Here is my take on the subject.
You can't take too much gun on a pheasant hunt
Been chasing them for 20+ years in Grant and Kay county, and I've always filled up one side of my vest with magnum loads of 12 ga #5 or 4 shot. 2 3/4 or 3", whatever your gun will shoot. The other side is with magnum loads of 7 1/2 or 8 shot. ( I reload both) If a covey of quail gets up take what you can, and then switch to the 7 1/2's to hunt the singles.
For chokes, I go against what all the "gunwriter experts" say. I use an improved cylinder in the top barrel, or right side depending on which shotgun goes with me, and a modified choke in the bottom or left side. For a single barrel, I'd use an improved or modified with the magnum loads.
Here is my personal formula: Spending the bucks on premium loads for a limit of birds = sucess vs wounding and losing a bird. You only have a limit of two birds so, buy turkey loads or whatever and get your birds. A load of # 5's at 1 1/8oz loads pales in comparison to a load of 1 5/8oz in the pattern. I have dogs, and hunt with people that have dogs, and get tired of seeing a huge puff of feathers come off the bird and then spending a half an hour looking for a running cripple and not getting a recovery due to dry conditions, etc. They are a tough bird and really hate watching the "hunting shows" where they put out planted birds and brag about how they can use a .410 to kill them to impress people about how great a hunter they are.
Yep, it only takes one pellet to kill them, but the more pellets you can get in them, the better your sucess.
You can't take too much gun on a pheasant hunt
Been chasing them for 20+ years in Grant and Kay county, and I've always filled up one side of my vest with magnum loads of 12 ga #5 or 4 shot. 2 3/4 or 3", whatever your gun will shoot. The other side is with magnum loads of 7 1/2 or 8 shot. ( I reload both) If a covey of quail gets up take what you can, and then switch to the 7 1/2's to hunt the singles.
For chokes, I go against what all the "gunwriter experts" say. I use an improved cylinder in the top barrel, or right side depending on which shotgun goes with me, and a modified choke in the bottom or left side. For a single barrel, I'd use an improved or modified with the magnum loads.
Here is my personal formula: Spending the bucks on premium loads for a limit of birds = sucess vs wounding and losing a bird. You only have a limit of two birds so, buy turkey loads or whatever and get your birds. A load of # 5's at 1 1/8oz loads pales in comparison to a load of 1 5/8oz in the pattern. I have dogs, and hunt with people that have dogs, and get tired of seeing a huge puff of feathers come off the bird and then spending a half an hour looking for a running cripple and not getting a recovery due to dry conditions, etc. They are a tough bird and really hate watching the "hunting shows" where they put out planted birds and brag about how they can use a .410 to kill them to impress people about how great a hunter they are.
Yep, it only takes one pellet to kill them, but the more pellets you can get in them, the better your sucess.
