But I DO agree with you on this. Which is why i shoot my ducks with 6 steel.
First Pheasant Hunt... FAIL
- Thread starter SeamusMac
- Start date
But I DO agree with you on this. Which is why i shoot my ducks with 6 steel.
M12shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- East St. Paul, mb
Yup waterfowl are plenty tough... but in an upland situation almost any hunter can run down a mallard or goose... if your planning to run pheasants down a guy better have his Nikes on.
X2 on the steel 6's... kills ducks dead as lead over decoys inside of 30 yards. Can't believe more guys have not picked up on this.
Ahsan Ahmed
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Very true. #5 or #6 game loads are normally the recipe as long as the distance and hunting conditions are appropriate. Again, it is essential to determine what the shotgun is capable of throwing in terms of patterns specially where longer range shooting may be involved.
Waterfowl are indeed far stronger and much much faster on the wing. Having said that, a full grown Ringneck has a lot of energy and fly really well despite it's size.
Last week, I took someone new to hunting to a Game Farm for some exposure to wingshooting - now these were pen raised birds and not anywhere near as strong, wily and fast as wild ones. Nevertheless, the birds were big and equally fast and gave us a good run for our money. One of those I shot (and missed
) was a going away shot.....the distance was aprox 30yds.....the bird apparently took pellets from my #6 1oz (28ga)......saw it "vibrate" like a huge Lancaster bomber taking flak, corrected itself and flew on as if nothing happened. IMHO, the most difficult bird to hit on the wing is the Dove.
That's just it, I'm not sure if the No.4 is even working because I only took 1 shot and missed haha. I'll bring some No.5 next time, maybe I can find some 3" for added umph!
At that range I'd be throwing lots of lead in a dense pattern with lots of velocity. I'd be tempted to even go to 3" #5s from a full choke. That's what we end up having to do on late-season sharptails in the sandhills out here as flushes are typically 40-60 yards and I've had to do it with late-season prairie chickens and pheasants as well. More open chokes work well at ranges under 40 yards but at the ranges you are talking, I'd pick something tighter.......
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I was unable to find any 3" 4 or 5's in the limited amount of free time I had between this hunt and my last, but I'm keeping my eye out for some...
I shot at 3 birds and I think they were pretty solid shots based on my limited ability. At 50ish yards, perhaps a little less I aimed for the head and sent a couple shells it's way. Not even a flinch from any of the birds as they flew into the brush!
It's funny that you mentioned switching to a full choke as that's what I did after I missed my third pheasant and of course I didn't get another shot off the rest of the day! The full choke might have made a difference.
I shot at 3 birds and I think they were pretty solid shots based on my limited ability. At 50ish yards, perhaps a little less I aimed for the head and sent a couple shells it's way. Not even a flinch from any of the birds as they flew into the brush!
It's funny that you mentioned switching to a full choke as that's what I did after I missed my third pheasant and of course I didn't get another shot off the rest of the day! The full choke might have made a difference.
If you are aiming at a flying bird's head that is 50 yards away.....you are likely a few feet behind it by the time the shot gets there.........long shots require long leads. I'm guessing with a bit of time on a clays course and a bit of instruction, you'd be shooting up a storm.
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- Location
- Southern Ontario
Pheasant on the fly
I've taken pheasant with everything from a .410 3" #6 with a skeet choke to a 12 ga. 1/1/4 oz. mag. # 4. This included clean kills with a 16 ga. 7/8" oz. #7 with a charge of black powder.
The magic is knowing the limitations of your shotgun and the discipline to use it properly.
Late season birds could use a tighter choke and copper #4's in my opinion.
Nothing more challenging then a running bird that launches with the wind and is gone just as quickly as the gun is shouldered.
Have fun at the sporting clays field or 5 stand for several rounds to gain a comfort with your favorite shot firing smoke pole.
I've taken pheasant with everything from a .410 3" #6 with a skeet choke to a 12 ga. 1/1/4 oz. mag. # 4. This included clean kills with a 16 ga. 7/8" oz. #7 with a charge of black powder.
The magic is knowing the limitations of your shotgun and the discipline to use it properly.
Late season birds could use a tighter choke and copper #4's in my opinion.
Nothing more challenging then a running bird that launches with the wind and is gone just as quickly as the gun is shouldered.
Have fun at the sporting clays field or 5 stand for several rounds to gain a comfort with your favorite shot firing smoke pole.
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Quote: "my chances are better if I take 3 separate shots at 50, 60 and then 70 yards then they are if I only take one at 50."
You are wondering what works, and have had quite a bit of good advice here, I'll only add a couple of comments.
Shots within sure range are always better than far "hope" shots. 50 yards is extreme range, and is as far as I can get a killing pattern with any of my 12 ga. guns and load combinations. ( Three pellets in the vitals minimum) Paper patterns will tell the tale for your gun and load. Print shops often have roll ends of newsprint available cheap. Paper is a great tool to use when you are figuring what loads work well in your gun.
