20 gau. vs 12 gau. on Pheasants

31 August 2009, 06:59

quote:
Hell, buds of mine have had their dogs bring back *live* ones that haven't been shot,

At a commercial quail preserve last year I saw a dog flush an unshot pen-raised bird and as it was on the rise the dog jumped high and snatched the bird out of the air, then retrieved it. I looked at the guide and said "I take it that's not going against my limit, right?"

I agree pheasants are more like trap than skeet, if you're a walker anyway. As a blocker, I recall some skeet like shots..

31 August 2009, 07:03

Kamo Gari

quote:
Originally posted by Gerrypeters375:
KG:

Frankly, I'm astonished that ruffed grouse can be raised and planted at all. In my youth it was deemed an impossibility.

Gerry, sorry about the corn-fusion, but I was referring to pheasant being planted. I've never heard of ruffed grouse (called partridge by some locally) being 'stocked' or planted here.

Edited to add: I've spent a goodly amount of time chasing grouse up north in the White Mountains and points north, as well as up in Quebec, and I know well the fright you can get with them exploding under foot. In fact, the first few had me so shocked I failed to even bring my gun to bear. One might suppose they know this. They certainly have used it to great advantage with some grouse hunters!

01 September 2009, 21:37

Gerrypeters375

KG:

In a way, I'm relieved that you were talking about pheasants. BTW, in upstate NY we also used the term "partridge" or "pat". About that exploding under your feet feature - Yeah, I think they did it deliberately! To this day, I have a vivid recollection of a time,as a teenager, that I sat down on a log to eat my sandwich (at about 9 in the morning!)

I ate the sandwich, stood up, took about one step and had a pat explode. I never got the shotgun up before he was behind the trees. (Their camo is pretty good too!)

02 September 2009, 00:05

Gerrypeters375

KG:

Forgot to say in my last post- There's nothing for you to apologize for - I had been reading Norton's post and sort of conflated your comments about planted pheasants and his about missing ruffed grouse. BTW, I was pleasantly surprised to read that you occasionally get out of that ice laden blind to hunt a real game bird!

(I freely concede that I think the ruffed grouse or "pat" is the most difficult of all game birds. If you were not so deluded by a longtime addiction, you would agree with me - something like being a Bosox fan, I guess)

03 September 2009, 08:38

Don Slater

12,16, or 20 for pheasants? Wild or pen raised?
Number of pellets and shot size? Velocity? Pattern the gun? Load your own?

I'll bet a dollar against a donut (about the same nowadays!) that the real problem is considering trap/skeet methods and guns to be the same as hunting and hunting guns.

Missing or crippling birds? THE PROBLEM IS USUALLY POOR SHOTGUN FIT! And the culprits are mostly barrel length and LOP!

Mr. Kobe does well with his 20 gauge. I'll
bet his gun fits properly!

07 September 2009, 03:56

The Shottist

quote:
Originally posted by Joe Hunter:
MWC --

Secondly, a 1 1/4 oz load of #5 lead (a great pheasant load) has the same number of pellets (approx. 212)regardless of if it is shot from a 12ga or a 20ga so the number of pellets isn't an issue. How it is choked can make a big difference..

Third, yes a 20ga 1 1/4 oz load will have a longer shot string (not quite as efficient) than the same load in a 12ga but I think it is only a minor factor. Particularly with going away or shallow angled shots like much of the pheasant shooting I've been around. To me, worrying about shot strings is just splitting hairs inside of 40 yards!

Very well put.
An ounce of lead is the same whether it is shot from a 12 gauge or a 20 gauge barrel.

Pattern your gun, it could be the stock is not a perfect fit and your pattern is a little high or low or left or right of your P.O.A.

That will really effect the long shots.

I am amazed at how many shotgun shooters never pattern their guns. That is like buying a rifle and never checking the zero on the scope that you installed. How can you know where the pellets hit if you don't pattern it?

After you pattern it, do the necessary mods to the stock to make it shoot where you point it.

07 September 2009, 06:56

Don Slater

quote:
Originally posted by The Shottist:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Joe Hunter:
MWC --

After you pattern it, do the necessary mods to the stock to make it shoot where you point it.

Look Boss! It's the stock! It's the stock!
On Fantasy Island, they all fit properly!

Great skeet and trap guns do not make great hunting guns!