Best Shell for pheasant hunting??

I like the federal premium # 6 1500,fps 2 3/4" 1 &1/4 oz. You can take birds out at a very long range with these and they don't require much if any lead for the shorter shots. I also use Low base Kent diamond shot lead 7&1/2's, they cut out there at 1450 fps. And will suprise you with the Knock down power, in a lowbase 2& 3/4. The speed kills. And the kents are only about 8$ a box, prety good for a shell that fast. It works well in an OH gun to have one of the kents first and back it up with the fed premium.:thumbsup:
 
For quite a few years I was using the federal PF shells too in my beretta Extrema and it really seemed to help my shooting deficiency. Last year for my birthday I bought myself a 16g O/U and this past summer I also bought a reloader and an electric trap thrower and spent some time working on my shooting ability.

This season with the 16ga reloads of 1 1/4 4 and 5 shot I never felt I was missing anything(Except maybe the 3rd, 4th and 5th shots sometimes):D.

For me leading far enough is always my achilles heel
 
I used to use the 1 1/4 high speed 5's, but as I slow down or maybe the birds get wilder, I've switched to Fiochi golden pheasant 1 3/8 oz of 5's with a modified choke in my 391 Beretta. Got to be careful if you get a close flusher, but they sure help at the ranges I seem to get more shots at.
 
I like to use high brass 6's because of the amount of quail where I pheasant hunt. I kind of know which bird to expect in some places but who knows some times. I just don't want to blow quail up to much and I don't have a problem knocking pheasants down with high brass 6's. If i get into a covey of quail while pheasant hunting I normally have some #8's in the vest that I change to. Or sometimes I put a #8 shot in the chamber and then #6's in the magazine to back it up if a big rooster was to come out.
 
Now that I'm in the process of buying a new Browning Citori White Lightning 16 ga. what do you guys think is the best 16 ga. load for pheasants in both lead and steel?

For lead I'm thinking about the Federal PF 1 1/8 oz. load at 1,425 fps or the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant 1 1/8 oz. load at 1,310 fps. Both in #5 or # 6 shot. Only concern I have about the Federal is the added recoil with the increased velocity.

I'm quite undecided with steel.

I probably hunt an equal amount of private and public land so maybe I should just find a really good steel load and stick with it whether I'm hunting private or public land. I just have a tough time not using lead when i can.
 
I'm with you PBH,

I used to shoot the Federal PF's and would like to have shot the Kent Fast Lead baby mag's BUT one day I went to Ganders and those suckers were $17 bucks a box. I said no more.

Then I switched back to federal hi brass #5's early in season and then #4 after week 3. Modified choke all season long.

More and more I like the #4's as they kill better, less holes in bird and I have killed some birds at ranges that astounded me. Even these are $9-10/box.

I also like a load with a little less whallop as when hunting in groups it is a safer round since the shot is traveling with less velocity and loses it quicker too reducing potential accidents.
 
PBH said it, Shoot Straight and does not matter. I shot 2 guns on pheasant a 20 gauge and a 28 gauge. In the 20 I like Winchester 1500 fps 6 and 5 shot, 1 ounce of shot. But in my baby the 28 O/U I load my own. I have straight 7 shot in the first barrel and 6 shot in the second. That seven shot is some interesting stuff it sure hits with a wallop. At 3/4 ounce of shot one must shoot straight to get them. Yes, that little gun kills them very well Thank you.---Bob
 
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UGUIDE said:
I'm with you PBH,

I used to shoot the Federal PF's and would like to have shot the Kent Fast Lead baby mag's BUT one day I went to Ganders and those suckers were $17 bucks a box. I said no more.

Then I switched back to federal hi brass #5's early in season and then #4 after week 3. Modified choke all season long.

More and more I like the #4's as they kill better, less holes in bird and I have killed some birds at ranges that astounded me. Even these are $9-10/box.

