Steel/bismuth for pheasants

CluckNut said:
Never understood the issue with going away shots, they present the largest target area for vital hits. Only a problem if you are shooting behind.
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The following is from the article linked in post #23. It is well worth a full read.


Anatomical Challenges
Necropsies of pheasants taken in the
test discovered that the back end of a pheasant presents two obstacles a charge of shot must overcome to produce a clean kill. Inside the body cavity is the gizzard, a large dense muscle filled with "sand" that Roster says ...is a great stopper of shot."
On a typical going-away pheasant shot, a pellet must penetrate the massive giz zard to reach the heart and lung area. As shooting distance increases, the gizzard is more likely to stop pellets. A gizzard pre sents the same obstacle for duck and goose hunters, but few of their shots are at birds going straight away.
Add to the gizzard the fine, hair-like underfeathers of a rooster's tail end. "One of the great lessons we learned from
doing this test," Roster commented, "is that there's a much higher rate of feathers that get balled up around pellets trying to penetrate a pheasant, than we were ever able to notice with waterfowl."
Known scientifically as the abdominal and dorsopelvic feather tracts, these feathers at the extreme rear of a pheasant were frequently found to ball up or wrap around pellets as they punctured the skin, and to significantly impede that pellet's ability to penetrate. The feather-balling problem was most prevalent in No. 6 steel shot, affecting well over 50 percent of pellets in bagged birds. No. 4 steel had slightly less feather-balling than 6s, while No. 2 steel was found to have significantly lower occurrence.
 
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LittleBigHorn22 said:
For sure. After the season, before the season and middle of the off season I think about bird hunting. And then during the season I think about hunting while hunting.
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Is it wrong that I already have a list started with the properties we are going to hunt each day next year?
 
Matt D said:
Is it wrong that I already have a list started with the properties we are going to hunt each day next year?
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Only if you aren't adding to the list during the off season. I'm always adding pins for places that look good from the map. And then either walk them or try to drive by before the season. But I already know the spots I'll hit openers.
 
Matt D said:
Is it wrong that I already have a list started with the properties we are going to hunt each day next year?
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I keep a running list of properties that I have permission to hunt each season with the names of the landowners. I am always trying to add to that list every season because people die, move, or sell the land.
 
gimruis said:
I keep a running list of properties that I have permission to hunt each season with the names of the landowners. I am always trying to add to that list every season because people die, move, or sell the land.
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Same here along with the name and contact info of the farmer that rents it. Also any notes such as like brand xxx bourbon and so on. This is in addition to have my them marked on Onyx. Been a good winter. Picked up 4 new places to hunt next fall for sure and a couple of other possible’s. 👍👍
 
Dont forget the sausage/cheese baskets and favorite drinks for the farmers that let us hunt this past fall! I like to do it in May as that is planting season for most and they will absolutely appreciate the gift sitting on their porch with a handwritten thank-you note after a long day in the fields.

A big tip for the new guys that got permission this past season, leave a gift for the farmers wife too along with your gift to the farmer.. that will go a long way to you getting permission again the next year.

Almost every farmer will say they dont want anything and they will all appreciate the surprise gift, and they will remember it the next fall when you stop by for permission again with the same bottle/dink in hand. Its a great way to get sole permission as well. Also dont forget to ask in the fall if the farmer or his wife would like a couple cleaned birds from their property, a lot used to hunt years ago and just dont get the time anymore but would love a pheasant dinner.

Just a few tips that have helped us acquire and keep private land for hunting/fishing.
 
John Singer said:
The following is from the article linked in post #23. It is well worth a full read.


Anatomical Challenges
Necropsies of pheasants taken in the
test discovered that the back end of a pheasant presents two obstacles a charge of shot must overcome to produce a clean kill. Inside the body cavity is the gizzard, a large dense muscle filled with "sand" that Roster says ...is a great stopper of shot."
On a typical going-away pheasant shot, a pellet must penetrate the massive giz zard to reach the heart and lung area. As shooting distance increases, the gizzard is more likely to stop pellets. A gizzard pre sents the same obstacle for duck and goose hunters, but few of their shots are at birds going straight away.
Add to the gizzard the fine, hair-like underfeathers of a rooster's tail end. "One of the great lessons we learned from
doing this test," Roster commented, "is that there's a much higher rate of feathers that get balled up around pellets trying to penetrate a pheasant, than we were ever able to notice with waterfowl."
Known scientifically as the abdominal and dorsopelvic feather tracts, these feathers at the extreme rear of a pheasant were frequently found to ball up or wrap around pellets as they punctured the skin, and to significantly impede that pellet's ability to penetrate. The feather-balling problem was most prevalent in No. 6 steel shot, affecting well over 50 percent of pellets in bagged birds. No. 4 steel had slightly less feather-balling than 6s, while No. 2 steel was found to have significantly lower occurrence.
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I had no idea the gizzard was between the ribs and lungs.... ;) I guess the spine and head aren't kill zones either. With most going away shots the central nervous system, lungs, heart, wings, and legs are all more exposed and provide a larger target area than in any other shot one could encounter upland hunting. People suck at shooting and it is easier to blame other variables than themselves.
 
