The last time I went pheasant hunting I used No 8 shells, I am wondering if this was a little light for pheasants, and was thinking maybe some 3in No 6 shot would work better. what do you guys think are the ideal shells for pheasants.

Number 8 shot is WAY too light for pheasant. I use a 20 ga for all my hunting and I use 1oz of 6 shot all year. If the birds are really spooky I have a 1 1/8oz load I reload that has #5's in it. They work real well on spooky birds.
In a 12 ga 1 1/8oz of 6's in the early season would be good. In late season on spooky birds, I might go with 1 1/4 oz of 6's or 5's
Ron

I'll agree with Ron, except for planted birds. Then, a fly swatter will do.

For wild roosters, I shoot 1 1/4 of fives for the first shot, and 1 1/2 oz of 4's for the last two. That gives me good pellet counts at 40 with a light mod choke (about 65%). A better shot could get away with fewer pellets in the air, but with those big wild roosters, I'd rather have the insurance. JMO, Dutch.

I pretty much use #6 in my Improved Cylinder Ithaca M-37, although I see the logic of #4 for a second or third shot. (Thanks Ron and Dutch for the tip!) The #5 seems like a good compromise.

I am a #5 man all the way. Later in the year i will put in a 5 followed by 4s . Early in the season i start out with a modified choke, then switch to improved modified for those rascals that get up out there a ways.

#5's full choke.

I prefer 1 1/4 oz of copper-plated 6's in my 12 gauge with IC chokes in both barrels.

In my 20 gauge, I shoot 1 oz of the same with IC on the bottom and Mod on top.

Most of my roosters are shot over pointing dogs so I could get by with 7 or 7 1/2 shot, but I like the penetration of the 6's. There are also fewer pellets to damage the meat.

Nothing smaller than #6 shot ever! unless you like to chase cripples! Early in the season I normally use cylinder and modified chokes.

Later in the season when the birds are more fully feathered and ranges tend to be longer I like light modified and extra full for chokes and shot size of either copper #6 or #5 in the bottom barrel and copper #4 in the top barrel. Nothing more than 3 1/4 dram w/ 1 1/40z of shot.

Early season I use improved cylinder with 1 1/4 of 5's or 6's. Late season I opt for modified with 1 1/4 of 5's or 4's. I personally would never use any shot smaller than 6's on wild pheasants.
Fordfreak

Number 5's cut through feathers like 6's will, but don't ball-up feathers like 4's are often prone to. The pellet count is @225 per ounce of lead-sixes, versus @170 of lead-fives. There are slightly fewer of each per ounce when copper or nickel-plated.



Before I'd resort to using 4's (which I once believed were necessary), I would opt to load plated 5's in a 1 3/8 ounce hi-vel load and concentrate on getting even pattern density using the smaller, better penetrating plated-shot. But you won't know what works for you or your shotgun unless you pattern your own reloads on paper!

I've known some guys who seem to do just fine with an ordinary load of 7 1/2's, but they usually only take the short shots. Sixes are probably the most commonly used size. My father-in-law hunted the midwest back in the late post-war years and commented that the natives all liked 5's. Since I'm a handloader (and 5's are scarce in factory loads), I tried some and really liked them. Fives are definately my "shot of choice" for Chinese chickens.

As between 4's and 6's, I'd take the sixes, but wouldn't turn down a hunt just because all I had were 4's.

I can't see that 3" shells are either necessary or desireable, even in a twenty gauge. If a pheasant is close enough to shoot at (say 45 yards or less), you can bring him down with an ordinary load. If he's further away than that, let him go instead of just weighting him down with a couple of stray pellets.

wow, you guys need better dogs!

I shoot a 20ga Ithica 500, IC/M, first 4-6 weeks I shoot 2.75" 1oz of 7.5s, later, 3-inch #6. I've killed a lot of birds with 7.5 through that IC... and most of them don't take chasing.

out of curiosity, pointers? or retriever/flushing dogs????

OK fellas, take it from a guy who shoots, literally, HUNDREDS of pheasants every year.

I shoot a 12 gauge, use 2 3/4 inch shells, #4 shot lead, and get the ones with 3 3/4 dram. Federal makes an excellent load with these specifics. Here in South Dakota, pheasant capital of the world, this combo is deadly on pheasants from opener to the end. I generally shoot a modified choke, but occasionally change to a full choke for a little extra challenge.

...but murftj! Is there anything left to eat? Because I spend most of the season guiding, I don't shoot as many roosters, but I do get to clean a few hundred wild birds a year. When the clients insist on shooting tight chokes and big shot, I invite them down to the bird cleaning room so they can see what happens when they do manage to hit a bird. Between the shattered bones and blood-shot holes full of feathers, some of these birds are hardly fit to eat!

Do you buy the Federal loads with the Pheasants Forever logo on them?

Cummins Cowboy,

I would assumed that you hunt wild pheasant being that the fact you live in Utah. The best shot size number that have worked for me is #5 even though I hunt over pointing & flushing dog combo. The pheasant that I
mostly come across are "smart", they tend to run 25 to 40 yards like a road-runner and then take flight and at the flight take off is where I have to smoke them "sometimes". The brand of shell's I used are Fiocchi "Nickel"
plated shot size #5 @ 1 3/8 ounce and they are called "Golden Pheasant" and I also use Fiocchi " Nickel" plated shot size #5 @ 1 1/4 ounce and they are called "High Velocity". My shotgun is a over/under which is choke
improved modified and improved cylinder. I used the High velocity shell for improved cylinder for bird's up close and Golden Pheasantfor those long shot in the improved modified barrel.I use this set up/shell's for all of my
bird hunting such as grouse, mountain & valley quail, chukar, hungarian partridge and pheasant. I came across these Fiocchi because I had forgotten my shell's for the hunting trip and decided to purchased these at nearest
sporting store in town (population# 170) and all they had left were these Fiocchi nickel plated. So I purchased them and noticed my bird shooting/harvest improved. I do not know if the fact the Nickle plating help. Just could
the shot size.

