No. 7 (.100” diameter). The loads were generally 1-1/16 oz, and they worked well. I’d be very reluctant to take on one of those wild Kevlar-coated Montana roosters with a light load of No. 7s, but these loads sure worked on their British cousins. I think the reason is that driven birds present the vulnerable under-belly, head and neck to the shot from below. Plains birds are often shot going away, where the pellets have to penetrate much farther to work.
But there is always another point of view. How about No. 9s on pheasants? Bill Hanus makes the argument for fine shot, even on birds as large as pheasants, when taken at close range. Unfortunately, I lack his ability to predict how far away the bird will flush.
And then there is that steel stuff. There are some places where you will have to use nontoxic shot for pheasants. Your choice is paying outrageous $3-per-shell prices for the good cartridges or something saner for less-efficient steel. If you choose steel, here is an interesting study that supports the use of No. 2 steel shot on pheasants.
What’s your experience with shot sizes on pheasants? What advice would you give? It would be great to hear from any of you professional guides or field-trial Guns.
And that’s my best shot. Boots off. Beer open.
- Bruce Buck's blog
- Login or register to post comments
the load that i like for
The load that I like for pheasants is Fiocchi Golden Pheasant in either #4 or #6 shot.
shot size
i`ve hunted N.D, S.D AND IA. most of my life. nothing like a good twenty ga. o/u or sxs. and a load of copper washed five shot over pointers. last two years switched to nickel plated fives. didnt miss a beat. I tell my buddies 'go shoot some trap or skeet before we go.' you`ll hit more birds no matter what size shot
Pheasant Phodder
Bruce,
All of the comments have merit and also can be debated, but it depends on the hunting conditions. I side very close with Gary Capelletti's comments. When I'm with my dogs, in low wind, I love a 20 gauge stoked with 1 oz #6's. Heck I have even reliably killed 'em with a 11/16 oz #6 in a .410. BUT in windy conditions or when birds are flushing at 35 yards and greater, I definately need more gun! Then it is the 12 gauge with 1 1/4 oz #5's. I love it all, but there is nothing better than well trained dogs, great weather, a good hunting partner, and the O/U or SXS 20's!! Oh, what a day to be remembered!
Fine shot
Neglected to address that subject in my previous post. The problem with 9's for pheasants--in addition to the fact that they lose energy (and hence, penetration) quite quickly--is that you're going to end up with a whole lot of pellets in your bird, when you're shooting them at distances where 9's are still effective. Even a very light, 3/4 oz load of 9's contains 440 pellets. I've had decent success with an ounce of 7 1/2's (through a skeet choke) out to 30 yards or so, but stopped using them because I had to dig too many pellets out of the bird. It'd be even worse with 9's.
Best pheasant load
This is one of those "it depends" deals. I've lived in Iowa most of my life and am a long-time pheasant fanatic. (With all the birds SD now has, and IA doesn't have, people tend to forget we were the #1 pheasant state more years than not from 1985-2000.) I hunt over pointing dogs, and I find those Brit loads--1 1/16 oz Brit 6's--work quite well when paired with an open choke. I do back them up with 1 1/8 oz American 6's out of a tighter 2nd barrel, however.
I think outfitters--and that'd mostly be people in SD dealing with large group hunts--will recommend heavier loads and larger shot because they do a lot of "drive and block" style hunting. I guided back in the 90's in Iowa for several years, wild roosters only. With my pointing dogs and small groups (I preferred just 2 guys and never took more than 3), I would have liked to have seen most of my hunters shooting more open chokes (both to reduce aiming error and to keep from tearing up birds centered at close range) and lighter loads.
Michael McIntosh once described the old pigeon load (3 1/4-1 1/4) of 6's as "the ultimate all-around pheasant load". I can't really disagree with him there. Reduced recoil in comparison to much of the stuff being touted as "pheasant loads" today (as you point out, Bruce), excellent patterns, and plenty of punch. Run that load through a 12ga with an honest IC choke, and it will kill roosters farther out than most people can hit them consistently.
