|
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 11,142
Campfire Outfitter
|
OP
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 11,142 |
I recently learned that I will need nontoxic shot for the area where we will be hunting pheasant, next month. I assume that you have to step up in shot size when using steel, as we do for waterfowl. I have quite a bit of waterfowl steel loads in #2 and #3. Any thoughts on using these loads on pheasants?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,879
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 3,879 |
You’re in the ball park. I used #4’s and #5’s in lead. #6’s worked but were on the light side. I have friends that still go chasing roosters and speak well of the Prairie Storm stuff in that size shot for pheasant.
Keep your powder dry and stay frosty my friends.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 3,112
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 3,112 |
I prefer #2 when using steel for pheasants as it seems to do a better job reaching the vitals when given a going away shot. I'll use #3 steel but expect more birds to come down alive. #3 steel is my favorite for field shooting mallards but those are mostly frontal and side shots at close range. Add distance and a backbone to get through and a larger pellet works better for me.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,569
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,569 |
A dose of 1 1/4 oz of #2 steel does the deed
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 16,554
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 16,554 |
Rule of thumb 2 sizes bigger than lead. Works pretty good, or go to the denser non-toxic. I pheasant hunt on private or walk-in where lead is allowed but have bismuth in the truck in case I need non-toxic, can't shoot steel in the O/U. Been carrying the same shells for years. Tom Roster's 2016 Nontoxic Shot Lethality TableIt all depends. Hunted with a friend who liked steel BB for pheasants. 20 ga. no less. They all dropped like a rock. Harry was an excellent shot.
The key elements in human thinking are not numbers but labels of fuzzy sets. -- L. Zadeh
Which explains a lot.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,800
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,800 |
What's the reason for the no-tox requirement? Public ground with wild birds or are you at a preserve? Makes a difference.
"Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passin.'"
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 22,884
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 22,884 |
I prefer #2 when using steel for pheasants as it seems to do a better job reaching the vitals when given a going away shot. I'll use #3 steel but expect more birds to come down alive. #3 steel is my favorite for field shooting mallards but those are mostly frontal and side shots at close range. Add distance and a backbone to get through and a larger pellet works better for me. This exactly. A good load for pheasants is a 1 3/8 ounce 1300fps #2 steel. Or the standard 1 1/4 ounce load is fine.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,340
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 11,340 |
Yep, just killed some with #2 steel. Thought I had grabbed 4s but figured the 2s would work. They did. Whenever I pointed them well lol.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 13,622
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 13,622 |
No more than I hunt pheasants, I just bite the bullet and pay the price for some Kent Bismuth. Has worked well for me and a box lasts me a lot longer than I wish it did...
|
|
|
702 members (11point, 10gaugemag, 10Glocks, 160user, 117LBS, 12344mag, 83 invisible),
2,647
guests, and
1,286
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,187,691
Posts18,399,843
Members73,820
|
Most Online11,491 Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|