Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game 7 1/2 Shot & Pheasant

On this double last year, I had 6's in the right barrel and 4's in the left which I usually don't bother to do but in this case it was fortuitous as the second rooster was pushing 40-45 yards. I doubt I'd killed the second with 71/2's.

5s, maybe 6s, perhaps 4s late in the season if the birds are determined to get up farther ahead

In general, no they won't.

For game farm birds, you should be OK with 7 1/2 shot.

For wild birds, I use 5's for the first 2 weeks, then switch to 4's for the remainder of the season. Even 4's don't generally pass through. On the other hand, #4 Hevi-Shot will consistently pass through Mallards at 45yds.

I will also carry shell's loaded with #2 lead. Many times my right barrel has 4's in it and the left has 2's. Since I no longer have a bird dog, I need to make sure they are dead when they hit the ground, and 2's will do that.#2 lead typically perforates roosters completely.

K22 +1

I used to shoot for spaniel hunt tests and shot 20+ birds a day with trap loads even ones we road out a ways for the senior and master dogs usually just folded up, these are pen raised pheasants. For wild bird I shoot 1oz of 5's or 6's out of my 2 1/2" 12's works just fine, I do leave the long ones go and give them another go the next day.

No, they won't. But I have shot a gawdawful lot of pheasants with 1-1/4 oz of 7 1/2 hard shot out of IC and Mod barrelled O/Us over pointing dogs. No small number with 1 ounce loads out of 20s and 16s with open chokes as well (SK/SK and cyl), abeit at just a little shorter ranges. They break wings, legs heads and necks just fine and kill very well 35 yards and in.

I prefer 7 1/2 for pheasants over pointing dogs. Guiding, or backup shooting where if I shoot it will be long range, Then I move to tight chokes and bigger shot.

+1

Have killed hundreds of pheasants over the years with copper or nickel plated 7-1/2s out of a 20 ga. Late season usually 6's and occasionally 5's. Mostly 1 oz loads, but occasionally 1-1/8 and even 1-1/4 oz magnum loads. Since I hunt over a pointer/retriever range is usually well under 25 yards. Never had a reason to completely penetrate any bird...getting the pellets into the vitals is top of the list in my book.

Bill

If you're using 1 ounce loads and heavier than what's the point of using 7.5's?

Al of these birds were killed over pointers with 7 1/2 plated shot with guns ranging from muzzleloading 12's to 28 gauges.
Loads range from 7/8 oz to 1 oz.
We use 6's at times as well if it is real super windy or hunting sharptails that are getting up at 4o yards.

Don't know but I haven't had good luck with them killing pheasants at that distance. I've had no problem killing them DRT using 7&1/2 one oz target loads with a 20 gauge over a pointing dog but most of those shots aren't much more than 25 yards max.

I made the mistake of taking that gun & ammo combination as a guest to a good sized preserve that supplied the dogs. Bad move, we drew a flushing dog. It was a windy day and the pheasants got out there fast. By the time they were high enough for the dogs safety it was usually a pretty long shot. Plenty of flushes but I only had two knockdowns and they were hit in the head. Guys using #5 or 6 shot did a lot better.

My favorite upland shot when I was reloading all my shot shells was #7 shot, but for Ringnecks nothing beats #5 shot especially in the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant load

175, While in Montana this fall, I bought 4 bx. of WW factory
loads with # 7 shot.. They were called Whitewing loads.. Haven't tried any but have some with me. If I get some dove shooting or good quail shooting, I will give them a go..

Grew up on and still own the farm in east central Iowa. My dad and I used #5 shot exclusively on pheasants. Back in the soil bank days (1950s) we had to carry 22 rifles on the tractors while planting corn. They would land right behind the planter scratching the seed out faster than we could plant it. Fields of them by the hundreds. Dad used a 30" Win Mod 12 12ga and I used a 32" Win mod 97 during the pheasant season. I shot my last rooster with my Win Mod 42 and #5 shot. I won't shoot another one as I like them to much. They will be almost extinct in this state before long.

There was a time I thought 2's were needed for sage grouse.

I found 1-1/4 of 7.5's killed the chit out of things..it was a transition, as I sometimes had 6's or 4's in the second barrel. At some point I went to 7.5's in both barrels, for all upland.

I dont know..keep on top of them, and they just work.

In a 12?

Which choke?



Dave

I wont use 7 1/2 in 12ga for blue quail due to the numbers of cripples lost. Im too old to run them down in sand country and you cant find them in grass and weeds if they dont go down a hole or into a packrat mound. Hunting cripples can wear a pointer out.

I now use low base Rio 6s in a 20 ga and have never gotten less birds than someone using a 12 with high base 7.5s though i have downed less.

In fact, the last few yrs i have even started using them on fox and grey squirrels.

I started using a 20 on quail 30 yrs ago when quail hunting with a guy who had a cross country hunting vehicle and saw his wife consistently rolling jack rabbits with one shooting high base 6s at 30-35 yds.

Yes 12's. My silver hawk has IM/IM the Ugartechea has IC/M.

I want to get a 20ga sxs, and might re-think shot size then..

I aint trying to say 7.5's are the best for everyone,but the express long range high brass 7.5's have treated me pretty good in the 12's.

I've hunted pheasants for 49 years. I went through a 7.5 phase for maybe one season. The theory being that you'd kill the bird with denser pattern, versus crippling (maybe the idea was you'd hit it in the head?)
Its all about the number of chances you have, that is bird population and how picky you are with shots. A few years back during an abundant crop of birds in ND where I now hunt, I shot nothing but a 410 and made myself only shoot birds that I had to kick up from in front of my pointing dog. But most of us can't be that picky most of the time. And we want to break wings and legs (can't hit the head on one going away when you can't even see the head.) 5's is what I shoot routinely, and would always recommend.
A crossing bird at 35 yards, 7.5s would be great... shoot it in the head! Not many crossing shots if hunting pheasants behind a dog. In Europe they used to (maybe still do) think shooting a pheasant up the arse (going away) was disgusting. Driven birds flying over you and toward you.... head shots can be done.

Meh.

Fugk that bro. Full choke and 5's. I like 4's too. But only when dealing with COCK exclusively!



GTBTP,
Travis

You know what's disgusting? A bleeder that doesn't shave her armpits and men that have a casual indifference to taking a fugking bath.

And those lazy fugks couldn't walk two days in our bird fields regardless. And even if they could they'd be speaking German. Or Chinamen, if it weren't for us.

So fugk them.



Happy New Year,
Clark

I used to shoot Pheasants in Pointing Dog Field trials. If a trainer said to go ahead and shoot, you better be sure of a downed bird. Over Pointing dogs I used nothing but 7-1/2 High Brass. Hardly ever did any get away. Over Flushing Dogs I used 6's. I have shot literally hundreds of Pheasants, Quail and Partridge and I find that these two loads are the best. 5's and 4's do work, but you sacrifice some pellets. Since steel requirements for waterfowl have been in effect, I have used up all my lead shells that are bigger than 7-1/2's on Upland birds. In all cases field loads are a little iffy. As erich stated, you can do it with them if you don't go out too far.