22 replies to this topic

[BullsEye]

I am wondering if anyone hunts pheasants with there 20gauge and what loads they prefer to shoot. I am useing a remington 870 with a modified choke. I was thinking about 4 shot but I I have heard that 6 is a good size. Perhaps I can Load a 6 in the chamber and then 4's for backup. How do you guys go about it. Thats in advance for the help.

[ShooterJohn]

I shoot high base 6's in my 20 side by side.

[rr762mmfmj]

3" 6's in my Citori with IC/MOD

[jephs422]

I shoot 6's out of my 20g mossberg.

[airman]

I always say club birds or wild phesants? My wife shoots a 20 Ga, and we hunt wild only. If you don't give them a big thump they are off and running, so she uses #4 high base. We buy "tame" birds on the off season to train the dogs, which don't run and stay put when hidden. They fly when the dogs find them,but only takes a small load to put these down,like a #6 shot. I shoot a 12 and only go to the field with #4 high base. Good shooting to ya!

[Bozsik]

My Daughter, Lil'Shooter(just turned 11 last weekend). She she has been shooting 6's in her 20G for two seasons now. 4's if it is steel shot. We mix shoot the jacks and pheasants both if we jump them.Point Blank(13) still prefers his 20 Mossi pump over the 12, and uses the same loads.db

[Jeff]

I shoot 2 3/4 #4 shot out of my Stevens 311 side by side. Good stuff, puts 'em down when I hit 'em.

[.243Win]

#6 game loads for me7.5 if I'm out of 6s

[Shoot-it]

I was going to say just that. Wild birds take more to kill them I use to buy those copper jacket shot shells fom winchester they would knock a wild bird down good.

[bzzrd feedr]

Wild Birds defintely 4's, planted birds 6's are OK. Two reasons to use 4's for both, a lot less crippled runners that take a dog forever to retreive and less BB's to worry about while cleaning and eating. On the South Dakota ranch that I hunt the rule is 12 ga. and #4 shot.

[.243Win]

using full or open chokes ?

[bzzrd feedr]

I don't usually use a full choke. I use either a modified, improved modified, or a improved cylinder. It depends on the gun and patterning the shot gun to see how each load and choke patterns at say 35 yds. A piece of plywood with some butcher paper can tell you alot in a half and hour.

[lilwes278]

I don't know about pheasants, but crows HATE the turkey choke!!!

[Old timer]

I use 4 high base hand loaded don't like to bite down on little pellets,

[Moe]

I was going to say just that. Wild birds take more to kill them I use to buy those copper jacket shot shells fom winchester they would knock a wild bird down good.

Copper plated shot really doesn't give you much of an advantage. Just costs more money. If you want plated shot the one to use is nickel plated shot. A high quality shot like Winchester will perform every bit as well as copper plated.I use a 20 gauge for all upland. I like Fiocchi Golden Pheasant or Winchester 3" shells and 1 1/4 oz of 6's.For you guys who say you like high base loads.......There are a lot of misconceptions regarding shotshells. High base refers to the base wad inside the shell. It's the wad at the very bottom of the shell under the powder. Most modern shells no longer have a base wad. The high base wad was used in light target loads because less shot was used in the shell. The last shell I can remember that used a base wad was the Winchester paper target shell which was one of my favorites. Winchester quit making them when they came out with the AA shells. There was a problem with the paper base wad as it sometimes was blown into the barrel causing damage to the barrel when the next shot was fired.Maybe you mean a high brass shell?? Well......that means nothing either. Shotshell manufacturers put high brass on some of their hunting loads to make hunters think they were getting something really powerful. I can safely duplicate any 2 3/4" magnum load in a AA case with the low brass. Same thing with a 3" shell. The high brass is about as necessary as the belt on magnum rifle cartridges. It's a sales gimmick.

[BullsEye]

I ended up using 7.5 cause DFG said so. It was a DFG sponsored hunt and we all took birds. The post is up somewhere around here. The birds were planted so they came down pretty easy. They tasted great to!

[BullsEye]

Heres the linkhttp://www.californi...?showtopic=5661

[Shoot-it]

Moe I know about those heavy low base loads I notice them at turkey shoots. I ask people what are you loading in them they are hot . oh no these are factory they say ) BULLSH&T they are you can hear it .

[Moe]

Most ranges restrict shooters to 7 1/2 as the largest shot and 1 1/8 oz 3 dram loads. Some guys, however, cheat. My favorite loads for turkey shoots out in the country where there were no restrictions were international trap loads. 1 1/4 oz of nickel plated 7 1/2's.

[Shoot-it]

I have been thinking of those nickel shot. I need to try some one of these days on the 30 yarder maybe mix some 6 shot in it. The place that does these shoots don't enforce it.I notice people pull those special loads out of there top pocket when they get in a shoot off and then Booom LOL . Have you ever tried longshot it looks good on paper .When I say low base I mean low brass that's just what everyone calls it now a days.

[Robairto]

I shoot #6's 2 3/4 high brass for wild birds and I shoot 7.5's 2 3/4 skeet/trap loads when I hunt on a club. I find a 12 ga is over gunned for clubs when using a good dog and a 20 ga is a bit over bearing as well.. I will sometimes use my .410 sxs to make it sporting on quailand chukars. I've used my 20 ga 1100 upland several times on wild birds with #6's and hadvery good success.

[Moe]

When I shot competitively I used 3 dram Federal paper target loads with the 2 piece wad. 8's at 16 yard and 7 1/2's for handicap. I was AA class and had a 27 yard handicap. I use standard target loads for dove and quail but I like 1 1/4 oz of 6's in either my 20 or 12 gauge guns for chukar, huns and pheasant. More shot means more pellet strikes which means fewer cripples. For waterfowl I use 1 3/8 oz Winchester Supreme or Kent Faststeel 12 gauge 3 1/2" BBB's for geese and because we frequently get a mixed bag when hunting ducks I use 1 1/4oz BB's in a 3" shell made by Kent. I always hunt over decoys. I take pride in my ability to be able to consistently be successful at getting limits of geese and of the skills that I've acquired over the years including being an effective caller. There's a big difference in going waterfowl hunting and being a waterfowl hunter. Bird hunting, especially waterfowling, is piled high in tradition. Decoys, dogs, guns, gear........ I love every bit of it. When I was in my teens I used to see old farts hobbling around with old gray muzzled retrievers out sitting in blinds and when I guided these guys would always be among my clientele. Now, except for the old dog (I outlived mine), I'm one of them. Damned proud of it, too.

[clampdaddy]

I like #6 shot for pheasants with a 20ga. I like #5s in my twelve but the smaller shot gives you a few more pellets in the 20s smaller payload.