shot size for pheasant?

[model 70]

i have a 3" chambered single shot shotgun with a mod. choke. what would be the best size shell/shot size to hunt pheasants with? thanks.

[M.T. Pockets]

For an all around load I use #5 shot.

[BILLY D.]

Originally posted by M.T. Pockets
For an all around load I use #5 shot.

MY THOUGHTS PRECISELY, EXCELLENT CHOICE.

[model 70]

thanks. would that be the 3" or 2 3/4"? what exactly is high brass and do i need it?

[Mil Dot]

5's or 6's ... High brass is a hotter load. I use high or field loads for pheasants. Lows are mainly for target shooting.

If you hit pheasants with lo base you best have a healthy, fast dog and a bunch of time because them birds are sprinters.

[fabsroman]

If I didn't load my own shells, I would purchase high brass shells for hunting. Simple fact of the matter is that low brass shells can be loaded plenty hot for pheasants, but the old concept of high brass for hotter loads has stuck with a lot of people, so the manufacturers continue to use it for shells that don't necessarily need it.

Anyway, #5 high brass would do just fine for pheasant hunting, especially with that single shot modified gun you have. I remember when I first started hunting pheasants. I was using a 20 ga. single shot in modified. Those were the good old days.

[model 70]

i enjoy the simplicity, low cost and ease of cleaning with the single shot. kicks REAL HARD though.

ok, so it will say high or low brass on the box? i have some shells and the brass "base" on some is maybe 1/2" and on others it's around an inch. how can i tell which is high brass, field loads, or low brass? i'm kinda new to the shotgun stuff.

[fabsroman]

Take a clay target shell (i.e., Remington STS, Winchester AA) out of the box and use it as reference. Almost all waterfowl loads I have ever seen have been high brass. Take one of those out of the box for reference.

I don't think any companies out there sell a pheasant load that is low brass, with maybe the exception of Fiocchi because I am not too familiar with their shotshells.

[tjwatty]

I also would go with #5 with one exception. If you are hunting preserve pheasants with a good pointing dog your shots should be closer, in that case I would go with #6 shot and a little slower. With a single shot I would also look for a recoil pad, but I am a whimp.

[model 70]

oh, ok. i have some 2 3/4" #7.5 shot shells and some 3" #4buck shotshells. big difference in the amount of brass.

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Actually, the brass has little to do with anything anymore; it is a holdover from the early days of paper hulls when a higher brass head was necessary for the increased pressures. Today, it is just cosmetic...I have a stash of Activ hulls that I use for steel shot reloading, and they haveNO brass on the outside!
Having said that, I would also reccomend #5 shot, even for preserve birds (more on this in a minute). On the top of the box, look were it says "Dram Equ."....there it should read 3 3/4s (this is also a holdover from black powder days)...in the shot spot, it should read "1 1/4 oz". You should be set for most pheasant shots at reasonable ranges with this load.

I have heard time and time again that preserve birds are "pushovers" and can be shot with light loads (some have even reccomened skeet and trap loads loaded with #8 shot)....I feel this is a BIG mistake! If you have ever cleaned a preserve birds, you will usually notice a couple of things: 1.) there is a fair amount of fat on these birds....a lot more than on wild birds and 2.) they tend to be a bit bigger (more meat) than a typical wild bird. Also, if your preserve operator is a good one, the feathers will be good also.....this combination of fat, muscle, and feathers combines to slow down shot before it can hit vital areas....I have collected many a 'cripple' with my dogs that had lots of pellets in the breast meat (usually #6 or #7.5). but none that made it through to the vitals. I know of one gun writer who went from using #6 shot to #4 on preserve birds, and his crippling rate plummeted!

MHO, FWIW

[rem 700]

For shot size I would recommend 4 shot at largest and 6 shot for smallest. #5 is my favorite all around pheasant load. 2 3/4 inches, and look for the high brass shells. More ft. lbs. in energy over distances with their generally larger shot, which is important for pheasant. Heavier shot weights and powder loads are generally found in the high brass shells.

[Dom]

Ditto on #5, it's an all around good load for pheasant. I could see going to 6s early in the season when the young are holding tighter, and to 4s later when you can't get near the older and wiser birds. Still, they have to be in range, at most 35-40 yards, or you're spitting in the wind, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

[TKO]

I like the #4 High base. I have a fleet footed flushing dog and he is known to get out in front of me a bit if the birds are running so I get more longer shots than if I were hunting behind a pointer. Hot #4's will fold them up at 40 yards if you can hit them.

[rainydays]

I start out the season with 6's and switch to #5's the second half of season as birds are usually alittle larger and spookier by then.
All through the old 20 ga. Have never found a good reason to use anything bigger. These are the good ole days.--tr