Various observations....

I just think most folks, ones that don't often shoot or aren't a real good shot, would really benefit from use the most open choke they have....kind of what is being said here. I think the majority of the hunters likely only have the standard 3 choke tubes. Even if you are a good shot, you don't want to mutilate the birds. Let's open-up!
 
Light modified is a good choke. Probably the best for the average hunter.
 
benelli-banger said:
I think whatever creates confidence for you is the "right" recipe...I have been using the Cabela's/Herters shells for about 5 years now, and I have great confidence in their efficacy. This season I did shoot a 16 gauge S x S a bit (several), but most of my birds were killed with a 12 gauge using the aforementioned loads. I have a few buddies who are Prairie Storm disciples...good looking load. I didn't tally my #'s this season, but it is well North of 100...I'm sure I went through 12-15 boxes of shells, probably more. I guess paying an extra $5 or $10 per box isn't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. I will try the Prairie Storms for the heck of it next trip...I wonder how much extra energy that velocity creates???
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Are you really getting any benefits from the more expensive premium high-velocity pheasant loads?

Well, let’s see what the pattern board can tell us about these two loads and how they performed in my gun/chokes.

Patterning results from a 12-gauge Browning Citori with 28" Invector-plus barrels using Briley flush chokes (patterns average of five, 30" post-shot scribed circle, yardage taped muzzle to target, and in-shell pellet count average of five).

12 GA 2 3/4" FEDERAL GAME-SHOK HEAVY FIELD LOAD
1 ¼ oz #5 lead (224 pellets) @ 1220 fps
30 YARDS – IC / pattern 173 (77%)
40 YARDS – Mod / pattern 145 (65%)
50 YARDS – Full / pattern 109 (49%)

12 GA 2 3/4" FEDERAL PREMIUM UPLAND HIGH-VELOCITY LOAD
1 ¼ oz #5 lead (216 pellets) @ 1400 fps
30 YARDS – IC / pattern 152 (70%)
40 YARDS – Mod / pattern 126 (58%)
50 YARDS – Full / pattern 84 (39%)

It’s obvious from the pattern numbers that the high-velocity load shot much more open patterns from the chokes tested. Both the IC and Modified chokes shot 7% tighter patterns with the slower Game-Shok load and 10% tighter with the Full choke.

It’s clear to me that you could save some money and reduce recoil by shooting the 1220 fps load and not forgo any pheasant killin’ effectiveness. Heck, the slower load put 24 more pellets (a 29% increase) in the 50-yard pattern than the premium load. Just because they are labeled “Premium” loads, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are the “best” performing loads!

That’s my take, now you can be the judge!
 
Munster927 said:
I agree with those that said use what works for you and gives you confidence. That for me, is shooting IC all season long (I used to use modified but been using IC for a long time now) and typically I shoot 6s and 7.5.
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I use an IC all season long too. With #6 lead shot. I used to switch back and forth between and Modified and IC but most of my shots are within 30 yards so there was really no reason to keep trying the Modified. If the bird is 40+ yards, I don't even shoot at it anyways.
 
