Pheasants and quail

B

Bob Peters

Well-known member
If you are in an area where you could see either a quail covey or a lone rooster what shells would you have for a 12 bore?
 
Also keep in mind if you run 6s, you'll want a tighter choke to give the pattern for quail, but it might tear up the pheasant and you won't want to take long shots on them since it's a 6.

5s for pheasant and 7.5s for quail means you can run the same choke and have the right pattern for each.
 
Probably 6’s but late season shoot what ever you feel you need to bring down pheasants. I shoot a few quail every year with number 3 steel.
Actually this year every bird I’ve shot but one was with steel. And that includes about 10 quail. Rio # 3’s and Kent duplex 2x4’s
 
Well that was the most agreed upon responses in a thread that I can ever remember! I agree with the crowd. It has only been within the last 10 years I switched to 5s (from 6s) all season long for pheasants. If I would chase quail, which is rare, I would use 7.5s, 6s should work fine for either.
 
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8s in lower barrel 6s in upper barrel, I have shot more roosters with 8s than quail with 6s. Kill with confidence. Early season both birds in CRP.
Late season phez in CRP and quail in wood and thickets.
 
If shooting O/U I will have a #5 or #6 in upper and a #7.5 or #8 in lower barrel. If shooting my pump I will load for pheasants. If there is a covey rise, I will not shoot the covey and change shells to my quail loads and let the dog hunt the singles.
 
#5 for both. I have shot a bunch of quail with 5's and never had a problem blowing them up. Just give them a split second to get a little further before you shoot. #5 also pass through and I don't find shot in quail very often.
 
Bob Peters said:
If you are in an area where you could see either a quail covey or a lone rooster what shells would you have for a 12 bore?
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i load 5s and 6s and keep 8s in a pocket in case we flush quail
 
The majority of my hunting has a chance of either bird over pointing dogs. If I can use lead then I shoot #6. Never had a problem on phez inside 30 yards as long as it wasn't straight away. When I have shot quail with larger shot it is not tearing them up. It is that the wounded loss rate goes up because of a drop in pattern density.
 
I don't like 6's in pheasants so all I shoot is 5's. I don't run into quail but I do run into hun's, which are the same size. The 5's have always worked fine.
 
1 1/4 5s, and i wouldn't be taking a shot on the covey flush unless it was very close and easy. Then i would switch out for 1 1/8 7.5s and go hunt up the quail.
 
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