Favorite Ammo???

M

mcharlto88

New member
I'm wondering what everybody's favorite ammo is for hunting pheasants? I've only been hunting a couple times and shot clays a few times, so I haven't had enough experience to really know what the differences are in different sizes, brands, etc. That said, can you kind of explain why you prefer your favorite over others?

Also, if there are any turkey hunters out there, what's your favorite turkey ammo?
 
mcharlto88 said:
I'm wondering what everybody's favorite ammo is for hunting pheasants? I've only been hunting a couple times and shot clays a few times, so I haven't had enough experience to really know what the differences are in different sizes, brands, etc. That said, can you kind of explain why you prefer your favorite over others?

Also, if there are any turkey hunters out there, what's your favorite turkey ammo?
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Good question from a new hunter. I like size 6 , 5 and 4. For pheasant. what size I use depends on what time of the year it is. Early season vs late season. Pheasants during early season have not had tons of hunting pressure, and will hold and flush closer. 6 and 7.5s get the job dune. As the season goes on the birds will flush at greater distances and 5 and 4s, are more effective at getting good clean kills.

As for a brand of shells, I like any High brass shell from Federal, Eastate, Win, Remington, Ect. That patterns well in my guns. These days you have to make shure that the Areas, you are hunting in don't require Non-tox loads. Check you areas Regs for that Information.

I hope that answers you Questions.:)
 
I like the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant loads; #6s for early season and then 5's for late season.

NB
 
Folks often pick loads for anecodatal reasons and search for facts which support the decision to purchase.

More important than brand is enough shell matched with sufficient choke for the conditions of the day, and applied with reasonable profiency....odds on, that will kill gamebirds.
Less or more will still work to varying degrees.

Never found a lead shotshell, which given the above four matches, failed to work....price is also a legitimate factor of choice.

Kents have shiny shot tho.
 
jmac said:
Good question from a new hunter. I like size 6 , 5 and 4. For pheasant. what size I use depends on what time of the year it is. Early season vs late season. Pheasants during early season have not had tons of hunting pressure, and will hold and flush closer. 6 and 7.5s get the job dune. As the season goes on the birds will flush at greater distances and 5 and 4s, are more effective at getting good clean kills.

As for a brand of shells, I like any High brass shell from Federal, Eastate, Win, Remington, Ect. That patterns well in my guns. These days you have to make shure that the Areas, you are hunting in don't require Non-tox loads. Check you areas Regs for that Information.

I hope that answers you Questions.:)
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Seems like great information that I can take with me to the ammo store! :) Thanks for your help! One question though, when you say "Any high brass shell" what do you mean by high brass?
 
In todays shotgun shells "High Brass" is purely cosmetic. But it is an indication of a higher grade shotgun shell. If you look at the "metal cap" on the shotgun shell, low brass might be only 1/4" high and high brass might be 3/4". I agree that any 12 gauge high brass is a quality shotgun shell.

My preference is Federal Wing-Shok (NOT GAME-SHOK) and then Fiocchi Golden Pheasant. I shoot 5's.
 
High brass as in the base of the shell. Most trap and skeet loads are low brass,or low base shells. High brass meaning hunting loads. Does that make it any clearer. LOL like mud.:D

I hope this helps, if not talk, to the people, at the ammo store.

The reply about matching shell to choke is spot on. However I did not want to confuss you,or make it anymore compicated. Since you stated that you are new to hunting. Many of us on UPH have been upland hunting for our entire lives, and you are new to the sport. There is a learning curve, and you just keep asking question and we will try and help you out.:thumbsup:
 
jmac said:
High brass as in the base of the shell. Most trap and skeet loads are low brass,or low base shells. High brass meaning hunting loads. Does that make it any clearer. LOL like mud.:D

I hope this helps, if not talk, to the people, at the ammo store.

The reply about matching shell to choke is spot on. However I did not want to confuss you,or make it anymore compicated. Since you stated that you are new to hunting. Many of us on UPH have been upland hunting for our entire lives, and you are new to the sport. There is a learning curve, and you just keep asking question and we will try and help you out.:thumbsup:
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Thanks for taking my "rookie status" into consideration when answering my questions haha! I understand the purpose of chokes, but I guess I'm not sure how certain conditions make a difference as to what choke to use. Can you help explain this in laymans terms? Is there a general choke to use for upland hunting(pheasant more specifically)?
 
I agree that the choke is important. I find myself using a modified choke the most.

One thing that took me awhile to learn when I was new, was that some brands have choke notches that you can see when installed in the gun. I kept having to take them out to read the side.

One notch = Full
Two = Improved Modified
Three = Modified
Four = Improved Cylinder
Five = Cylinder/Skeet

Going from Full to Skeet the pattern gets wider but cant shoot as far.
 
High brass is as was said...many tho compare it to a higher speed shell....or more oomph.
Not necessarily so....forget the high or low brass designation.
Activ's had no brass....nor did the Wandas....brass is a hold-over of sorts.

You did not specify gauge....if a 12 and for a new-er shooter, I would specifically say a 3 1/4 -1 1/4-5s for pheasants....modified choke in a single.
Not always easy to find this old live pigeon load but since you have the Internet....www.cheaperthandirt.com is possibly one source.
Recoil is never a friend....any of the new, faster shells would not serve you...better, learning the important stuff, which sits on no shelf, will.

Turkey....new shooter...XX 1 1/2-5s....3" is nice but far from necessary.
Oddly enough, shell seldom kills turkeys.

