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Guest

Just looking for some feedback on the payloads, shot sizes, and chokes that you folks like to use for pheasants in your 16 gauge guns.

My personal favorites are 1 1/8 oz of #6 lead and .015 of choke.

Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 1522 Location: NH

Here in NJ where all the pheasants are stocked I use a RGL in the right barrel with a Skt1 choke tube and a Fiocchi GP #5 in the left barrel with a Skt2 choke tube.

I did get hold of some Fiocchi GP in 6s this year and liked the results a lot. I just can't seem to find them on a regular basis. Got these in a trade. Very Happy

Guest

Here in CT I use 1 oz. of #6 and .010 of choke on theses stocked birds.

Joined: 10 Dec 2008 Posts: 102 Location: Nebraska

I grew up on a farm in north-central Kansas in the 40s and early 50s. Dad always used #6 shot and I just followed his lead. Most of the birds I hit are around 30-35 yards so I pattern at that distance.
Rex

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

1oz nickel plated #5's and a modified choke Cool

Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 787 Location: Indiana

I hunt wild birds and use the Remington Express factory load of 1 1/8 oz. #5 or #6 in a Mod or IC choke in my A-5's and also in a full choke 16 ga. Model 12 pump. When I shoot a 20 ga., 1 oz. of #5's or #6's kills the wild birds just fine.

Store-boughten shells for me are Winchester Super X holding 1 1/8 oz. of #6 shot, or I have a stash of 1 oz. Bismuth Cartridge Co. shells for restricted areas. I'm liking modified choke more and more. Handloads I generally try to duplicate the Super X load, and I have come into some Bismuth shot that I will use when needed. Have tried #5 Fiocchi Golden Pheasant shells but don't like them as well as the Winchesters for some reason.

In my Citori I like 1 1/8oz of hard #6 with an I/C and 1 1/8oz of copper plated #5 with a Mod choke in the top barrel. If I am using a single barrel pump or semi auto I use Mod or Light Mod depending on the gun and load it with the #5 loads. I reload my hunting shells.

I hunt with a GSP so most of my shots are close. I also hunt with the Citori most of the time because of the open choke first barrel for the close shots. The past two years I never killed a bird with the top barrel. Usually when I miss the first shot I also miss the second Rolling Eyes

Dennis

Years ago, three friends and I bought a ton each, of shot in sizes cp 7, np 6 and np 5 1/2 and I still have a lifetime supply. My Ic barrel gets an ounce of np #6's and the modified barell gets 1 1/8 oz. of np #5 1/2 np shot. Incidently, the cp and np are not a wash, but the real deal.

I've been using 1 1/8 of 5's in both barrels, which is probably overkill on the right barrel. I agree that 1 1/8 of 6's would be perfect in the right barrel, 5's in the left. I loaded some 1 oz. 5's and found I was crippling birds, so I went to 1 1/8oz. and am dropping them dead like normal. I know some people use 1 oz. 5's effectively, but I'm not sure how. Perhaps my gun just doesn't pattern that load very well.

Having said all that, if I was hunting wild flushing birds at 40+ yards on a regular basis, I'd probably be using a 12ga. with 1 1/4oz. 5's or maybe even 4's.

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

If buying off the shelf, Federals, 1oz, 1 1/8 if that is all they have. Like the Fiocchi golden pheasant in #5 or #6. If you need non-toxic, the Tungsten Matrix from Kent in #5 or #6 is good.

If reloading, I like to start with #7 shot, (at least in first barrel) then 5 1/2 shot in the second. Later in the year, I usually just go to the 5 1/2 shot. Still get the occasional bird under dog nose, but 5 1/2 will drop them same as #7.

Joined: 06 Jun 2008 Posts: 44

I see that you are from CT, Mark, so I would think that you are up against the same set of circumstances as we are down here on Long Island. With the state released birds that we face, I have found no need for anything more than an ounce of #6s with Sk/M chokes in a double or straight IC in a repeater when hunting over pointing dogs.

Frank

I have accumulated a large stash of older Win. and Rem. in 1 1/8 and 1 1/4 #6 and #5 lead shot which I find will do the job. The local game management areas call for non tox, so TM in 1 1/16 or 1 1/4 #5 works fine. The Berettas I use work fine with heavy loads with either Sk/M or IC/IM chokes. The heavy loads are over kill but the shell prices of $3 or $4 a box for lead and $11 and $13 for TM allows me to justify the use. I just need to live long enough to use it all up. I'm sure going to try.
Best,
Ron

Guest

You are correct Frank, I use one ounce of #6 and .010 of choke at home. I make a yearly trip out to the midwest and for wild birds I like more shot and choke.[/img]