Plains Sharptail loads

[fishvik]

I was wondering what loads, gauges and chokes you guys in the plains states (MT, SD, ND, NE) use for shooting your sharptails and at what range most of your sharptails are shot. Here in eastern Idaho these Columbia subspecies seem to get up quite a ways out. I use an 1 1/8 ounce load of 6's and it seems to take all of that to knock them down with a 12 gauge and a modified choke.

[ezzy333]

You have to remember guage or choke does not make the shot go further.

Ezzy

[Wenaha]

I hunt sharp-tailed grouse quite a bit, and use a 1 oz. load of 7s. They die pretty easy, and are not tough to hit so you don't need a lot of firepower to put them down. Of course, I don't usually shoot at birds over 40 yards away.

[birddog1968]

Ive been using 12g, 2 3/4 steel 6's, and only shoot over points. This load drops birds fine as long as i don't miss....


Shoot em in the lips.

[Crashola]

I've been using high velocity 6's, but that may change in the future. The birds we've been running into in NW South Dakota are pretty tough. We've even knocked a couple down that shook it off and flew away again. The local at the gun store told us a similar story and said he's started using 5's for sharpies.

[fishvik]

The birds we've been running into in NW South Dakota are pretty tough.

Crashola, Ever tried hunting sharpies over on this side of the state? We've had a good hatch this year.

[lucky guy]

Plated 5's with a heavy charge. Course I don't often hit in the center of the pattern!!