“Biggest” pheasant load

[Speaks]

Mostly use a 20 ga and am fine with 5s or 6s lead. Generally an ounce in either 20 or 16 and 1 1/8 if I break out the 12. I tend to prefer lower velocity rounds for better patterns.

 

[kpk]

#5 lead year round in both 12 and 20.
I'll occasionally use 3 bismuth if there are ducks in the area.

 

[KurtR]

2 3/4 5 or 6 what ever is cheap alot of times it will happen to be what ever is in the center counsel while out driving around and seeing a chicken in the ditch

 

[Stache Attack]

5s early 4s then. Shot all 4’s this year and I think I’m going back to 5s. More pellets for some of those poor shots.

 

[GreenNDark Timber]

Winchester Super X 1-1/8 oz #6 out of a 16 gauge is pretty much all I shoot. If I'm on an area that requires non tox I'll use Boss #5s. If I miss them with either of those, a bigger pay load wouldn't change anything.

 

[yfarm]

Heavy dove loads, 1/1/8 in 12 ga, 1 oz in 20 #6 lead shot all we need inside 40 yds, beyond that we let the birds go for next time.

 

[Cervid]

I hunt with a pointing dog, so expect all my shots to be pretty close. I use a 20 gauge and 4, 5, 6, or 7 depending on what I have on hand. Some public areas require steel or have max shot size requirements, so adjust accordingly. Only thing I really try to avoid is 7 and smaller in steel for pheasant.

 

[WCB]

Late season or real wild flushing birds...Federal #4 or #5 Prairie Storm hands down. ZERO reason to go to a lead or BB. Grew up upland hunting with a Grandfather that owned a Pheasant hunting lodge in S.D. I also used to guide at a different operation wild and released birds. 90%+ of the time I shot regular premium lead 6s or maybe 5's. If you aren't killing birds you aren't hitting them and pellet size has nothing to do with it.

I don't even shoot BB's for ducks and geese. TSS is just more expense. Bismuth IMO is overrated for the price.

 

[spur60]

I shot 39 roosters this fall between SD and MN. Many of the birds I shoot are as a poster/blocker or off to the side of a friend or family member working a dog. (don't currently have my own dog). Until I get my own dog and start getting close opportunities at birds flushing off of a point, I have zero reason to shoot 6's. I want heavy payload high velocity copper plated 5's and 4's all day. 2 3/4" 1 3/8 oz or 3" 1 5/8 oz. in 12 gauge or 3" 1 1/4 oz in 20 gauge. High velocity 4's might make a little bigger hole in the meat, but I rarely find pellets in the breast meat, as they get better penetration. Of the 5 birds I cleaned from saturday & sunday, I only popped one pellet out of a bird and that was in a thigh.

 

[Teaman1]

Just to clarify, the #3 lead, steel BB, and #5 TSS were just heavier shot than I see on hunts. Wasn’t asking about using them haha.
I shot a pheasant when I was younger with lead #2’s and was definitely too much of a good thing.
Just curious on people’s general opinion on the heaviest “acceptable” loads, or loads that people think help to extend their range a bit.

Seems like #4 lead is about as heavy as most will go. And smaller shot can be desired for better shot density at all ranges.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

#6 exclusively for wild birds. #7.5 for released birds.

 

[roosterdown]

#6 lead early; #5 lead late. #5 Boss when I am feeling flush.

 

[Axlrod]

1 1/2 oz. 5's loaded in 1x fired AA hulls for roosters and turkeys.

 

[LongWayAround]

I've definitely seen my dad and his buddies shoot old 3.5" turkey loads at late season roosters.

I usually shoot 3" steel 3's myself.

I personally don't think it matters much. Shooting them with a heavier duck load isn't necessarily more meat damage than a denser pattern of lead 6's.

 

[chemist]

I've definitely seen my dad and his buddies shoot old 3.5" turkey loads at late season roosters.

I usually shoot 3" steel 3's myself.

I personally don't think it matters much. Shooting them with a heavier duck load isn't necessarily more meat damage than a denser pattern of lead 6's.

There is more truth to this than many realize. Larger pellets don't do a lot more damage. Increased number of pellet strikes to the meat cause a lot more damage. That is the reason that when I shoot #6 it is generally a 1 oz or 1 1/8 oz load.

 

[Alpine4x4]

Always used #6 lead until we started jumping ducks in our favorite pheasant area and then went to steel 2s.

 

[Sandhills]

In lead I like a 6 as my first shot and 5s for my last couple. Copper or nickel plated. Bismuth I use 4s for everything. I hate steel with a passion for Pheasants.

A buddy of mine used to use lead 2s for roosters and chukars.

 

[wyroberts]

#5 lead if I’m only hunting pheasants. #6 lead if there’s a possibility of chukars/huns and pheasants.

 

[ianpadron]

Never shot anything bigger than a 2 3/4" load of 5s at a rooster, never felt I needed more either. 99% of the time I prefer 6s

 

[Public Land Drew]

If I were strictly a Pheasant man, I would shoot 6 in the early season and 5 in the late season. Damn birds are tough after 35 yards with 6... at least with the 28