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Joined: Feb 2011
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Great info, MD! I am interested in beginning shotshell reloading for the 16ga, with 7 shot as one of the loads I really want to try.
I have often wondered how high antimony 7 shot would work for dove hunting here. I suspect the larger mass as compared to 7.5/8 shot will serve well for hunts where we have high flyers on windy days, and the pattern density is still high enough to give uniform patterns at the longer ranges.
Your experience with 7 shot in the 28 ga really has me thinking.
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Joined: Dec 2007
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I shoot a ounce of 6’s at pheasants from my 16. The Federal Gameloads.
They are noticeably softer shooting than the Remington 1oz #6 loads.
“Life is life and fun is fun, but it's all so quiet when the goldfish die.”
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Joined: Aug 2010
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I used the Fiocchi 16 Gauge #5 1-1/8oz nickle plated loads for turkey hunting and it worked fine on several gobblers.
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Joined: Apr 2017
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One rarely seen shot size, at least in the U.S., is #7--which is the same as the British #6, apparently the most popular over there for shooting driven pheasants. The nominal diameter is .10, and there are approximately 300 per ounce, as compared to 350 for 7-1/2's and 225 for 6's. That 350/225 gap is the biggest in popular American shot sizes, and 7's fill it neatly.
Bought some high antimony 7's from Ballistic Products a number of years ago when working on handloads for the 28-gauge, and was very impressed. A load of 7/8 ounce in the 28 killed wild roosters well out to 40 yards, using a typical modified choke, and when processing the birds for the freezer found they definitely penetrated better than 7-1/2's.
Have always suspected 1 or 1-1/8 ounces of hard 7's would make a great pheasant load in the 16, just as it does in light 12's in England, but so far haven't tried them in any of our 16's, apparently because of having too much factory ammo on hand. :-) Top A buddy is a firm believer in that load of 7s for pheasants in a 12 ga and talked me into buying a couple of bags years back. I think it is the perfect shot size for the vast majority of grouse, both woodland and plains, and in the smaller bores it would be a better choice for anything one would use 6 shot but I don't see myself switching to it any time soon.
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OP
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The 7s look like a handloading only proposition? Not finding them in stock.
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Never hunted sharptails but my pheasant hunting is heavily pressured public access wild birds that more times than not get up at the edge of shotgun range. I've settled on nickle plated 5's in both the 12 and 16 gauges. I load 1 1/8 oz at around 1240 fps in the 16 and it hits pretty hard. Cheesy tried his 100 year old German SxS last fall so I loaded some 1 oz 5's at 1200 for him. He lucked into two 30 yard shots on the same pass through some CRP and was half way to his limit. I'm hearing that with all the flooding during nesting season this year I might as well carry a single shot 410 to make the hikes easier.
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I've found an ounce of 6's out of my 16 or 20 gauges crushes early season pheasants and puts all the shot in my birds that I care to pick out. 7.5 shot makes them look like a spaghetti strainer and too many end up practically inedible because of it. Late season I switch to 1 1/4 oz. of 5's in one of my 12 gauge guns.
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laissez les bons temps rouler
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[quote=30338]The 7s look like a handloading only proposition? Not finding them in stock.
As mentioned by mule deer, look at the English brands that are marked as six shot. The English use a different base pellet size than the United States to determine sizes. Their six shot is the equivalent in size to you nine it states number seven shot.
If you look at United States or even just north American brands you will not find number seven shot except by the small specialty companies
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Most of my 16's are older guns with tight chokes, for the first shot I use shells loaded with fiber and nitro card wads 6's or 5's for grouse and pheasants ,it gives me a better open pattern under 30 yds. 2nd barrel or next shell up is one with plastic wads for tighter pattern. I have some 7 1/2's loaded for dove ,I never use them on bigger birds because I get damned tired of shooting up my eating. That Herter 1 1/8 oz of 5's is a good load that is inexpensive, the Fiocchi's are top notch.MB
" Cheapest velocity in the world comes from a long barrel and I sure do like them. MB "
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No doubt.
IC, Mod, shot sizes cause me minimal fret.
Birds?
laissez les bons temps rouler
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No doubt.
IC, Mod, shot sizes cause me minimal fret.
Birds? So true. I’d happily tote a 410 stoked with 9s if it meant the bird population in NW OK and SW KS would be like it was when I was a teenager.
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A lot depends on when and under what conditions you plan to hunt pheasants.
Opening weekend with a pointing dog, sure #7.5 work great except the bird will have a lot of pellets in the meat.
Two weeks in when the non-residents have pressured everywhere, #6 is light.
Late season, pressured, flushing dog, #5 is minimum, with #4 in a tight choke far more useful for all-around.
The 16 gauge 1 1/8 #5 load is a great all-season pheasant killer.
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I once bought a case of 1 oz ( i Think) # 7 shot made buy Westly Richards loaded pretty stout.also 2 1/2 "
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