Larry Brown
Pheasant Loads
I have hunted SD and ND and usually there are lots of birds but I have finally settled on south Nebraska and North Kansas because the bird numbers are good and quail is much better. My view is that you owe it to the bird and yourself to kill cleanly and with one shot. Because I am not recoil shy I shoot a 3inch #6 or 5 1 5/8 load. If the bird is in 30 yards he goes down (of course there is always one a year that gets away) but shooting a lesser load risks a clean kill. Now this is personal and many disagree. I hunt with a friend who shoots a 20 and does well but we lose birds. Respect the game you rarely shoot more than 10 rounds so why not be sure. If recoil bothers you I understand. I just feel it necessary to kill the bird cleanly.
Pheasant loads
I hunt with friends out of Mitchell, SD; everyone shoots different guages and loads. My favorite is a Browning Lightning Feather, 28" bbls 16ga, Briley extended ported chokes mod and light full (weighs 6 lbs) with Fiocchi Golden Pheasant loads 11/8oz #5 shot. No problem making clean kills out to 40+ yds, just ask the people I am privilged to hunt with. What I am saying is use the gun and load you are confortable with, stay within killing range and there will be very few if any birds escaping.
16ga and 28ga It doesn't get any better
Best Pheasant Load
Bruce,
Spicy topic, to say the least.
I think before anyone settles in on what's the best load for pheasants, they have to spend a little time looking at the situation and conditions they will find themselves hunting in.
When I'm with my own dogs (the setter points, the lab retrieves), and the weather isn't an issue, and there's birds around, a 20 gauge 1 oz. load of 6s is wonderful.
If I'm hunting in Cannonball, North Dakota with a guide who's dogs are mediocre at best, there's a lot of birds, and it's windy -- I'll need 3 3/4 gram 12 gauge loads of 4s and 5s.
The load isn't the key to pheasant hunting. Rather, well trained dogs, knowledge to adapt to what the situation and conditions are giving you, and shooting well with enough gun, load, and choke is what really is going to make the difference.
Now, if you had to get down to one load for everything, I'd say a 1 1/4 oz. of 5s. If you shoot a lighter weight double, then make it 3 1/4 drams if you can find them. If you shoot a heavier O/U or a semi-auto, go with the 3 3/4 dram loads. I have absolutely no use for those Pheasants Forever hot 1400 fps plus loads. Without question, for me all they do is add more needless recoil to the equation.
Gary Cappelletti.
Best Pheasant load
Gary,
You painted a beautiful picture when you referred to great dogs, nice weather, plenty of birds and the 20 gauge. Man, it just doesn't get much better. Just add a favorite hunting partner and you about have it all. I'm all smiles just thinking about it.
Greg Adams
Thanks, Greg. My basic
Thanks, Greg.
My basic theory that applies to all rules of shotgunning: This is not exact science. There is a broad range of specifications that can be adequate or even very good at any given application, depending on far too many variables, and in the end the shooter is the most important of those variables.
It's all a great deal of fun!
Sincerely,
Gary Cappelletti.
Nearly every SoDak pheasant
Nearly every SoDak pheasant I have ever shot with 3 1/4 dram #4's has been dead in the air.
That means something.
Best wild pheasant load IMHO. (
(yes, wild SoDak birds are tougher. Their will to live and evade astounds me every time!)
Practice your wingshooting
Practice your wingshooting skills shooting low gun at the skeet field and the clays course over the summer every chance you get.
This makes a 28 gauge shooting 6's to be a better pheasant load than any 12 gauge load shot of the latest Italian autojammer.....
Pellets of sufficient diameter(thus density) to afford penetration at the ranges you are skilled enough to center your pattern is what kills birds....
But you already know that Bruce.
FWIW, I like 3 1/4 1 1/4 of 4's also when I shoot a 12.
Shot size for roosters
After almost 40 years, I have come to believe that light loads combined with large shot, through moderate chokes work best for me.
I hunt behind labs, use a light 12 ga, and my load of 1 oz of hard #5 shot at 1200 fps works well through .015 and .025 chokes.
When seeing a straightaway at 40 yds., I pass, but will take a crosser at that distance.I feel putting the center of the shot swarm on target is more important that what the shot swarm is made up of, and the #5 shot seems to retain more down range energy than a smaller pellet lauched faster.