Load & Choke Combo For Pheasant

V

VirgilCaine

New member
I'm an experienced upland bird hunter, and I'm used to hunting for Woodcock and Grouse in the thick cover up here in Northern Michigan. Early season I use my 1100 LT-20 or Mossy 500 in 20ga with MOD chokes. Later in the season when the leaves all fall and the shots get longer I move up to 12ga with IMP chokes, and when the snow flies and the grouse are twitchy, I screw in my full chokes on my 12's.

I have been invited to hunt Pheasant this weekend in the "Thumb" area of Michigan. We will be hunting over pointers in large fields of soybeans and sorgum, winterwheat and cut corn. Thick hedgerows line all of the fields.

Should I put a full choke in my 1100 LT-20? Or should I use my 12ga 1100? If so, what choke?

Then, what load? I was thinking High Brass #6's. Or do I load 8's first, then HB 4's?

Here's my options:
Mossberg 500 20ga
1100 Lt-20
1100 12ga
Winchester '97 30" barrel full choke

I have all chokes available.

Thanks TFL!!!
 
In your shoes, I'd be very tempted to tote that old 97 with lots of choke. I find it easier to wait out a shot than hasten one with an open choke. And wild pheasants need to be hit hard.

My favorite back in the day used hard 6s or 5s. These days I'd go with 5s.

While lots of folks use 20s with good effect, I'd go with a 12 and at least a Mod Choke.

You will have fun. Ditch dragons can get to you.

Enjoy....
 
choices, choices

The conditions sound similar to what I hunt in Kansas all the time, and I use #5 or #6 heavy field loads (3 1/4 dram) with an improved or modified.

Keep in mind however my personal feeling about full choke is it is for someone with VERY slow responses or for turkey and goose/duck.
I'm by no means an expert these are just my opinions
 
what loads for pheasants

i hunted them in illinois till i moved south i hunted over german shorthairs i was using 12ga. with full chokes in an over and under it worked well because it gave me a little more time to get on the birds so i would load 6 shot for the first shot then 4 shot in case i missed.
 
Over pointers a good 2 3/4" load of #6 shot and an IC choke in your 20 will work very nicely. Take your shots over 15 yards and under 30, you won't have any problems. Shooting pheasants over pointers is very easy, and you can prepare for the shot, it really doesn't take much gun. #5 shot works great too, and there is less to pick out of the bird.

I use 20 ga unless it is really windy over flushing dogs, Winchester 2 3/4" 'super pheasant' loads with one ounce of #5 shot and a full choke. When it gets really windy and the birds get distance in a hurry I use a 1 1/4 ounce 12ga load and a full choke. My 20 will hammer them absolutely dead at 40 yards, the 12 gets me another 15 yards.
 
I will also be hunting pheasant in the thumb area soon. In Ubly at the Rooster Ranch Hunt Club. Its exatly what you described. I have been there before and have hunted several farms in the thumb.

#6's with the high brass is what we use #5's will do also.

Your 1100 12ga with the Mod tube would be my choice.

In the past I have used my 870 30" full choke barrel. Too much gun for the close shots, we made kabobs with those birds. I'm using my new 11-87 with the Mod tube on this hunt.

I live in southern Michigan, can't wait to get up there.

Enjoy the hunt.
 
Ask your hosts first - depending on the birds any of the above.

Sounds like you can make it work whatever you are carrying.

Assuming the birds hold to a point then it's like you have all the time in the world as they jump up and fly off starting low and slow - they are a bigger heavier bird with a weight of tail - I've seen people try with flou flou arrows on flushing birds and not look silly.

If the birds run and get up a long ways off - because all the birds that held have left the gene pool - then shooting a going away bird with that weight of tail at some distance the bird can carry a lot of lead that didn't get through - then it takes big shot and lots of it (the dogs may find some birds you didn't see go down). I like big hard shot for pheasants, others disagree.

I'd go with a 12 and lots of 5's or bigger but Lubaloy 6's and a 20 I liked would suit me though I might let some birds fly on. Tubes based on observation on site - more open than not relying on weight of shot to fill the pattern rather than choke it down but that's me.
 
New to hunting here....

I've been shooting for many years now - but I'm new to hunting (only been pheasant and coyote huning twice - with no luck)
It's now Pheasant season here in Ma and I'm itching to go.

...but I'm kind of clueless about chokes and what loads to use and all that.

Are there any good informative websites or topics on TFL that can explain all that to me?


any help would be truly appreciated.

Thanks!!!

Steve
 
I choose between two guns for pheasant both 12 gages a double barrel side by side improved and full the other is a pump where I screw in the modified. For the most part the rounds I use are all high base 6s and 5s. The high base 5 is a great pheasant load on wild birds by it self.

Usually in double barrel I will stager the loads 6’s in the right 5’s in the left. In the pump I usually load 6-5-5 or 6-6-5 depending on how tight the bird is holding.

For example if a dog is involved and the handler has great control over the pooch I will drop down to straight 6s when my game is on. The tighter the bird holds the lighter the load. I have use 7 1/2s shooting over an outstanding dog when conditions justify it.


For me, I have done enough Pheasant hunting that over time I have found there are variables that I takes in consideration in determining the game load, the dog, the weather, pheasant subspecies, cover, terrain and is the bird wild or pen raised. The more you chase these China Roosters around country side the better you’ll get applying the variables.
 
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