benelli-banger said:
Another season has basically ended; while driving home today, various observations came to mind: I can’t get enough bird hunting!; I shoot best alone, not distracted by the whereabouts of others; the dogs are the stars!; my run-of-the-mill 1200 FPS loads of #5 lead are just fine if I do my part; IC is my choke of choice, all season long; I loathe hunting in groups...one buddy is just about perfect, hunting solo is great as well; I can hunt comfortably all day long in muck boots...gotta love dry feet!; dogs recovering cripples is the best!!!!; what the sun does to prairie grasses is better than what any artist can do, especially near sundown!; discerning signals given by the dogs is much fun...almost unfair!!!!; flushing, shooting, retrieving roosters is as exciting as it was 30 years ago!!!; a vest full is just about as good as this life gets!!!! 🤩
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Funny, these are the kinds of things I think about while driving alone too. Here's my $0.02.
I can’t get enough bird hunting! I know the feeling!
I shoot best alone, not distracted by the whereabouts of others. The last couple years, it seems my shooting has been a little bit better when I have an audience. Happy to rise to the occasion.
The dogs are the stars! No kidding! Understatement of the season.
My run-of-the-mill 1200 FPS loads of #5 lead are just fine if I do my part. That'll do it. My loads are #5 lead at 1300; #4 lead at 1260; #5 bismuth at 1300.
IC is my choke of choice, all season long. I put MOD in my Sweet 16 & leave it there; once in a while opting for FULL. 16 ga Model 12 is FULL.
I loathe hunting in groups...one buddy is just about perfect, hunting solo is great as well. Me too. Solo w/ Ace is preferred, but w/ 1 other friend is fun too.
I can hunt comfortably all day long in muck boots...gotta love dry feet! Never owned muck boots, but dry, comfortable boots are the bee's knees.
Dogs recovering cripples is the best!!!! Absolutely! Especially the ones when you're almost ready to chalk it up as a loss & then he/she comes up with the bird. No matter how dead a rooster is, expect him to be found where you don't expect him to be found.
What the sun does to prairie grasses is better than what any artist can do, especially near sundown! Yep! And the birds & the dogs. And the skies!!!
Discerning signals given by the dogs is much fun...almost unfair!!!! Agreed. When you're in the zone w/ your dog, & all you need to give each other is a little look, to know what one another are thinking......fantastic!!
Flushing, shooting, retrieving roosters is as exciting as it was 30 years ago!!! For me it's considerably MORE exciting, because 30 years ago I was still dogless. I loved hunting pheasants 30 years ago, but the last 19 seasons owning a springer have taken it about 5 notches higher!
A vest full is just about as good as this life gets!!!! I give my dog at least 90% ownership of those birds in the vest, but when the teamwork pays off, it doesn't get any better.
 
I've had some career success in my 32 years of being a working stiff that resulted in some decent financial rewards...done a few things to make some $ outside of the job itself as well...those things don't compare to the feeling of anticipating birds flushing (thanks to the dogs), having the birds flush, mounting the gun and shooting the bird, then seeing the dog returning with said bird, possibly after a lengthy search...nothing compares to that feeling, for me at least...I guess that is what drives me to spend as many days afield as I possibly can, perhaps to my financial detriment...but I don't worship $, or worry about not having enough...I do worry about not spending my life wisely...:giggle:
 
Love reading these responses. Being from western NY I hunt mostly ducks, grouse and released pheasants and my yearly trip to Pierre SD each fall. I take two shotguns, my Remington 1100 30 inch full choke and my Stoeger OU. The Stoeger has a IC and a mod choked. I am really proficient with the 30 full probably because of the long sight line and using it for the last 20 years on geese and ducks. But it's heavy! Anyway, #5 3inch shells are used but after reading the comments, I think I will try the 2 3/4 shells next year. When i tell my dad what shells i use he laughs and says back i Phialdelphia in the 50's we used 7 1/2 shells. Anyway, enjoyed all the comments.
 
I was quail hunting last weekend when I was surprised by the flush of a rooster. The 7 1/2’s killed him as dead as a 5.
 
Proper presentation of vitals will do that, obviously...crossers tend to go down hard, straight aways not so much, IMO...amazing how much ground a rooster can cover in 3 seconds!!!
 
I typically have a 4-5hr drive home so lots of time to think about various topics and admire the dog sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat.
I’ll pretty much agree with all of your thoughts.
Solo 99% of the time, buy the cheap federal shells from Walmart(#5s) love the feel of broken in boots on my feet but don’t wear muck style boots often.
The scenery and dogs are what keep me making the trip. In all honesty if I had someone I trusted to go along and do the shooting I would be perfectly fine with just being there to observe and take pictures.
 
Jet said:
I typically have a 4-5hr drive home so lots of time to think about various topics and admire the dog sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat.
I’ll pretty much agree with all of your thoughts.
Solo 99% of the time, buy the cheap federal shells from Walmart(#5s) love the feel of broken in boots on my feet but don’t wear muck style boots often.
The scenery and dogs are what keep me making the trip. In all honesty if I had someone I trusted to go along and do the shooting I would be perfectly fine with just being there to observe and take pictures.
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Yep, that's me.12 dollar a box shells, old truck, bench seat, my dog lying on my lap.I do hunt with one, or 2 other guys , but not a lot.I have taught 6 different guys how to bird hunt. I'm sort of proud of that.These guys had never fired a gun before, and I invited them to go out on a week long pheasant hunt.One at a time of course.
 