Tony,
"Because I spend most of the season guiding,"
When did you start guiding?
Are you still working at the airport? boy you sure get alot time off or do you not?

There was a time when I walked 'em up out around Larned, Ks., and a little bit near Dodge. A Mod. 12 in 12ga with #5 worked fine for me. Full choke it was. This was about the time Winchester set the world on it's ear by wrapping the shot with plastic collars. We were hi-tech back then. Pheasant weren't that tough back then but they would flush a ways out unless they just ran. Never had a chance to hunt them with dogs so don't know much about that. Gads, there were a bunch of them back then! They didn't make guns with 3" chambers then, nor ammo. Guess they're getting tougher...

Yeah, you're right. A "pheasant guide" from Iowa is entitled to his opinion. Hey, you are getting paid, and probably too much, for your services. The thread asked about ideal shot size for pheasants. The load I described will more often than not kill the bird on impact, eliminating my dogs getting worn out chasing cripples, and doing what they are intended to do, flush and retrieve. Do me a favor and don't question my judgment regarding pheasants again. I don't know where you hunt in Iowa, but don't shit yourself one bit...I have shot more pheasants in my life than you have seen.

As far as dogs go, I have hunted with guys who used pointers while pheasant hunting. Quite frankly, there is no comparison when you are talking about a pointer vs. a lab. Use your pointers to quail hunt or something like that. When it comes to pheasants and waterfowl, there is no finer dog than a lab. Period.

Come on Murf, don't be bashful or indecisive, tell us how you REALLY feel! My grandfather use to take pointers raised on wild Florida quail up to Indiana for pheasant hunting. He claimed the dang things ran faster than they laid down scent. Dogs always looked a bit ragged after one of those trips.

Never ceases to amaze me...you guys that don't hunt pheasants on a regular basis under all kinds of conditions think that you are the experts on the subject. Like I said, and will always say, you will never beat a lab when it comes to hunting upland and waterfowl. End of story.

Murfjt,

Are you some kind of self-appointed pheasant god?

Just had to ask. This started out being a friendly and informative thread, comparing ideas and experiences - not meant to decide who has a monopoly on pheasant hunting everywhere in the US, not just S. Dakota. But if I ever did hunt in S. Dakota, I'd keep an eye out for you and be sure to hunt in the opposite direction.

Don't know about Utah pheasants, but way back when they were plentyful here in the pennsylvania cornfields most of us used high brass 5 shot in our full-choked 16 ga Ithaca featherlights. We were on our own farms not competing with others on public shooting grounds so we just let them get a ways out over the corn before pulling the trigger. That also gave them more time to cackle. I miss that sound.

Back to shot size - -

In my 28 and late in the season, my 20 ga. NI plated # 5's work very well.

3/4 oz. and 7/8 oz. respectively. I limit my shots to ranges I know my chokes will kill at (if I point properly).

I've shot around 400 roosters, and don't use anything but 1 1/4 oz #4 shot (always the federals). Used everything else, they just kill better, the meat is cleaner to, as the pellets are much more likely to pass through instead of being in the muscle. Favorite choke is a light modifed (just a little tighter then improved), but will often go with improved when we will probably run into quail.

pointing dogs working a rooster is alot of fun (gsp for me), although I also have a lab, she does great but it has to be really cold for her nose to preform.

Jad

I like to use #5s and copper plated or better yet nickel which you can buy as factory ammo from Fiochhi and i believe Sellior and Belloit. Both brands can be found in Grafs or most any good retailer. Excellent shells and pretty cheap. I reload my own but have to admit, it's for the fun of it not the money. I could buy a case of either and be set for a very long time. The best thing about the #5 plated is complete pass through so no munching on pellets you missed while cleaning and far fewer cripples. If you hit em good, They're not running. Cheers! Swede96.

Fives or sixes are ideal, preferably in a heavier load at higher velocity if higher velocity is available.

I like 1 3/8 oz. of #4...but I'll shoot um with whatever I have in my gun. That would be 6's if ther is a mixed bag. Improved cyl. works for me...for everything, including geese.
Now...I'm gonna change the subject back to dogs. For fun!
So if you start to feel the veins start popping out in your neck...I hear paxil can help.
I have a beagle that loves to hunt pheasants. When you shoot one ya better hustle over ther and get it or she might rough it up some. Sometimes you run your ass off and find a steer at the end of the trail. She knows how to go for the groceries. I don't take her to places that hold a bunch of deer. Its always eventful when I turn her loose. She can be a pain...but she is part of the family.
I also have a brittany. I think I'll always have one. He goes after pheasants too. He's not near as good as my last britt,but those are tough shoes to fill. Just the same... he can nail um down. IF they cooperate.
I had to put my last lab down a couple years ago. He liked pheasants too. I'm going to get another lab soon. I can't tell you what the best dog for pheasants is. All I can say is you'll shoot more of um if you can run like a deer. Sure as heck, when you stop and your hackin up all that lung... they'll be getting up just out of range. I think I'll chase more quail. Remember... A dog is only as good as his master.