late season loads/chokes

[scott_r]

What do you guys reccommend for late season loads and chokes? Im shooting an over/under with 5 chokes to choose and never had these options vs. a 12 guage pump with a fixed full choke.

Cheers!!

[Greg Jennings]

What are you hunting and how are you doing it.

I shoot 5's through a full choke on my semi-auto 100% of the time for pheasants so that I can handle those that flush wild, cross in front or whatever.

[Shadow]

I shoot a light OU 20 with skeet tubes- light 8's, steel 7's, heavy 7&1/2's- all seem to do nicely

[muddycreek]

Late season or early, I go with the same setup-#5 Fiocci Golden Phez thru IC and Mod in my OU. Not sure what your hunting, but this takes care of my pheasant hunting with a few chickens and quail thrown in.

[rkelly]

I shoot a #6 in the top barrel IC, and a #4 bottom barrel modified. If they are really jumpy I switch the top to Mod, and bottom to full.

[ezzy333]

I have never changed loads or chokes during the season. I like 4's to 6's with 5's being a great comprimize through an IC if only one barrel and IC/MOD if using a double. You may want to change something on any given day if the birds are not sitting well but over all that is my choice for pheasants.

Ezzy

[Kyle Wintersteen]

IMO switching to tighter chokes and bigger shot for the late season is overrated. Do the birds really change all that much? Personally I shoot 5s or hot 6s and choke IC/M or LM/M the entire season. A lot of it also depends on what shells your gun likes. Make sure you pattern it with different shell brands, shot sizes and choke constrictions.

[Shadow]

good point- real question is what range do you expect to be hitting

[ezzy333]

99% of the birds I shoot at are pointed and flushed by me no matter what time of the season it is.

Ezzy

[Ruffshooter]

EZZY, don't you use your dogs to point the birds? Just ribbin ya.

We don't have many pheasants here but on Grouse I use 7 1/2 high brass all year IC both barrels. When in KS a few years back I used 6 heavi shot Modified and had great luck at 20 to 40 yards.

Rick

[Shadow]

99% of the birds I shoot at are pointed and flushed by me no matter what time of the season it is.

Ezzy

and you need 4, 5, and 6's- I don't get it

[Chaingang]

Take it easy on Ezzy, those older guys just take a little longer to get the gun to their shoulders .

[BigShooter]

What's late season to you? To me the conditions would appear to be very different from late Dec., early Jan. on the praries of North Dakota or Manitoba to late Dec. early Jan. in Texas or Oklahoma. Besides the snow, the temps. & the plummage difference on northern vs. southern birds we need to know if you will have close or long shots. Do you use a flushing dog that ranges a little too far or even if you use a pointer, do you shoot wild flushes?

On the prairies of ND I shoot a 20 ga., IC with 6s most of the season. If I'm using an O/U it's probably set up IC/Mod. If I'm getting a lot of long shots in high winds late in the year with heavily feathered & fattened pheasants I may switch to a 12 ga., Mod with 4 shot.

I know of a fellow who in his prime took first place at the National Sporting Clays AA Championship and was a member of the All American Sporting Clays team at least two years running before he quit competing. He routinely switches to 12 ga., Mod or even full choke with 4 shot at the end of the ND season and hits birds so far out you need a spotting scope to see what he's shooting at. I think he's even toyed with 2 shot once or twice as he hates cripples.

[Shadow]

Take it easy on Ezzy, those older guys just take a little longer to get the gun to their shoulders .

heck- I'm an oldster- probably older than ezzy- back is messed up, seperated shoulder, messed up knee, lost some hearing, can't take those heavy loads- so the only way I can hit anything is to use light loads and open the choke so as to spray beebies all over-

[tdhusker]

If you're hunting pheasant in cold climate, they are quite a bit tougher to drop late in season because of their winter coat. I like to use #4's in a fast 1 1/4 oz load. I use longshot powder and load my own but Fiocchi and federal both make a good premium load with high velocity (1400 fps).

This may sound silly but steel duck and goose loads can be extremely effective if you are pass shooting pheasant. If I am blocking or walking where birds will fly over at longer ranges, I carry a 3" BB or 2 steel in one barrel. Don't laugh until you try it. Stone kills at some really surprising ranges. That big steel shot is lethal on pheasant, more effective than lead for some reason. Maybe it slips through those feathers better?

[topher40]

I shoot a full choke 870 with 7.5-9 shot ALL YEAR round. I end up getting more birds and almost never have to chase wounded birds. On the other side of things I only blow apart 1 quail during a season due to the full choke. Try different ones, figure out which one you do best with then STICK WITH THAT CHOKE.

[lvrgsp]

I shoot a full choke 870 with 7.5-9 shot ALL YEAR round. I end up getting more birds and almost never have to chase wounded birds. On the other side of things I only blow apart 1 quail during a season due to the full choke. Try different ones, figure out which one you do best with then STICK WITH THAT CHOKE.

I thought I remembered a singleshot .410........?

Chip

[topher40]

That is for every other day that I dont care about killling birds! I usually care it so I can shoot a couple of birds for the dogs, no need to kill them all! You will see the 870 this weekend!

[Shadow]

ahhhhhhh- now a fella who takes a single shot 410 to shoot a couple birds for the dogs then takes the big gun sounds like he swings a good gun

myself- I'd be leary of such