Shot gun shells

[JasonW77]

I hunt pheasant, grouse, quail, and chukar during the upland season. I'm pretty new at this and have ask my local hunting store (which wasn't a big help) so i figure you would all be able to help me with my questions.

I can either shot a 2 3/4" or 3" shell, but what shot size and oz. shot should I be using?
Now for pheasants I some times hunt on game release areas and there I have to use steel shot. Will using the same shot size and oz size be the same between hunting with steel and lead ?
Does any one know of any type of web site that could help me with all of this so I always have a reference I could go to?
What is a good brand of shells to hunt with? I have purchase a few and did some test shooting but many I have tried are really dirty and don't fire consistently.

[rydaddy]

I use 2 3/4 # 6's for pheasant, and # 7.5's for the smaller birds. I think you'll find there is a wide range of opinions on this one. I also don't buy the expensive shells or the cheapest. I try to stay somewhere in the middle. 99 out of 100 times that I miss I have to remind myself it is me and not the shell.

[Chaingang]

Here's a good general guideline for Pheasants. http://www.pheasantcountry.com/article/ ... S/70808001

This is more for Pheasant hunting, if your hunting quail and or chukars you will need to adjust to a smaller pellet/load size. Since I don' hunt the later two, I will base what I have posted here for Phez.

First off 3" is not needed and is overkill in a 12GA. There are some 3" 20ga loads that basically turn your 20 into a 12 so keep this in mind.

The basic rule of thumb for steel shot vs Lead is to go 2 shot sizes larger when using steel from what you are using in lead. example if using 6 lead go to 4 steel etc.. Much of what you use will depend on where and how you hunt. If your only shooting pointed birds whether preserve or wild you can get by with a little lighter load and smaller shot. If your hunting wild phez, especially later in the season when they have been pushed hard, then this presents a much more challenging situation. Longer shots, many are wild flushes as the birds have become very edgy and may not hold for dogs. In a 12GA. using a #5 or even #4 shot in a 1-1/4 oz or 1-3/8 oz (if you can find it), works very well. IMHO #5 in a 1-1/4 oz plated lead load in 12GA, is a top all around choice for wild phez.

I've always or should I say my shotgun has always been partial to Federal Premium Wingshok loads.

[muddycreek]

For your situation, I would think a #6 in a premium shell should work. I would get a box of all the different 2 3/4 #6 loads and pattern them to find which one your gun likes best. If you are using steel, go with a #4 on phez, or look into the heavier non-tox loads like heavi-shot, Tungsten Matrix, etc... and you can drop down to a 7 or #7.5 if you can find em as they are denser than lead.

Personally I use #5 Fiochii Golden Pheasant all season on Phez and quail. It is overkill on quail, but is perfect on the roosters I target 99% of the time.

Just my $.02

[twofeathers]

Hunted Pheasants for 17 years in iowa some years didn't have much money with babies to feed and moving around and all. I typically like to buy #4 or #5 shot in 3in for 12 ga. towards the end of the season when birds get up and fly off at the sound of a car door 900 yards away. But have taken many birds with #7 or #8 shot in the 2 3/4 inch shells as well. A freind of mine hunts with steel shot all the time because he also is a duck hunter and aside from all the hype about steel not knocking them down at long ranges hes got a couple on me that i thought were too long of a shot. Totally honest it depends on you, can you control yourself and not shoot when game is too far out. And do you practice enough to make that first shot count. Wounding game does no good for anyone. I have another freind who has a great pointing dog and in the begining of the season he uses a 410 single shot. NOT ME.

[Shadow]

twofeathers said it about right-
sounds like you're into quite alot of birds
range you intend to shoot dictates what you use-
what shells are missfiring and dirty