Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game S. Dakota Pheasent Gun

Next fall I might be doing a pheasent trip to S.D. The trip planning is in the very early stages, but my wifes family has a bunch a private land we can hunt.

I am looking for recomendations on guns and gauges. I currently own a couple of 20 gauges. One is a extra barrel for my Encore and the other is a 870 Wingmaster 20g Magnum with a 28" barrel choked modified. The last 20g I have is the humble Ithaca 66.

I am open to any thoughts and opinions. Thanks for the help.

Is that 870 a 3" or a shorty?

And what time of year are you going?

Mark D

It is a 3" 20g. My guess is that we would be going right around opener.

Your Wingmaster 20 would work fine; in my 20 use the 1 oz. loads have worked better than the 3" magnums but your experience may vary. Most of the guys you run into will have 12 gauges, but heavy loads are not all that important especially early in the season or over dogs. I mostly use an open-bored light 12 or 16 with 1 to 1 1/8 oz. of #6 shot; my pal with much more pheasant experience really likes #5 shot. Don't worry too much about the gun as long as you shoot it OK.

your current 20 guage pump will work just fine. Early on I use 7.5 or 6 shot with IC choke. Later I switch to 5 or 4 shot, modified choke.

I use #5 shot almost exclusively for peasants. Won't be convinced there is a better shot size for them birds.

My Pa bought me an H&R single shot 20ga. when I was 13 and I've been shooting 20s ever since. From doves and quail to turkeys, I've never felt undergunned. Even called coyotes into a 20ga loaded with #3 buck.

I've got an ancient 870 that has a 28" fixed full choke barrel that I use for most everything these days.

Love them 870s.........

#5 shot was made for pheasants!

In the early season I've found the 3" federal 7 1/2's over a good tight working dog to be superb. Most all of the birds I've taken in this kind of a condition are inside of 20yds and it just powders them.

Mark D

Thanks for the feedback. Will the 20g work well also for late season or is it time to step up to a 12g. Our possible hunt might get moved to x-mas next year, pending the season lengths.

Most of the guys I know use 12 gauge auto's with an ounce and a quarter of 5s or 4s with a full choke. One thing to keep in mind is with a full choke you can let them get out there a ways before shooting but you can't make the open chokes reach out there. Your 20 should be fine, I've shot a few pheasants and alot of sharptails with my dads 870 20 guage.

Open chokes and #6 shot for me , 99% of the time . I've been knocking hell out of them the last couple years with a little 28 ga double chocked improved and modified.......it likes the WW 1 oz. load of sixes .

Your 20 ga pump choked modified will work great if you point it right.........use 3 inch loads of #5 if you are worried about long rangers during the late season......myself , I seldom use heavy loads anymore .

I agree that your 20 will work fine. I am ambivalent about 3" loads for pheasants. You have a longer shot string with a lower velocity and more recoil. I've done well for years with a 1 oz load and mag 2 and 3/4" loads of 1 and 1/8 oz 6s are as heavy as I go in the 20 but that's just me.
Lately, I've killed many pheasants over a pointer with a 28 ga. with 3/4 ounce of 6s.
In SD, you may go into sensory overload at the number of birds you see--their numbers are unbelievable in the right places--so stay under control and take the birds that are under 40 yds and you'll do fine. There is no reason to try to shoot birds out further than that as there are so many.

1 ounce of 5's equals a dead rooster whether shot from a 20 or 28. I wouldn't mess with a 3 in. gun and would rather shoot an IC bore on a single barrelled shotgun, IC&Mod on a double.