Size 6 shot

B

Bird Buster

Active member
Anyone shoot size 6 shot regularly for pheasants on here and what are your thoughts on it for ranges out to 40 yards? I have had some issues with 5 shot and wondered if the extra 80 pellets I would get with a 1 1/2 ounce load might help increase the kill zone some possibly. I shoot a modified choke and last trip #5 shot left too many cripples and blown out feather birds like I never saw before. Considering maybe also switching to full choke as birds I shot at averaged 35-45 yards consistently as they were pretty spooky.
 
11/2 OZ loads are pretty stiff stuff. I have had good luck even down to #4's. I have used 4's, 5's and 6's. Myself, I think 6's are a bit weak at 40-45 yards myself. I would switch to full choke and stick with the 5's. I have a friend who has been known to swing a 10ga at times during the late season. In fact I read a article on using 27/8" 10ga loads in a older double SxS for late season far flushers in the good old days of the 27/8" chambered guns.

onpoint.
 
If you are not killing birds with #5's at 35-45 yards it's not the shot or shells, it's your aim. Probably just hitting them with the edge of the pattern. I shoot 5's in my 12 ga. all season long with IC choke. I regularly kill birds out to 40+ yards. I shoot Federal PF loads with 1 1/4 oz of copperplated shot at 1,500 fps.

Now there is also nothing wrong with #6 shot. I use it in my 16 ga. Been a lot of pheasants killed over the years with #6.

Before you start switching shells and chokes you really would be well served if you patterned your gun at the usual ranges you are shooting birds. Try some different size shot and chokes and see what works best in your gun.

I personally feel that there is no need for a full choke for pheasants. The shells today pattern much tighter than they did years ago.

If you are missing and/or just wounding a lot of birds you might also want to take your gun to a professional and make sure the gun fits you properly. A few years ago a friend was having a real difficult time hitting birds. He was trying various shells, shot sizes and chokes. Nothing helped. Then he found out his shotgun wasn't fitting him properly. He had that corrected and became a much better shot. You can shoot #4, # 5 or #6 shot, IC, Mod or Full choke but if your gun isn't shooting where you're aiming it won't matter.
 
You can only jam so many pellets through a 12 bore and I believe 1 1/2 oz. is excessive. I prefer 1 1/4 oz traveling around 1330 fps even for long range pheasants. #6 shot in this configuration will penetrate pheasants out to 45 yds. I've proven to myself on more than one gun that the choke tube designation is almost meaningless. You've got to pattern each shell to the tube to know how it shoots.
 
I think NR and DZ prety much have you covered. those guy's that shoot at trials use the 35-40 yard mark as kind of a good range to squeez off the 1st shot most of the time with all the gunners I have seen. And they all shoot very well at that range or farther, with 6 or 5 shot 1 1/4 oz. 2 3/4", I use the 2 3/4" 1 1/4 oz PF 5's & 6's shot loads too, and that is plenty of shell if I am on. Some times it won't matter if we have a blunder buster with a super duper 5 1/2 oz 3 million ' feet per second shell, it just aint happenin that day. If you are having trouble, do the patterning thing with diferent shells and chokes as said, till you have something you are comfortable with, confidence can be all you need sometimes too. Good luck. And as George said have someone show you how to properly check your weapon for fit.:thumbsup:
 
Guys I am not new to this stuff, I have patterened many loads in my gun and what I normally shoot is Kent Fast Lead #5 1 1/2 ounce 1400 FPS shells. They pattern superb in my gun. I could be hitting birds with the edge of the pattern which I suspect in some cases. Last trip I lost 4 and two were even at close range (30 yards). Plus I hit probably 4 more roosters and knocked a lot of feathers out of them and they glided off unbelievably. I actually am considering shooting Hevi-Shot next trip after reading an article by jnormanh about pellets not having consistent velocity through plywood on rounds he shot with it. I suspect this may be part of the issue possibly. Thanks for everyones feedback so far.

BB
 
BB,

If those loads pattern well in your gun I would stick with them. Or you could try the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant or Federal Pheasant Forever loads. I really don't feel you need heavier loads or a tigher choke. A lot of birds are killed with 16 and 20 bores.

Ya know, sometimes we just go through periods like that. That's kind of been the case for me the past couple of weeks. Normally, I'm a much better than average shot, but lately I've really struggled. Then when I do hit one it's either a runner or continues to fly away.

Hang in there, you'll start dropping them again. :thumbsup:

DZ
 
DZ- Thanks, yea I probably just had one bad trip with too many long shots plus the few close shots I had didn't go any better either. I am going to experiment next trip some with Hevi-Shot 6's and see how that does. I have heard many good things about it for longer range shooting. I want to try to reduce my issues and not go through what I did again next time. It is pretty miserable having an outing like my last one :(

Take Care,
BB
 
Aim for where the corn goes in, not where the corn goes out. :laugh:I think you will get your groove back if the weapon is patterning fine, I shoot some of those 7 1/2 shot low base kent 1,450's 1 0z. and they kill em at decent ranges, so you most likely are having batter's slump, we All get it. How's the fit do you know how to check that?
 
