shot size on 20 and 28 gauge

[huntingdad]

Curious what nontoxic shot size you guys run in 20's and 28's for wild pheasant. I read somewhere that the 3" 1 1/16 loads could create pressure issues on smaller bore shotguns. I'm a noob at hunting pheasant but know my 12 gauges very well for waterfowl and geese.

There aren't a lot of options available right now. I can only find 2 boxes of the 3" 28 gauge 1 1/16 #5's. Anything else is 4 shot or 2 3/4 and I dont think the 2 3/4 are smaller than 5. I think most of it is 4 shot.

I will probably end up in some areas that require nontoxic loads.

Oh, and because I should have some private to hunt on, what loads in lead are guys having success with?

will be out of over and unders with 28" barrels. both chambered in 3"

I am eyeing some #7 tss.... i mean... lololol It's hell on turkeys!

 

[Jason Snyder]

For lead, I shoot a lot of Fiocchi HV 5s and 6s. 2 3/4”. I hunt over pointing dogs and have never needed 3” or plated shot.

 

[Bluefish]

7 tss. Or 5’s for 13 g heavy shot. I have used 9’s on pheasants, but it didn’t make them crumple. Would just go right thought the bones without breaking them.

 

[dtrkyman]

Wow #7 TSS seems like overkill! I have killed a semi load of Pheasant with lead 6s, many with 5s as well, over dogs so closer shots.

Steel 4s would be sufficient in non tox, 7 tss has enough energy to blow completely through a rooster at over 100 yds! I used 7s on sandhill cranes.

Hevi shot in #6 would be deadly.

Not sure on the status of Bismuth? 5s would do well.

 

[huntingdad]

Well, I have 20 gauge 6’s coming and 2 boxes of 28 gauge 5’s. All in 3”. I’ll probably pick up some 28 gauge 7 tss for the second barrel if I can’t find some more 28 gauge non toxic loads. Damn they are hard to find

 

[Irish Miner]

I bought a case of Boss Warchiefs in 2 3/4" #6's last year and they worked well for wild pheasant. Seems they dont make them anymore due to bismuth availability. You might consider their new copper loads in #5's..

 

[Bluefish]

Wow #7 TSS seems like overkill! I have killed a semi load of Pheasant with lead 6s, many with 5s as well, over dogs so closer shots.

Steel 4s would be sufficient in non tox, 7 tss has enough energy to blow completely through a rooster at over 100 yds! I used 7s on sandhill cranes.

Hevi shot in #6 would be deadly.

Not sure on the status of Bismuth? 5s would do well.

The only reason I like the 7 tss vs smaller is the bigger pellets break bones. The smaller ones (9’s) are just as deadly, but don’t crumple a bird in the air like the 7’s. With the 9’s I have had dead in the air birds glide off. Lungs destroyed, but still able to fly. Found dead where they hit the ground.

 

[dtrkyman]

Interesting, I had heard of similar stories before, I have only shot TSS at turkeys and a few cranes, the reason I have been hesitant to shoot 9s or smaller is too many hits on target so I had considered 8s for ducks but kill decoying birds and have not seen the need.

Though I would love to load some .410 and shoot ducks with it, 5/8th oz of 8s maybe?

 

[z987k]

Bismuth 5 or 6 would be fine.

I've been buying from epic shotshells for awhile. For upland, I use the 2 3/4 #6 bismuth in 20ga.

Looks like they have 4, 5, 6 and 7s in 28.

 

[huntingdad]

Bismuth 5 or 6 would be fine.

I've been buying from epic shotshells for awhile. For upland, I use the 2 3/4 #6 bismuth in 20ga.

Looks like they have 4, 5, 6 and 7s in 28.

I just checked the website and they show 1 box of bismuth in stock for 28 gauge and it’s 7 shot

 

[doc holiday13]

for 28g i've found I "need" about 1 shot size bigger than I would use with a 12g. For squirrels i would use 7.5 shot in 12g. I moved to 6 in 28g

For pheasant I've used 6 shot for pen birds so I imagine 5 shot might be preferrable for wild birds.. For Turkey I use #9 TSS handloaded 1oz

 

[z987k]

I just checked the website and they show 1 box of bismuth in stock for 28 gauge and it’s 7 shot

Might be worth an e-mail. They've always been very responsive with me.

 

[DuckDawg22]

Kent Fasteel Upland in 6 has been just fine for me over planted birds.

 

[Hans13]

Early season I use 6 bismuth, 7.5 lead in a 28. Late season I either step up to a 16 with 5s for bismuth and 5 or 6 in lead with any gauge depending on the cover I am hunting. I do hunt over pointing dogs as well, but still get wild flushes where the bigger shot size is nice insurance late in season.

 

[loganwayne]

ive been using Migra 7.5/9 in my 20 for grouse. picked up some 4/6 shot for pheasants. if its as good as the other its what ill keep using.

 

[kcm2]

No 6 lead shot out of my 28 gauge is good to 60 yards on pheasants.

 

[Public Land Drew]

Out west I have the opportunity to harvest pheasant, Huns, chukar and quail. Often times three out of four species can live in the same area and encounter on the same walk. I’d exclusively shoot 2 3/4 #6 in 28 gauge SxS with modified and improved modified chokes year round.

 

[Rieckman]

I shoot #5 out of my 28 year round with a modified choke. Exclusively used Boss #5 bismuth until this year. Now it's just lead.

 

[WVELK]

I shoot 5s on wild and preserve birds. 90 percent of the time I have an over and under 28 gauge and use a 20 the rest of the time. My first shot is with a modified choke and the second with something a touch tighter. Shooting TSS is likely overkill and expensive.

 

[BCDJR]

I’ve hunted a lot of game birds with my pointers but I don’t have any experience with the non toxic shells on upland birds. If I was only pheasant hunting I would use #6 in both guns. For the 28 ga they used to make as I recall a copper load for turkeys that make have been supplanted with the TTS. Those seem high priced but at the end of the day how many rounds do you think you will shoot on birds? You can practice with low cost ammo and use the good stuff on game. I hate wounding birds and not finding them. Hopefully you will have dogs to run them down. In full disclosure I hunt quail with a .410 and 28 sxs. However if I was going only to hunt pheasant it would be with a 20 ga. Can you kill them with the other guns…yes. But I have seen a lot more of them wounded with smaller calibers. Also check the Ammo Seek website for shells. I use it for the 3 inch shells I use in the .410.