Ammo of choice for upland and waterfowl.
Ammo of choice for upland and waterfowl.
Winchester is my favorite. Followed by Federal. What ammo patterns good with your gun??
- SwitchGrassWPG
- Rank: Champion
- Posts: 356
- Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 7:02 pm
- Location: NW Oklahoma
I got started using 1 1/8 oz #6 lead ahead of Longshot powder a couple years ago on early season pheasant and sharptails. You can get 1585 fps when you use Gold Medal hulls. The results are amazing, great patterns with IC choke. Death rays.
Later on when the pheasants are wild and feathered heavily, 1 1/4 oz of #5's with longshot powder and you're still in the 1500 fps range.
If you don't reload out local WalMart sells Federal Premium lead that has nearly as high velocity and my friends have had good results with them. Winchester and Fiocchi both sell a very high velocity Pheasant load as well. If you haven't tried the new 1500fps+ stuff, you are missing out.
Later on when the pheasants are wild and feathered heavily, 1 1/4 oz of #5's with longshot powder and you're still in the 1500 fps range.
If you don't reload out local WalMart sells Federal Premium lead that has nearly as high velocity and my friends have had good results with them. Winchester and Fiocchi both sell a very high velocity Pheasant load as well. If you haven't tried the new 1500fps+ stuff, you are missing out.
TD Husker,
Be careful with the longshot powder. I carefully weighed loads since I was loading close to the max. but within the published limits. It blew the action open on my pump and the pattern was garbage. However, when I backed off on the powder load a bit, I was able to get 1500 to 1550 FPS and the most beautiful patterns I have ever seen. I patterned 20 and 12 ga., both superb. Now I hunt with nothing else.
Be careful with the longshot powder. I carefully weighed loads since I was loading close to the max. but within the published limits. It blew the action open on my pump and the pattern was garbage. However, when I backed off on the powder load a bit, I was able to get 1500 to 1550 FPS and the most beautiful patterns I have ever seen. I patterned 20 and 12 ga., both superb. Now I hunt with nothing else.
I used to shoot Federal High Power 20ga but think they must have discontinued them, I can't find them anymore. I have always had good luck with the premium Winchester, the ones marked X206 etc, not the XU206. I tried Fiocchi (sic) Golden Pheasant earlier this year and found them to be great as well. I just picked up some Kent HV 12ga with the Diamond shot with 1 3/8 OZ at 1450 FPS. They kill the long flushing late season pheasants like the hammer of Thor but they do seem to tear them up pretty well. The one thing that I refuse to use on pheasants at any time are the cheap promo loads. They just don't kill as well or as reliable as the premium shells. This seems especially true with the 20ga compared to the 12ga. I use open chokes over pointing dogs and most of my shots are pretty close except for this time of year when the birds are flushing wild.
Of all the places I've been, this is one of them!
Upland - my own reloads. 3/4 oz #7.5 shot @ ≈ 1150 fps in Remington Premier 20 ga. hulls (you can reload those many times).
Deer hunting - my own reloaded slugs. Foster-style sabot @ 1200 fps in Winchester AA 20 ga. hulls.
Waterfowl - haven't gone yet.
Deer hunting - my own reloaded slugs. Foster-style sabot @ 1200 fps in Winchester AA 20 ga. hulls.
Waterfowl - haven't gone yet.
- Steven
Justus Kennels.com
Justus James Ayres SH CGC - Justus - Rest in Peace, buddy.
Wind River's JK Clara Belle - Belle
Wind River's JK Black Tie Affair - Tux
Justus Kennels.com
Justus James Ayres SH CGC - Justus - Rest in Peace, buddy.
Wind River's JK Clara Belle - Belle
Wind River's JK Black Tie Affair - Tux