I also like a load with a little less whallop as when hunting in groups it is a safer round since the shot is traveling with less velocity and loses it quicker too reducing potential accidents.
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Check with the local Wal Marts, This time of year last year I found the Pheasant forever prm's 1500fpsers for 9$ a box, And hauled home 40 cases. yes cases, when we took all we even got some for 8$. Only certain wl mts had them.
 
FCSpringer, you got any boxes you can sell me $5, you should be able to afford that with all the money you saved on that purchase. Hell, I'll even pay the shipping less you want to deliver them.
 
What Shell??

anytimeanywhere said:
I am an avid White tail hunter for more than 25 years, did my first Turkey hunt in 2007, and now I'm going Pheasant hunting. Seem like there are very knowlogable people here, so I would like to ask a question....

I have a Berreta Extrema, I am going Pheasant hunting at a farm in Ohio next weekend, I have been told by some to use a 3" #5 11/2 oz shot, others said that is overkill and suggest a 2 3/4 shell #5 shot. Any advice???
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I don't even use 3" shells on turkey. I have shot 2 3/4" shells with 1 1/4 oz. of no. 5 on pheasants for many seasons. That's plenty ammo in my view.
 
What Shell??

anytimeanywhere said:
I am an avid White tail hunter for more than 25 years, did my first Turkey hunt in 2007, and now I'm going Pheasant hunting. Seem like there are very knowlogable people here, so I would like to ask a question....

I have a Berreta Extrema, I am going Pheasant hunting at a farm in Ohio next weekend, I have been told by some to use a 3" #5 11/2 oz shot, others said that is overkill and suggest a 2 3/4 shell #5 shot. Any advice???
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I don't even use 3" shells on turkey. I have shot 2 3/4" shells with 1 1/4 oz. of no. 5 on pheasants for many seasons. That's plenty ammo in my view. It's what I use on turkey too, only through an extra full turkey choke. Knocks 'em dead on their tail feathers.
 
Great Strategy

KansasCowboy said:
I like to use high brass 6's because of the amount of quail where I pheasant hunt. I kind of know which bird to expect in some places but who knows some times. I just don't want to blow quail up to much and I don't have a problem knocking pheasants down with high brass 6's. If i get into a covey of quail while pheasant hunting I normally have some #8's in the vest that I change to. Or sometimes I put a #8 shot in the chamber and then #6's in the magazine to back it up if a big rooster was to come out.
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Excellent strategy in mixed bag country like we hunt in Kansas. I always have 8s in the vest too. When a covey of quail flushes, I might score with the 5s, then break the gun, shove in two 8s, and go after the singles.
 
There is a shell I reload and I understand you buy them. They are I believe Kent English 6 shot which is 6.66 in their shot size. The key to these shell is look for true English shot shells. I load 7 shot for my 20 gauge at 1220 FPS. 1 ounce of shot. I love that shell for it will kill a pheasant better than you think and if I should run into quail. They are fine enough to give a pattern on the them also. I always have a 7 in my O/U first barrel and a 6 shot in the second. In the late season that 6 is replaced with a 5 shot.---Bob
 
How about Fioochi Golden Pheasant loads in #5 or #6

I always liked Remington Express extra Long Range or Nitro Mags in #5 or even #4s for far flushing birds
 
I agree with much of what has been written. Some friends & I go to So Dakota a couple of times a year. These are wild birds and very robust, I've had luck with 4's & 5's in a 16 ga.

On public ground (in SD) steel is required and I shoot 2's.

I know guys have had success with 7.5 shot (using skeet chokes) on preserve birds and in Iowa I have gone thru many boxes of 6's but now prefer the 4/5 shot.
 
I'd shoot a preserve bird with any old shell I had on hand at the time. They don't take much killing. I've killed plenty of penned roosters with 7/8's oz of 7.5's out of my twenty gauge. A wild bird is a horse of a different color. I wouldn't shooting anything less than 1 1/8 oz of 6's. I prefer 1 1/4 oz of 5's at 1400 fps for wild birds.
 
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