16 gauge pheasant ammo

Chip

Member
I finally broke down and bought a new sweet 16. My question is what ammo do you use for wild pheasants?
 
I use 5 shot that is not too hot of a load, something around 1300 fps. I seem to not shoot as well with hotter loads.
 
Ditto....nothing too hot. My 16 doesn't pattern fast stuff with a darn. It also hates Fiocchi Golden Pheasant.
Here's what really works well for me:
Fiocchi High Velocity HV16, #5, 1.125 oz., 1300 fps.
Federal Premium Wing Shok mags, #4, 1.25 oz., 1260 fps.
Kent Bismuth #5, 1 oz., 1300 fps.
All very deadly.
 
RST shotshells has some great loads that cycle insertia and long recoil action equally well and don’t have to high a pressure to start causing a flinch. Also cabelas Herters brand has some really nice 1 ounce and 1 1/8 ounce loads usually around $70 to $80 a case and the Herters and RST shotshells are very easy on recoil. Stick to anywhere from # 7 1/2 to #5s depending on type of dog work.
 
I always used golden pheasant 5s in my SxS. My new sweet 16 doesn’t like them as well. Occasionally, they don’t fire. I am now a firm believer in the Federal Premiums in 5.
 
I shoot federal 5 shot lead and it performs very well for me. Plus they come in the nostalgic purple casings!

Got to be purple, man! :) Wish all 16 ga. shells came in purple.
 
Ditto....nothing too hot. My 16 doesn't pattern fast stuff with a darn. It also hates Fiocchi Golden Pheasant.
Here's what really works well for me:
Fiocchi High Velocity HV16, #5, 1.125 oz., 1300 fps.
Federal Premium Wing Shok mags, #4, 1.25 oz., 1260 fps.
Kent Bismuth #5, 1 oz., 1300 fps.
All very deadly.

The 3 listed above are blue, purple & green, respectively. I've also used some B&P yellow ones that work pretty good. The purple work best of course.
 
I have a new Sweet 16 as well, and I really like it. I like the Golden Pheasant 5's @ 1300 and the Federal 1 & 1/4 oz magnum 4's @ 1260.
I also like the Fiocchi's that A5 Sweet 16 mentioned, the High Velocity HV16, #5, 1.125 oz @ 1300. Those can be found for around $10 bucks a box or so.

I've used the Federal Pheasants Forever 1 & 1/8 oz @ 1425 and they absolutely rattle my teeth in a gun as light as the new Sweet 16. I'll only shoot those in my 1100 from now on.
 
All replies offer great advice for pheasant specific loads.... but just noticed this post is in the quail hunting form�� (GUILTY!)
As well.
 
I thought I put it in the guns and ammo forum but it showed in the quail section. Oh well 16 gauge works on quail also
 
Yes. I was just having some fun being as we’re talking 1 1/8 oz. 5s and 6s at 1250 or better (not much meat on quail after one of those loads) sorry just my attempt at a little off season humor.
My bad.
 
I bought two cases (20 boxes) of Federal 1 oz. 6's several years back. Haven't shot anything else and birds fall from the sky. The 16 is a strange animal in the fact that it hits hard with less velocity.
 
It’s a lot like a 28 as it just patterns and kills better than it should. Shotgunning is more art than science. IMHO.
 
We mustn't kid ourselves, though. 16's don't magically kill any rooster that presents itself. There's science to it, especially if we're talking about the Game Loads mentioned by JMc above. I think I'm right that those are s...l...o...w loads. At something less than 1200 fps, especially w/ small shot (6's or smaller), they simply won't have the energy to penetrate a rooster or break critical bones much past 30 yds. Might get a golden BB in the head or boiler room, but that's pushing it. Thus, my preference for #5's & velocity around 1300. Factor in a modified choke, & you get an honest extra 10 yards of effective range. That's the science. The art is putting it in the right place at the right time. IMHO
 
We mustn't kid ourselves, though. 16's don't magically kill any rooster that presents itself. There's science to it, especially if we're talking about the Game Loads mentioned by JMc above. I think I'm right that those are s...l...o...w loads. At something less than 1200 fps, especially w/ small shot (6's or smaller), they simply won't have the energy to penetrate a rooster or break critical bones much past 30 yds. Might get a golden BB in the head or boiler room, but that's pushing it. Thus, my preference for #5's & velocity around 1300. Factor in a modified choke, & you get an honest extra 10 yards of effective range. That's the science. The art is putting it in the right place at the right time. IMHO

Agreed, for me...5s and 1300fps are wild rooster minimums.
 
The standard "high brass" field load in 16 ga. has always been 1 1/8 oz. of shot at 1,295 fps. Use to be that was all you could buy in 16 ga. I've been shooting 16's at pheasants since the late 1950's. Now the Fiocchi Golden Pheasants are 1,310 fps and the Federal PF loads are 1,425 fps. And there are also a lot of loads under 1,295 fps available.
 
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