Gun Dog Forum

For those of you who run into both of these birds on you hunts, what shot size & load do you prefer? I usually like a heavier charge for pheasants, but I know that they will tear the quail to shreds.
Thanks in advance...........

I shoot quail with 8's myself. My friend uses 7 1/2's. pheasants usually call for 6's to 4's. If your wanting to hunt both at the same time I might lookt at 6's.

I use 5s, but thats just because the heaverloads dont make a difference with hitting percentages with me! Last season I made a shot on pheasent with eights at 70 yards and killed it! That same hunt I made a 100 yard shot on a pheasent with buck shot! But thats just me!

Bean, That doesn't sound good to me if you are concerned about killing it immediately and not just wounding and not being able to recover it. If they get over 50 yards away I let them go for another day.

Ezzy

I've had good luck with my 20 gage using #6 shot for both.

If you've got good dog work and do your job as the gunner, you shouldn't be seeing many shots over 40 yards. If they get beyond that, I'm with Ezzy in just not taking the shot. Most likely you're just wasting a shell, and the worst case scenario is that you wound an unrecoverable bird.

That said, my "general purpose" shot size is 7 1/2. I'll shoot the occasional 8 shot on quail, 9 shot on clays, and 6 shot on pheasant, but for the most part I just stick with the 7 1/2's.

bean1031 wrote:I use 5s, but thats just because the heaverloads dont make a difference with hitting percentages with me! Last season I made a shot on pheasent with eights at 70 yards and killed it! That same hunt I made a 100 yard shot on a pheasent with buck shot! But thats just me!

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm.................... :roll:

5's on pheasants, 8's on quail.

SGJ

6's on both birds 20 and 12 ga. if hunting both birds together.If just hunting pheasents I use 5's especially if Im carring a gun and guiding usually being the final kill shot from me so the birds are out there.

I shoot a 20ga and when I use to shoot quail I used 8. I now just watch them fly away and are really happy to see them in the wild . I shoot 6 and 4 on pheasants. I mostly use 4 later in the year. Sometimes I will load the gun so the first two shots will be 6 and back them up with next two of 4.................Scott

I almost exclusively use copper or nickel platted 5's for pheasants. If I am in an area that may look more like quail cover than pheasant then I will slip in a pair of 7 1/2's If I have the pheasant loads in when the dogs point a covey of quail, I just pick a bird and pull the trigger.

You know, I used to use different shot sizes for everything, but I find #6 is pretty much good enough for everything I do. I do often load a #5 shell for the second shot, as I've found it produces a comparable pattern (while using a slightly tighter choke) and the same energy 10-15 yards farther out.

But I'm pretty happy with all 6's all the time too.

Except trap and skeet, I load 7-1/2's for that, and also use 7-1/2's for shooting training birds in the off season.

I load my own 28 ga. shells. Use 15/16 oz of #6 mostly. If just quail I'll use #8 shot. But for those 75 to 100 yard shots I like 0 buck shot LOL

I am a big fan of 7 1/2s in a wide open choke as my birds are over pointing dogs and close. If I have friends along and just shoot back-up, I'll go to 6s and IC but most of my misses are because of a bad mount, tree, or bird zig, not because the shot wouldn't reach. Birds past 40 yards are safe from me regardless of shot size and I'd rather the pattern not reach then plant a pellet or two for a slow death.

I shoot mostly 8's at quail and 6's at pheasants. If I am in country with both I either shoot 71/2's and will be very selective with what shots I take or I shoot 6's until we get a covey of quail scattered then I will go to 71/2's.

I'd say if the shots there 7 1/2 work for me on both birds. But I do carry 6's with me as well. Sometimes i use 7 1/2 with a six a my second shot.


Joe

Copper-plated #5's for phez; 7 ½'s for bobs. If I'm hunting an area that has both... well, let's just say I've picked a few 5's outa quail at the table.

i shoot 5's and 6's for pheasants but when we move a covey i switch to 8's. have killed my share of pheasants that were pointed where quail went down with 8's but had to be picky and let questionable shots go.

I have a few shotguns but hunted exclusively with my 20 gauge side by side last year for wild blue quail and pheasant and used 7 1/2's on both species with great success.

I start with #9 on quail early in season and go to 71/2 or 8 as season continues and young birds get tougher.
This is in NW Oklahoma when we have birds.

Where you at HOBO? I am out in the panhandle in Texas County and we have not been seeing many birds, pheasant or quail, lately either.

Im trying SW oklahoma this year. Black Kettle has been piss poor the last two years.

I was thinking about Packsaddle and I am making a trip back to visit some relatives in Eastern Missouri over Christmas and everyone there hunts deer and turkey but no one hunts quail and they have a bunch of bobwhites so I am gonna clean up if everything works out like I want.

I had no idea Missouri had quail. Pack saddle is pretty much right next door to black kettle though. I may try it but going to give this other place a shot this year.

Where my relatives live about 25 miles from the outskirts of St. Louis literally no one hunts them. Everyone concentrates on deer and turkey. I saw and heard several coveys on the small 40 acre farm my relatives live on and the surrounding small pastures.

Wanna be friends?

Haha. Certainly.

Really though i would like to do some hunting with you this year whether in Oklahoma or Missouri or wherever and would be happy to help you get introduced to the NSTRA game as well this fall. You really should come watch a trial some time. It would give you a good idea of what to expect and how they are run. Shoot me a pm again if you wanna hook up.

7"1/2 are to me an all purpose shot and Winchester and Federal both seem to think so also since they overload Wal Mart and Academy with them every season. Ive never had any problems with 7"1/2 reaching the bird since I am constantly changing my choke for my shooting conditions. But even then, IC with 7"1/2 is usually my set up.