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Member Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 279 Location: Mn

Hi: Wondering if anyone has used #7 bismuth on pheasants? I have a chance to buy some in 28ga, but wonder if it is to light.

Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 787 Location: Indiana

Yes: In my opinion, for wild roosters, especially late-season birds and assuming you are planning for 3/4 oz. loads in the 28 ga., the #7 pellet seems a bit light. If you're thinking of going to 1 oz., my suggestion is use a 20 ga. with #5 or #6 shot and be done with it...

Wild pheasants are significantly hardier quarry than put/take or pen raised birds and all game, but especially wild birds, deserve to be killed cleanly...

Buy your Bisthuth , limit your shots and have a ball . Just make sure the velocity is up there a might .

Regards Charles

Member Joined: 16 Nov 2006 Posts: 1338

Save the #7 bismuth for grouse. The smallest pellet I use for stocked pheasant is #7 lead pigeon shot. It is effective on young, close holding, early season roosters and legal hens over dogs. I've had hold over, season toughened, stocked roosters fly right through it. However, it is very effective on grouse without question. I'd say the bismuth #7 is marginally harder hitting than #7.5 lead, but that is a guess based on what I've seen from using #6 bismuth.

I use a custom magnum 1 ounce load of #6 magnum lead shot in the 28 with fair results on cock birds out to 35 yards and no more. #6 shot seems to be the biggest pellet that will pattern well in the gauge. I do not find much difference between the 20 and the 28 with 1200FPS 1 ounce loads. Perhaps the 20 will pattern #6 shot a bit better at 1250 to 1300 FPS. However, #6 shot does not benifit from increased velocity as much as bigger pellets seem to. The added speed drops off fairly quickly, and effective range still remains at around 30 to 35 yards at best on pheasant sized birds with either gauge

#5 shot is far better for big tough wild roosters under normal conditions. I've not had much luck with either gauge and #5 shot. It just does not pattern well from the smaller diameter barrels of these two gauges unless velocities are dropped to below 1100 FPS. Some 20 ga guns will tolerate 1 ounce of #5 shot at these lower velocities, but what is the point to such a drastically reduced velocity load. We end up robbing Peter to pay Paul. The 28 remains hopeless with shot bigger than #6 in my experience.

The 16 is a much different breed of cat and far more effective with #5 shot due to the shorter shot column, the higher velocities possible at lower pressures, and the subsequent excellent patterns the gauge throws with that pellet size. the 16 will also handle #4 shot fairly well if the load is not pushed too fast, and the chosen wad protects most of the pellets.