Watch advice in a store....clerks, even in the so-thought outdoor stores, are notoriously misinformed and often advise the costly or the popular.
IMO
 
mcharlto88 said:
Thanks for taking my "rookie status" into consideration when answering my questions haha! I understand the purpose of chokes, but I guess I'm not sure how certain conditions make a difference as to what choke to use. Can you help explain this in laymans terms? Is there a general choke to use for upland hunting(pheasant more specifically)?
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Wind, windy, very windy days, birds our flushing 45 or more yards in front of the dogs or the hunters or more. These are but a few of the conditions that effect choke selection, A more restrictive choke is in order. Birds are holding tight, flushing at your feet or flushed by the dog, a more open choke is in order. Just a few off the top of my head.:) Modified choke is right in the middle Imho is the general choke.
 
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I personally have settled on the Fiocchi Golden pheasant in #5 for about all situations early and late. I am not one to take on a shot past 40 yards on a Pheasant anyway. For every bird you down and find at greater than 40 yards, you will cripple many more only to die later. I tend to swing towards a more open choke, but as said above modified is a fine choice for many situations.
 
OldDublin said:
High brass is as was said...many tho compare it to a higher speed shell....or more oomph.
Not necessarily so....forget the high or low brass designation.
Activ's had no brass....nor did the Wandas....brass is a hold-over of sorts.

You did not specify gauge....if a 12 and for a new-er shooter, I would specifically say a 3 1/4 -1 1/4-5s for pheasants....modified choke in a single.
Not always easy to find this old live pigeon load but since you have the Internet....www.cheaperthandirt.com is possibly one source.
Recoil is never a friend....any of the new, faster shells would not serve you...better, learning the important stuff, which sits on no shelf, will.

Turkey....new shooter...XX 1 1/2-5s....3" is nice but far from necessary.
Oddly enough, shell seldom kills turkeys.

Watch advice in a store....clerks, even in the so-thought outdoor stores, are notoriously misinformed and often advise the costly or the popular.
IMO
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This is probably a dumb question, but when you say 3 1/4- 1 1/4, what are you talking about here? I know I've seen these numbers on boxes of shells before, but I'm not exactly sure what they mean. Maybe somebody can explain what all the numbers on the box mean? Obviously there are some things I know(12, 10, 20 gauge, and the shot size) but some of the stuff I don't really understand as a newbie. I've seen ft/sec(which is another obvious), but I guess I'm not sure what the significance is in that. Obviously it'll shoot farther and faster, but in what scenarios would you use a shell with a higher ft/sec?
 
Not dumb at all....hopefully, none of us ever stop learning.

3 1/4 is the dram equivalent powder measure-ish....in 12 and with 1 1/4 it is about 1225 fps, as I recall.
Normally seen 1 1/4 ounce shells are 3 3/4 dram.

1 1/4 or second note is weightof shot and the shot size pulls caboose duty.

Speed is overrated but ever since steel came along shotshell speed has creeped up...theoretically, giving a greater slam. But, round balls loose speed quickly and the faster they start, the faster they slow down so....low or medium speed, or dram loads, will work fine.
A whole lot enters into how shot ends up in a dead bird.
What you will find is some loads labled field which are fairly inexpensive...they can work swell but the shot is often low in hardness and can affect patterns. Not always important but with turkey loads it can be.

Buy any quality Rem,WW, Kent, Federal, Fiocchi(ugh), etc. in the aformentioned sizes and weights and ...shoot.
Don't fret the small stuff and shell choice is small stuff.
 
OldDublin said:
Not dumb at all....hopefully, none of us ever stop learning.

3 1/4 is the dram equivalent powder measure-ish....in 12 and with 1 1/4 it is about 1225 fps, as I recall.
Normally seen 1 1/4 ounce shells are 3 3/4 dram.

1 1/4 or second note is weightof shot and the shot size pulls caboose duty.

Speed is overrated but ever since steel came along shotshell speed has creeped up...theoretically, giving a greater slam. But, round balls loose speed quickly and the faster they start, the faster they slow down so....low or medium speed, or dram loads, will work fine.
A whole lot enters into how shot ends up in a dead bird.
What you will find is some loads labled field which are fairly inexpensive...they can work swell but the shot is often low in hardness and can affect patterns. Not always important but with turkey loads it can be.

Buy any quality Rem,WW, Kent, Federal, Fiocchi(ugh), etc. in the aformentioned sizes and weights and ...shoot.
Don't fret the small stuff and shell choice is small stuff.
Click to expand...

This also seems like good information for me to keep in mind! Thanks for your help! Right now a lot of this seems clear as mud, but I'm sure once I get out and actually start shooting with some different shells it will start to make sense.

When you talk about round shot losing speed quickly, I guess I've always thought shot was round. I did see when I was talking to a sales associate at Bass Pro that they have square shot that allows them to pack more shot in each shell, but i would think the square shot would lose speed quicker given it is less aerodynamic than round shot. Is that at true statement, or would those laws of physics not apply in this situation?

Also, I assume the "dram" is the term used to measure powder? Did I understand that correctly?
 
Dram is an old measurement term, yes.

Avoid square shot. :)
I see the latest marketing gimmick is packed shot and square or cube shot has been around in spreaders since Hector achieved pupdom.

Round projectiles losing speed is the simple nature of the beast....cannonballs to birdshot.

Shoot.
 
I might catch a little flack for this but since I hunt a lot of Waterfall Production Area (public) here in MN I have had really good luck with the Winchester 1550fps 3" four shot steel. I did just as well if not better with them then the Prairie Storm 5 shot lead I used in South Dakota. Last year I tried the Carlson choke tube Prairie Storm early season in my Benelli SBE 2. I think this year I'm going back to just running IC all year.
 
Ounce and a quarter of 5s and 6s (12 ga.), any brand, preferrably cheap.
 
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