Winchester ammo

I've tried SP in several varieties, and don't recommend it. For some reason both the slower 1 3/8 oz load (1300 fps) and faster (1450 fps) loads in 12 gauge were very ineffective. Either patterns are bad or the actual velocities are slower than advertised. The 3" 20 gauge SP with 1 1/4 oz @ 1300 fps is OK, but no better than most standard 2 3/4" 1 oz 1220 fps loads.

I've heard these same comments from other hunters on Win SP ammo. These same hunters (and myself) all like the Fed Wing-Shok/Rem Nitro/Fiocchi Golden Pheasant much better.
 
Well as far as winnchester ammo for pheasant and quail what do you recommand that work the best that isn't going to break the bank?
 
I have had very good success with the SP. It is now my shell of choice when after wild birds. I think the performance for the price is good. Just make sure you don't shoot anything under 20 yards. Not much left of the bird.
 
From experience, we often blame a shotshell for shooting problems.
Rarely tho are factory shells a problem....recoil of them may be, cost as well but the shells themselves pretty much will all work fine after a fashion and pointed correctly.
Patterns also are seldom an issue as few pattern enough or correctly to really discover if an issue exists....and if the particular shell is the culprit.
Shooting any well-known shotshell that matches both the bird and the scattergun will never fail anyone as Cause #1.

Rather than fretting over brand simply look to a reasonable payload at a reasonable speed in a reasonable gauge for the critter at hand.
 
Hard shot at a reasonable veocity kills birds. Excess speed and soft shot ruins pattens which doesn't help bag birds. Federal shot used to be soft but I haven't shot it for years. I do pattern my loads and know this for a fact.
 
Would agree with the others. But most important than brands, etc. is the ability of the shooter. A poor field shot will still shoot poorly with the best shells and the best shooters could probably use rock salt and still kill birds.
 
Regarding hardness of shot, most of the expensive loads (including SP) all use copper or nickel-plated (Fiocchi) shot. However, plating soft shot does not make it any harder. I suspect that the SP loads start with softer shot...

As far as opinions of SP, when the same hunters/same guns/same day have poor results with SP, but switch to other brands and start killing birds dead, what conclusions can you draw? BTW, I have seen this happen on more than one occasion, so it's not an anomaly.
 
Anecdotal evidence that doesn't even relate to the original question here :) :

Wife shoots a 20 guage BPS. I'm a die hard Fiocchi shooter in the 12 guage. I bought her some 3" 20 guage shells, a lower velocity. She was hitting the birds, but not killing them. That night went and bought some high speed Federal 2 3/4" shells. The next day she was folding them.

Was it the shells? Was it just happenstance? Was she just making better shots? Heck if I know, but she sure was happy after her first wild hunt.
 
Trying for yourself is probably the best idea, but I like the regular Win Super X game loads. 1 1/4 oz of #5.

I have shot Federal PF in the past, and also Fiocci. It was probably user error or mental block, why I was less successful with the Federal and Fiocci. My worst hunting trip ever was the first time I tried Fiocci. I was shooting Fiocci #6. I shot more than half the box and had one rooster to show for it. Gave the rest of the box away... No matter what the science says, I will never forget that trip, and will probably never shoot another Fiocci shell.

The first time I switched to the Super X I dropped 10 wild roosters stone-dead with 10 shells on a 3-day trip. I bought a couple cases after that trip and never looked back.:D All mental? Probably, but I will never forget that trip either, and I feel very confident every time I load up with Super X.

Confidence in yourself and your equipment is a huge factor in your success rate, as was said by others.
 
Shotshells are like anything else. Don't use what doesn't work and stick with what does. When you factor in all brands/types/velocities/shot sizes, and then guns and chokes, there are lots of variables to deal with.
 
Winchester Ammunition began offering its quality product in 1873 and has been providing the citizens and military of the United States with the same standard of quality ever since.
 
I've been using SP on my trips to ND for the last 4 years with great success. I use the 2 3/4" 1 3/8oz #5 shot load and it flat out kills roosters, even in a ND wind.
 
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