If you did not see evidence of a hit with your first shot at 50 yards, you have missed. More shots will only wound the bird. If you DO see a hit, keep shooting! One pellet may help even at 70 yards. Leads must be very long at extreme range.
Be quiet when you enter cover if at all possible. I have observed slamming car doors alert pheasants as far as 1/4 mi away. Wear soft shell garments instead of nylon or canvas. Not as durable in the briars but you will flush more birds in range.
Try to move through cover so as to push running birds into fingers of cover or distinct clumps of brush. They may hold better and are more likely to flush within range.
Practise developing smooth gun mount and swing, not "aiming". Sights on an upland shotgun are almost irrelevant if you have practised proper mount and swing. A good mount and swing will also improve your reaction time, which means more shots will be in range.
FWIW, I will be hunting pheasant the next two days in wide open Saskatchewan cover with my 16 ga. O/U, Mod/Mod and 1-1/8 oz loads of 6's in the bottom and 5's or 4's in the top. I don't shoot if they are over 40 yards away.
Good Luck!
You are wondering what works, and have had quite a bit of good advice here, I'll only add a couple of comments.
Shots within sure range are always better than far "hope" shots. 50 yards is extreme range, and is as far as I can get a killing pattern with any of my 12 ga. guns and load combinations. ( Three pellets in the vitals minimum) Paper patterns will tell the tale for your gun and load. Print shops often have roll ends of newsprint available cheap. Paper is a great tool to use when you are figuring what loads work well in your gun.
If you did not see evidence of a hit with your first shot at 50 yards, you have missed. More shots will only wound the bird. If you DO see a hit, keep shooting! One pellet may help even at 70 yards. Leads must be very long at extreme range.
Be quiet when you enter cover if at all possible. I have observed slamming car doors alert pheasants as far as 1/4 mi away. Wear soft shell garments instead of nylon or canvas. Not as durable in the briars but you will flush more birds in range.
Try to move through cover so as to push running birds into fingers of cover or distinct clumps of brush. They may hold better and are more likely to flush within range.
Practise developing smooth gun mount and swing, not "aiming". Sights on an upland shotgun are almost irrelevant if you have practised proper mount and swing. A good mount and swing will also improve your reaction time, which means more shots will be in range.
FWIW, I will be hunting pheasant the next two days in wide open Saskatchewan cover with my 16 ga. O/U, Mod/Mod and 1-1/8 oz loads of 6's in the bottom and 5's or 4's in the top. I don't shoot if they are over 40 yards away.
Good Luck!
I used to live in the Gaspereau Valley so I have hunted what your are hunting where you are hunting it......
#6 works very well and sometimes we would change up to 3" #4 at the end of the season when the birds did a 50yd dash BEFORE flushing. Single most important piece of advice for you is to start shooting clays to practice. I had the exact same issues and a little claybusting went a long way..... I'm now on a once a week regimen thru the summer to be sharp for season opener. Second piece of advice is make some local hunting friends- going home empty is still fun if you are out with buddies AND if they have a dog, odds are you won't be going home empty!!!
#6 works very well and sometimes we would change up to 3" #4 at the end of the season when the birds did a 50yd dash BEFORE flushing. Single most important piece of advice for you is to start shooting clays to practice. I had the exact same issues and a little claybusting went a long way..... I'm now on a once a week regimen thru the summer to be sharp for season opener. Second piece of advice is make some local hunting friends- going home empty is still fun if you are out with buddies AND if they have a dog, odds are you won't be going home empty!!!
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Report on that hunt:
Over two days I killed five roosters, five Hungarian partridge and one each jackrabbit and cottontail. I pretty much stayed within my self-imposed 40 yard maximum range at the shot. ( some fell a little bit farther) All but one pheasant and one Hun were taken with the 6's. All pheasant but one fell between 35-45 long steps away. The only pheasant our dogs had to trail was the one I shot at about 30 yards with the #4's, I did not hit it well and the bird ran after hitting the ground. So, I'd ay that if I center the birds in the pattern, and don't shoot too far, it seems like 1-1/8 oz. of #6's are fully adequate. Even the big white-tailed Jackrabbit was cleanly killed at 42 steps away. I had a nice run of one shot kills this trip, for the first 8 birds and bunnies I never had to use the top barrel.
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- Location
- Saskatchewan
Not yesterday, but a similar hunt in November, same game and loads, similar results:
Mount Sweetness
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Ontario
nice hunt!
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Thought I'd add, personally, I would pass shots beyond 40yds but that's just me
Best advice so far
Just a little hint. If his wings are moving he is going up. If his wings are set and he is gliding, he is going down.