Great post BB. It's been a year for the memory bank. Nothing epic, but solid to very good bird numbers everywhere I hunted. The prairies are special, I miss the early morning drive doing 75 for miles down a 2 lane blacktop without meeting another car for an hour of driving. I enjoy hunting with people I know. I just like hunting where there's nobody else I don't know around. There is no tougher smarter bird than a pheasant. I am amazed every year and see something new every year. I saw a dog go on point this year at the front bumper of a truck driven to the end of a section out into the field so we did not have to walk back. Yes, there was a rooster under the truck. That mistake cost him dearly. I shoot IC and M and 5's mostly. I shot my lady gun often this year as well. Dakota boys call subgauges lady guns evidently:). I will start to miss my older dog on some walks next year, he is slowing down. Faster than me is my guilty hope. The wheels are wobbling more than they used too. Forest grouse are fun, they have been romanticized fairly and fly well. They are not the match for a good set of dogs like the pheasant. Hopefully, next year is as much of a blessing as this one was. One more weekend for me, I have been saving a few covies. The joy and challenge of bird hunting is all the intricate pieces of the puzzle that have to be put together to be successful consistently.
 
I've got two people that I truly "love" to hunt with, my dad and my uncle. I enjoy hunting with others, but those two guys hunt like I do and we don't have to tell each other where to go or what to do and we most certainly would never wait for the other to shoot. It's instinctive. I'm trying harder to hunt with others to share the experience, but it's tough when Sage and I have so much frigging fun when it's simply the two of us.

I shoot a full choke from opener to final bell. I also hunt a lot of waterfowl. I shoot #2 steel almost exclusively. I know there are a couple of roosters each year that get to continue life because my pattern is so tight, but I've found a tight pattern to do greater damage. As a wise man once told me, "the deader the better". When it comes to shooting, I'm consistently average as I have no qualms when it comes to taking low percentage shots, whether alone or with a group. I like to shoot guns. It's fun.

My biggest observation of 2020 would be the number of roosters I saw versus hens. I don't know if the hatch just worked out with a few more boys than girls, or what, but I'll take it. Numbers are up slightly in my neck of the woods. With the incredibly warm weather, the winter will be short, no matter what happens between now and April.

My pup is on the IR and we PROBABLY won't be doing any more pheasant hunting this year. Which is a bummer. But the idea that there might be a small chance has me quietly giddy.
 
Golden Hour said:
I've got two people that I truly "love" to hunt with, my dad and my uncle. I enjoy hunting with others, but those two guys hunt like I do and we don't have to tell each other where to go or what to do and we most certainly would never wait for the other to shoot. It's instinctive. I'm trying harder to hunt with others to share the experience, but it's tough when Sage and I have so much frigging fun when it's simply the two of us.

I shoot a full choke from opener to final bell. I also hunt a lot of waterfowl. I shoot #2 steel almost exclusively. I know there are a couple of roosters each year that get to continue life because my pattern is so tight, but I've found a tight pattern to do greater damage. As a wise man once told me, "the deader the better". When it comes to shooting, I'm consistently average as I have no qualms when it comes to taking low percentage shots, whether alone or with a group. I like to shoot guns. It's fun.

My biggest observation of 2020 would be the number of roosters I saw versus hens. I don't know if the hatch just worked out with a few more boys than girls, or what, but I'll take it. Numbers are up slightly in my neck of the woods. With the incredibly warm weather, the winter will be short, no matter what happens between now and April.

My pup is on the IR and we PROBABLY won't be doing any more pheasant hunting this year. Which is a bummer. But the idea that there might be a small chance has me quietly giddy.
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My dad was a decent hunter when he was young.Past the age of 50, he couldn't hit the side of a barn.I dont know why. I do my best, hunting solo with my lab. We are a team. I do enjoy the fellowship of hunting with other friends and relatives on occasion. I do take some long shots. I also shoot a lot.
 
I really, really appreciate this thread. This season saw me getting out more than I ever have. My lab is coming along nicely. If I'd have not had two bad streaks of shooting I'd have been bringing home birds almost every trip.

I hunt alone or with one of my adult sons who just walk. I've had a few times where a second or even third gun would have helped a lot. Oh, and I hunt mostly public, so it was great seeing birds.
 
Nugent said:
My dad was a decent hunter when he was young.Past the age of 50, he couldn't hit the side of a barn.I dont know why. I do my best, hunting solo with my lab. We are a team. I do enjoy the fellowship of hunting with other friends and relatives on occasion. I do take some long shots. I also shoot a lot.
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Did he get bifocals when he turned 50? The first year Dad shot with bifocals, he took them off & threw them!
 
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