Pheasants & Quail...shot sizes for both?
Pheasants & Quail...shot sizes for both?
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...........
Thanks in advance...........
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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!
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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.
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It's not how many breaths you have taken but how many times it has been taken away!
Has anyone noticed common sense isn't very common anymore.
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.
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.
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Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm.................... :roll: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!
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5's on pheasants, 8's on quail.
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- tfbirddog2
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shot size
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.
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- RoundRiver Setters
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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
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- thunderhead
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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.
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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.
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 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.
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Re: Pheasants & Quail...shot sizes for both?
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.
Re: Pheasants & Quail...shot sizes for both?
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.
- tommyboy72
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Re: Pheasants & Quail...shot sizes for both?
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.
Re: Pheasants & Quail...shot sizes for both?
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.
This is in NW Oklahoma when we have birds.
- tommyboy72
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Re: Pheasants & Quail...shot sizes for both?
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.
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Re: Pheasants & Quail...shot sizes for both?
Im trying SW oklahoma this year. Black Kettle has been piss poor the last two years.
- tommyboy72
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Re: Pheasants & Quail...shot sizes for both?
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.
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Re: Pheasants & Quail...shot sizes for both?
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.
Last edited by romeo212000 on Mon Aug 25, 2008 11:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
- tommyboy72
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Re: Pheasants & Quail...shot sizes for both?
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.
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Re: Pheasants & Quail...shot sizes for both?
Wanna be friends?
- tommyboy72
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Re: Pheasants & Quail...shot sizes for both?
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.
- westexasrepublic
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Re: Pheasants & Quail...shot sizes for both?
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.
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