Guys:

Any suggestions for a 20 gauge pheasant load?

Winchester Supreme and Estate both make a 2 3/4" 1.0 Oz and a 1 1/8 Oz load that kills pheasants quite well...

If you're like me and want to "roll your own", I like federal cases with 1.0 Oz #6 shot and a max charge of 800-X. I sometimes use #7 nickel shot just to increase the pellet count.....It's also a great load!

I actually like the fast and lighter loads over the 3" loads.....having said that....Estate also makes an awesome 3" load from the Factory.

I have been using the same load for longer than I would like to admit.

Rem hull
1 oz copper plated #6's
Rem SP20 wad
22g of Blue Dot

Right out of the Alliant pages. There are better powders like Longshot but this has been filling the gamebag for many years now.

AA or WW Compression Formed Hull (old style, not HS
1 oz #6 shot
WW AA 20F1 wad
WW 540 or HS-6 powder (same specs) in the proper amount (can't remember offhand, but the WW and Hodgdon books list it -- I think about 24.5 grains I looked it up and the 24.5 grains is for WW 571 or HS-7. With WW 540 or HS-6 use 21 grains.).
WW 209 primer or any other shotshell primer that makes a spark.

I find that the velocity you give up to use a 1 1/8 load of shot largely negates the benefit of the extra eighth-ounce, and besides, the 20 gauge doesn't pattern more than about an ounce very efficiently.

Stonecreek,
Do you have a source for AA 20 g hulls?

#5 shot

A load with hard #6 will work fine and 7/8oz will fly just as fast and hit just as hard as 1oz but is more pleasant to shoot.

Thanks Guys. Much appreciated.

I use fed case rem power piston wad 17 grs of herco 1 1/8 oz of mag 6 shot. I have killed many pheasants with this load. I really can't tell the differants between this and a 1.25 load out of a 12 ga.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
I use fed case rem power piston wad 17 grs of herco 1 1/8 oz of mag 6 shot. I have killed many pheasants with this load. I really can't tell the differants between this and a 1.25 load out of a 12 ga.

This says a lot....because at the end of a tiring day of pheasant hunting it's a heck of a lot easier to lift a light weight 20 ga to the shoulder and get off an "aimed" shot than any 12 Ga I've owned and the somewhat reduced charge weight helps with reduced recoil too.

Even the 28 Ga makes a fine pheasant gun using 1.0 Oz of 7 1/2 shot if the Winchester Supreme ammo.

I do look for speed in the 20 Ga however.....I like to match the 1,300 FPS of the 12 Ga.....and some powders can do this. I find the 20 Ga to offer a lot to a pheasant hunter with very little loss.....It's my "go to" pheasant Ga!

I have 2 20ga BSS a 26 and a 28 both work well I seem to shoot the 26 in just a bit better. The above load has killed a lot of pheasants.

It use to be my go to load for ducks before we had to use nontox shot