CluckNut said:
I had no idea the gizzard was between the ribs and lungs.... ;) I guess the spine and head aren't kill zones either. With most going away shots the central nervous system, lungs, heart, wings, and legs are all more exposed and provide a larger target area than in any other shot one could encounter upland hunting. People suck at shooting and it is easier to blame other variables than themselves.
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I'm sorry what? The wings and legs aren't vitals. And a head on shot or side profile is clearly easier to hit the head or heart than going through the ass. What other shots are there?
 
CluckNut said:
I had no idea the gizzard was between the ribs and lungs.... ;) I guess the spine and head aren't kill zones either. With most going away shots the central nervous system, lungs, heart, wings, and legs are all more exposed and provide a larger target area than in any other shot one could encounter upland hunting. People suck at shooting and it is easier to blame other variables than themselves.
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Whaattt???

Do you know how small a rooster heart is? With 1 1/2oz of lead 6s and a rooster standing at 30 yards i still wouldnt give you 50% chance of hitting it. Lungs are a sailed bird that dies 100-300 yards up ahead. Nervous system doesnt kill a bird, i guess you are talking hitting the spine? That will put it down but it will need wrung. None of what you stated is going to give you dead in the air birds, this is why that is a hard shot to KILL.

Wings and legs are cripples and cripples to die later. Anyone happy with hitting either of those is about as unethical as can be.
 
KEOutdoors said:
1250fps steel is a terrible, terrible, idea
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Steel 2s at 1250 are legit 40 yd pellets. Hands loaded them for years. But bump em to 1400 you only gain less then 5 yds. Gotta get 3s up to 1525 to get 40 yds from them. Big different between 1250 & 1525 when all you gotta do is go a size bigger.
 
Shot size is more important than extreme velocity in my experience. #3s or #2s at 1300-1400 are plenty for pheasant, with the exception of the 40 yard straight-away. That's a tough one for about any load. For me, 1 oz of 3s at 1300 is a great min for sub 40 yard shots in my 20. 1 1/4 of 2s or 3s is better yet, but you start to get into stout recoil which for me means the 8lb guns get to make an appearance. Enter the rem 870. I don't at all mind it - it's a specific tool combo for a specific job.
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
Many of you have read this from me before. Some haven't.

With bismuth, go 1 shot size larger than you'd use with lead. With steel, go 3 sizes bigger than lead. For pheasants, shoot a large enough payload through a gun/choke combo that will give you at LEAST 90-100 pellets evenly distributed throughout a 30" circle at whatever range you consider a "longish" shot (for me, that's 40-45 yds). Muzzle velocity between 1250 & 1350 fps is fine. Faster loads don't gain you any meaningful effective range. They just make it less likely to pattern well. The fast bismuth loads & hyperfast steel loads are nothing more than gimmicks used to trick you into believing you have extended range loads. You don't. Give up on straight-away pheasants further than 35 yds, especially over heavy cover. They're almost impossible to drop & recover unless you're hitting them with a very tight pattern of pretty big shot. That's 4 or 3 bismuth or 2 or 1 steel. Practice shooting. Hunt a lot & learn to relax, get your feet set, really see the bird's head & flight path, mount your gun as perfectly as possible, get a quick lead, pull the trigger, & follow through.
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Most of the birds I lost were straight away long shots,or 28 gauge.
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
Depends how much you have to increase payload to get same pellet count. That'll vary based on shot size. But velocity is the driving factor that determines recoil energy, as energy increases/decreases by the SQUARE of the change in velocity. Mass (payload) isn't squared in the calc.
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An object in motion, stays in motion.
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
Depends how much you have to increase payload to get same pellet count. That'll vary based on shot size. But velocity is the driving factor that determines recoil energy, as energy increases/decreases by the SQUARE of the change in velocity. Mass (payload) isn't squared in the calc.
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Energy can neither be created nor destroyed.
 
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