Sheesh - Still alive with #5?

U

Upland at 'em

New member
So I realized I was walking with the completely wrong setup and went to a more appropriate choke and shell combo. I've been hunting a few preserves, so the 7 1/2 shot was fine for that - most shots were 20 yards because the birds would hold TIGHT. I was just running an improved cylinder choke.

So after about 6 times out so far and flushes that averaged 15 yards in front of my dog, I realized the birds here are WAY more crafty than what I've been making chili out of so far.

My setup now is an improved modified and #5 at 1 3/8 oz. I just returned from the field where I put a solid shot on a pheasant flying away from me, from about 35 yards....a bunch of feathers flew up and off, showing a pretty solid hit, but the bugger kept flying off, quite a ways, into the milo field across the road - private property. Even if I could have gone over there, the bird flew far enough I would have had no idea where to look.

So is #5 what the majority of you are running, or are you throwing some 4 up at them?

One other quick question....I found the answer once on the KDWP site, but now I can't locate it. What are the official hunting hours in relation to sunrise/sunset?
 
I shoot full choke #5 or #6 in a 2.75" shell (12 gauge) for early season and then move to on to 3" #4's later in the season. For my 20 gauge, it is always 3" magnum 4's (6 sometimes too). Close range flushes require patience but there is nothing that I hate more than losing a bird so I prefer to error on too much load rather than too little.
 
5's usually knock em' dead for me. 35 yards is pushing it unless your depth perception is extremely accurate. If the bird was 35 out and 10 yards above your elevation, that makes for bit longer shot than you're perceiving. I shoot 7.5's w/ a mod. choke, but ONLY when I can expect them to hold tight for a point.
 
12ga 2 3/4" 1-1/4 oz #5s Federal Pheasant Forever, modified choke, hard hitting out to about 30 yds
16ga Mod/Full 1 oz #6s
haven't used 4s
the toughness of these birds is sometimes remarkable, they can take a bunch of lead and keep going
 
I have been using modified/modified in my over/under. I patterned several choke tubes and picked one that is slightly looser for my first barrel and one that is slightly tighter for my second. I use either 4's or 5's and have liked the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant loads. Pattern them in your gun though because that is more important than the other variables.

Cass
 
Started out 30 yrs ago shooting federal hi brass 5 shot,after loosing to many birds,switched to 2.75", #5 shot 1.25 oz mags.All of my hunting buddies laughed at me.After several years of me knocking crap out of them,they all are useing either 3"or 2.75" mags. We don't lose to many birds.
Before you start slaming me for overkill,I do not like to feed the coyotes,and it's a waste of the best upland bird in the world.
 
3 1/2 inch BB's in a 12 gauge work all the time. Well for geese anyway. I really just always shoot 2 3/4 4's or 5's and it usually works. It's hard to see you guys nocking down birds with 7 1/2 though. But it can be done just a little strange to me. But whatever works works.
 
#6 Golden Pheasants in the 1 3/8 load at 1250 fps, improved cylinder and mod. Its a good combo for phez and quail. I will move to the #5's later in the season. These are shot over a pointer, so most birds are pretty close. If it is a further shot, I pull the rear trigger with the mod. Very few lost birds. I try to limit the shots that are straight away, those are hard to knock down with any load. Most birds are one shot kills, just remember, tail beak, boom.
 
CockSlayer said:
I use # 5 fiocchi golden pheasant, over and under, modified in 1st barrel full in 2nd, knocks em down everytime
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This is the first season that I have used Fiocchi golden pheasant (#5) and I must say that I am very impressed. I bagged a bird last Sunday that I know I did not lead enough yet the 1485 fps velocity made up for my error. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least!
 
Blown to pieces or wounded neither is the best choice but it is hunting and both these things can and will happen. No load is always perfect. One time I was shooting 13/8oz 12ga #5's and we just entered into the field. A roaster jumped up within 20ft of me. I up and let fly. The bird accelerated away as my shot hit, like the Pheasant was lunched from a rocket. The dog wouldn't even pick it up as I had blown a hole through it the size of a softball.

Last year I jumped a bird at the same distance. I let him have it with a 3.5" 12ga #2 steel at 1625 fps. I crushed him and he fell only 15 yards from me and another hunter. We were on him in less than 10 seconds. GONE! nowhere to be seen. We had been hunting ducks and left the dog in the boat when we made this little Pheasant walk. Never did find him.

We hunt mostly public ground in SoDak. We have to use a non toxic load. I use the same loads I would use for ducks. Fastest load I can and #2's or 1's . When using lead and a 12ga. I use 1/14oz 4,5 and 6's to begin with. Then I move to 13/8 oz #4's, 5's or 6's in a magnum 23/4" load later in the season . 20ga, it's always 3" and 11/4oz of 4's, 5's or 6's. 16ga, if I can find a 11/4 oz #5's I will use them.
 
SnapShooter said:
especially if quail are a 50, 50 chance.
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That's part of what makes it more difficult for me, with a pump, as well. An O/U sure would make things a little more flexible, because I really don't want to step up to the occasional quail with what I feel I need for pheasant.

I haven't seen any of birds I'm after hold for any amount of time.....They are usually flushing well ahead of my pointer.....maybe I ought to take the advice of many of you using full chokes. Most of the shots so far have been pretty lengthy.

If the folks that own the milo field across from the piece I've been working decide to cut their crop, it may put more of the birds in my hunting path and give me more point opportunities. For now, the ones I'm finding are crafty little buggers, and fairly quick (for pheasant).
 
What do you guys recommend for 20ga. I too have heard good stuff about the Fiocchi, my dad has raved about them ever sense returning from ND this year.
 
I just got back from South Dakota where I was shooting a 20ga and using GP 3" #6 shot. I lost too many birds that were hit, but hit the ground running. I'm going to split a case of 3" #5 and 3" #4 with a hunting buddy for next season. I'll put a 6 in the upper barrel and a 5 or 4 in the lower. I'll keep the #6 and 7 1/2 in 2 3/4" for the preserve birds.
Peter
 
I have a bunch of #4 3" 20ga that should fit the bill. I am hoping they won't be to much for my son (11) I am having him shoot low brass 7 1/2 at the range and hoping in the excitement of the flush he won't notice the extra horse power of the 3" stuff.
 
North Dakota's steel shot study suggests heavier is better. Extrapolating their data back to lead lead me to number four shot.

While pheasant hunters sometimes look to larger shot sizes--No. 2 steel or perhaps No. 4 lead--for late-season hunting where shot distance might be longer than earlier in the season, this test clearly demonstrated that No. 2 steel is more efficient than 6s or 4s for harvesting pheasants at all ranges. At the same time, shooters were able to hit pheasants with steel 2s (111 pellets per ounce) at the same rate they did with steel 6s (326 pellets per ounce) and 4s (177 pellets per ounce). "We did not find a difference in the hunters' ability to hit the target," Roster noted, "regardless of the number of pellets in the shell."

While this test did not investigate lead shotshells typically used for pheasant hunting, hunters might make some assumptions, Roster said. Considering that a steel shot pellet, because of its lower density, is lighter than a lead pellet of the same size, it takes a steel shot pellet two sizes larger than a corresponding lead pellet to achieve roughly similar momentum. Given that steel No. 2s were the best of three steel loads tested, one might conclude that No. 4 lead would perform better than No. 6 lead, but that's not statistically proven, Roster cautioned. â?? http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fwt/back_issues/september01/article5.html
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