When your hitting birds and feathers are flying and the bird keeps flying, you are shooting behind and we all do it at some point. Even with Hevi shot if you keep hitting the ass end the bird is going to keep flying. The majority of hunters should not be shooting at 40+ yd birds.
 
I just got back and this trip used an IM factory choke in my Beretta 391 and the Federal pheasant 4ever 1 3/8 ounce #4 at 1500fps and killed them good at some long distances. My hunting partner used the same shell and M in his Browning Gold, then switched to his Maxus with a LM and did well too. All guns are 12 gauge-I really like the 1 3/8 4's by Federal.
 
FCSpringer said:
How's the fit do you know how to check that?
Click to expand...

Gun fit is fine, I have shot the same gun for 10 years with no problems... Guess this is my first experience with it on this type of issue.

This thread is getting a little off base on my original intent to find out if anyone has used #6 shot with good success out to 40 yards. That was mainly what I was after.
 
Bird Buster said:
Gun fit is fine, I have shot the same gun for 10 years with no problems... Guess this is my first experience with it on this type of issue.

This thread is getting a little off base on my original intent to find out if anyone has used #6 shot with good success out to 40 yards. That was mainly what I was after.
Click to expand...

Well I hope you've learned your lesson then:p
Need any advice on your golf game?

The data I've seen which is backed up by my observations is that it takes 1.75 ft-pounds to penetrate to the vitals of a pheasant and that #6 shot leaving the muzzle at reasonable velocities ( < 1300 fps) will retain that energy out to 45 yds.

My suggestion to stay w/ a 1/14 oz load keeps your velocity up without excessive recoil. I've learned over the years that recoil is the enemy of good shotgunning. Heavier payloads also cause more flattening of the shot at ignition which reduces penetration and blows patterns.

Most people would be better off using #6s than #4s or #5s since they can't hit past 40 yds anyway.
 
Bird Buster said:
Gun fit is fine, I have shot the same gun for 10 years with no problems... Guess this is my first experience with it on this type of issue.

This thread is getting a little off base on my original intent to find out if anyone has used #6 shot with good success out to 40 yards. That was mainly what I was after.
Click to expand...
That answer is yes, definatly. PF Federal 1500 fps. 6's work great. 1 1/4 oz. 2 3/4"
 
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For those that have doubts about the killing ability of #6 shot here's a little story. Lucky shot? Probably!

I few years ago I was using a 16 ga with IC choke and was blocking for some friends. As I sat there in the snow a rooster came sailing by low, just off the ground to my left. It was a long shot and I wasn't sure I would shoot. But as I followed him with my gun I decided to sqeeze one off. Dropped him "stone dead". As I started over to him I was thinking that I had made quite a shot at what I estimated to be 45-50 yards. So I returned to the spot in the snow where I had been sitting and paced it off. Roughly 72 yards. Was I lucky? Hell yes! But I killed that dude dead as a doornail with #6 shot through an IC choke at 72 yards.
 
I shoot nothing but 20 and 28 gauge O/U shotguns. I shoot a lot of 6's in my first barrel. I have some eye problems, so after 35 yards I don't do so well. But 6's do a very good job for me out to that range. I might as well be shooting a single shot, for I miss most of the second shots........Bob
 
Iâ??ve been hunting pheasants for 37+ years and now I only use #6 shot. Once upon a time I would load a #7 ½ in the bottom barrel and a #6 in the top. Logic was more shot, closer range just as effective. It never really worked as well in real practice as in theory. When the birds really started flying hot and heavy I might end up with a #7 ½ through the modified barrel and a #6 through the bottom.
I quit that years ago and went to #6's all the time. I also went through a phase where I thought I should shoot improved modified and full chokes. I also quit that and now shoot I/C and modified through my fixed choke SXS. I killed a rooster the other day with one shot dead that I paced off at 47 steps with a I/C choke in my Merkel 1620 shooting Westley Richards 2 ½" #6's at 1330 FPS. I donâ??t usually shoot that far because I hunt over dogs but this was an exception!
I read once that the human mind tends to center things while you are aiming at them, such as a flying pheasant. I realize that you lead a flying bird but your mind automatically tends to center the aiming point and most of the back ½ of a pheasant seems to be tail. Iâ??m almost positive the birds that I hit that continue to fly are hit too far back.
I now try to focus on the front of the bird instead of the middle of the bird. I miss some but kill my fair share as well.
Just my thoughts on the subject.
 
I havent had any problems with 1 oz copper 6s, 2 1/2" RST, in my vintage 16 choked .018 & .028 but my personal limit would be around 40 yds with the tighter barrel.

RogerWYO
 
airmedic1 said:
I read once that the human mind tends to center things while you are aiming at them, such as a flying pheasant. I realize that you lead a flying bird but your mind automatically tends to center the aiming point and most of the back ½ of a pheasant seems to be tail. Iâ??m almost positive the birds that I hit that continue to fly are hit too far back.
I now try to focus on the front of the bird instead of the middle of the bird. I miss some but kill my fair share as well.
Just my thoughts on the subject.
Click to expand...

Right on airmedic1. & if you're looking at tail feathers to verify that it is a rooster guess where you're gonna hit. Look for the pretty white ring:D.
 
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