quail and pheasant shot and choke

[waterhouse]

I've read a bunch on shot size and choke for quail and pheasant, and I realize they are very different birds, but I'm going on a hunt in a month and I've been told that the dogs will point at both and we just shoot whatever pops up.

Any suggestions for a shot size/choke combo that will work relatively well on both birds? I'll be using an o/u, so I guess I could set up one barrel for quail and another for pheasant . . . is this what is normally done or is there some other conventional wisdom that works on this kind of hunt?

I'm just looking for a starting place so I can do some patterning in the upcoming month, so if you have any suggestions let me know.

thanks in advance.

 

[Kingcreek]

O/U set up IC- Mod
shot size 6 or 7.5
if the roosters cooperate with the pointers, shots won't be long.
Pen raised/released birds or wild?
around here the roosters are runners and I use Fiocci nickel plated #5 at 1250 fps

 

[JMusic]

I hunted both alot in my younger years. These were the wild type shot off of pointers and beagles. My favorite shotgun was an O/U with Mod/IC. But a pump or semiauto in Mod or IC works well. I liked 7.5's shot. Good hunting.
Jim

 

[Greybeard]

Since ya mention hunting peasants well after normal TX season, I'm assuming pen-raised birds.

IC for first shot, Mod. for second should work fine. Typically 7 1/2s for quail and 4 or 6s for pheasant, but either will work in a pinch on either bird.

If ya really want some "dropping power" at long range, try a box of Hevi-Shot 4s out of that Modified choke.

 

[birddog]

I'd recommend an IC or Mod choke. Normally I'd say 6 for pheasant, and 7 1/2 or 8 shot for quail. But if it's a combo hunt, I'd go with 7 1/2. It will take down a pheasant almost as good as 6 shot and won't mutilate the quail.

 

[fisherman66]

I use 7 1/2 with an improved cylinder if I remember correctly. I've switched from a pump to a single shot recently, and I've done marginally better (still pretty poor though.)

 

[Lennyjoe]

7 1/2 shot with improved cylinder for quail in the early season. I switch to a modified choke in the late season after they have been pressured a bit. They have a tendency to jump a bit earlier so shots are a bit farther out.

For pheasants I use modified choke with #6 shot.

But, with an O/U then IC/Mod chokes are fine and #6 will work but might be a bit tough on quail.

 

[TrapperReady]

If they are pen raised birds and you are using pointers... I'd run IC in the bottom barrell and MOD in the top (shooting bottom barrel first) and shoot #7.5 shot. Specifically, if lead shot is allowed, I'd use Winchester AA SuperSporting target loads. They have 1 1/8oz of hard shot, running IIRC around 1350 fps. Even though they aren't "game loads", I've killed boatloads of game farm birds with them.

Now, if I were hunting wild pheasants, I'd be using 1 1/4 oz handloads of very hard nickle-plated #5 shot, and running MOD and FULL as my chokes (if not FULL and FULL).

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

I participated in a hunt just like this a few weeks ago.

I used I/C and Mod, and carried #6 in both barrels in quail-likely looking cover. Switched to #6 lower and #4 upper when in maize fields where just pheasants would likely get up. I prefer #5's on pheasants if I have time to handload them, or #5 bottom and #4 top, if they are getting up far away (late season).

Copper plated #4's work great for way out there pheasants.

IMO, 7 1/2's are too light for anything bigger than quail or doves.

 

[sm]

Reminder-

- To pattern both barrels for POA/POI with loads as you pattern loads to see which do best for anticipated distances.

-Find a sweet load, take the lot number and run back to get plenty more of that lot.

-If reloading, duplicate, make notes in a notebook and remember later on to re-test POA/ POI, and pattern denisty if a differnt batch of powder is used to replicate "that load" for "that gun" later. Good idea with new batch of any of the components.

Have fun!

 

[TrapperReady]

Larry - I would have thought the same thing about #7.5 shot... but pen-raised birds (ESPECIALLY over pointers) are typically shot pretty close (inside 30 yards), and #7.5 will kill them very, very dead.

The only caveats I will make about that are:

1) It's best to pattern your load as Steve says. Practice on clays with them if you can.
2) Pass up anything much beyond 30 yards.
3) Personally, unless I'm shooting #5's, I won't shoot at a pheasant if it's flying directly away from me. There's too much "stuff" to get through to bring it down cleanly.*

* My basic rule of thumb is if I can see the bird's head, then I'm good to shoot. If I just see a bunch of tailfeathers, I'll let someone else take the shot, or try to mark where it came down and follow up later.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

IMO, 7 1/2's are too light for anything bigger than quail or doves.

After I posted that last night, I remembered some friends of my dad's who used to use 7 1/2's on geese. They would decoy them in close and shoot them in the head. They usually limited out too.

So, TR, I'm sure you are right.

 

[waterhouse]

Thanks for the responses guys. I guess it's time to go buy a variety of shells and start seeing what patterns best. I think there will be a lot more quail and just a few of the bigger birds, so 7 1/2 sounds like it might be the way to go if I stick to fairly close shots at the pheasant.

For those who asked, they are pen raised birds and the dogs are pretty good, so I'm thinking pretty close shots.

 

[scout26]

Now, if I were hunting wild pheasants, I'd be using 1 1/4 oz handloads of very hard nickle-plated #5 shot, and running MOD and FULL as my chokes (if not FULL and FULL).

As my late step FIL used to say "The shotgun is just for knockin' 'em down, so that you can wring their necks."

 

[TrapperReady]

"The shotgun is just for knockin' 'em down, so that you can wring their necks."

Well. That's one way of looking at it.

Frankly, if the dog bring it back and the bird's head isn't lolling, I figure I didn't do my part right.

 

[scout26]

TR,

My Step-FIL and I hunted Nebraska CRP Field Kevlar-armoured Wild Pheasants. We were shooting #4's out of SxS's choked MOD and FULL. Unless you hit them at durn near point blank range, they could absorb a lot of pellets, hit the ground and take off running. He referred to his dogs not as retreivers but as chasers.

Pen raised birds seem to be easier to kill on the wing. I use #5 or #6 with I/C and MOD on those, don't have to wring many necks.

 

[TrapperReady]

Scout26 - No doubt that wild birds are more difficult... not only in getting them up in gun range, but in the amount of damage they can sustain. However, most of the shot-up runners I've seen have been hit back a bit. If you really concentrate on hitting the front half of the bird, even iron-plated ones will expire quickly with a few pellets in the head and neck. Due to their long tail, roosters seem way bigger than they are. Concentrate on the beak and you'll knock them dead more often.

BTW, I don't always kill them outright (wild OR pen-raised). I just feel bad when I don't.