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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 28,172
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 28,172 |
An oz of hard 6 or 5 has been working out of my 20ga’s for the last decade on wild birds here. Got into the 16 this year again and, surprise, an oz of 6 or 5 has been working this season as well. Though I do use the golden pheasant 1 1/8oz shells too, they are expensive and the recoil makes them no fun in a light double. I will say I prefer 5’s in either load, complete pass through makes eating more pleasant. The 1 1/8 oz Golden Pheasant in 5 shot is my favorite pheasant and late season chuckar load. I use the Golden Pheasant in 16 and 20 ga guns. None better, IMO. (when I can find any)
Hunt with Class and Classics
Religion: A founder of The Church of Spray and Pray
Acquit v. t. To render a judgment in a murder case in San Francisco... EQUAL, adj. As bad as something else. Ambrose Bierce “The Devil's Dictionary”
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,848 Likes: 3
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,848 Likes: 3 |
An oz of hard 6 or 5 has been working out of my 20ga’s for the last decade on wild birds here. Got into the 16 this year again and, surprise, an oz of 6 or 5 has been working this season as well. Though I do use the golden pheasant 1 1/8oz shells too, they are expensive and the recoil makes them no fun in a light double. I will say I prefer 5’s in either load, complete pass through makes eating more pleasant. The 1 1/8 oz Golden Pheasant in 5 shot is my favorite pheasant and late season chuckar load. I use the Golden Pheasant in 16 and 20 ga guns. None better, IMO. (when I can find any) I lucked into a couple cases of 1oz #5 20ga a bit ago, and a case of 1 1/8oz #5 16ga last year. Those shells plus several flats of Remmy 16ga 1oz #8 and #6 in my stash has been the reason for renewed interest in the 16. My pre war Ithaca 37 has made quite a few empty black beauties, but I have enjoyed getting into the old double guns this season. I do wish Fiocchi made a 1 oz 16ga golden pheasant loaded to 1200-1250 though..
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,814
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,814 |
Our typical shots are 35-50 yards on tough hard to kill birds, not ruffed grouse and shooting preserve chuckar and pheasants. It's prudent to have more and bigger in the air.
If you've ever had to look for a crippled chuckar that fell 100-200 yards down a mountain you would see wisdom in more and harder hitting shot. I don't like the added recoil and higher ammo prices, but I use what works best for what and where I hunt. I can see your wanting more shot, however the extra starting speed around the 50 yard line has mostly gone away. While the recoil remains. https://www.shotgunlife.com/shotguns/tom-roster/does-speed-kill.html
Last edited by battue; 10/14/22.
laissez les bons temps rouler
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 28,172
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 28,172 |
Our typical shots are 35-50 yards on tough hard to kill birds, not ruffed grouse and shooting preserve chuckar and pheasants. It's prudent to have more and bigger in the air.
If you've ever had to look for a crippled chuckar that fell 100-200 yards down a mountain you would see wisdom in more and harder hitting shot. I don't like the added recoil and higher ammo prices, but I use what works best for what and where I hunt. I can see your wanting more shot, however the extra starting speed around the 50 yard line has mostly gone away. While the recoil remains. https://www.shotgunlife.com/shotguns/tom-roster/does-speed-kill.htmlSo, you're trying to tell me that tiny lead balls aren't ballistic wonders? Here is a photo of some chuckar we shot today and where they fell when shot from the peak in the background. We lost two birds here, also. We looked for 45 minutes, then we came back down the mountain hours later and looked again. I didn't have my little Griffon chuckar dog, Rosie. She's in heat, can't smell her front feet, and acts goofy when on the rag. Besides, the snakes are out in this hot weather. Sorry for the photo quality from Owen's phone. It's terrible since he dropped it down a mountain.
Hunt with Class and Classics
Religion: A founder of The Church of Spray and Pray
Acquit v. t. To render a judgment in a murder case in San Francisco... EQUAL, adj. As bad as something else. Ambrose Bierce “The Devil's Dictionary”
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Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 1
New Member
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New Member
Joined: Jan 2022
Posts: 1 |
Our typical shots are 35-50 yards on tough hard to kill birds, not ruffed grouse and shooting preserve chuckar and pheasants. It's prudent to have more and bigger in the air.
If you've ever had to look for a crippled chuckar that fell 100-200 yards down a mountain you would see wisdom in more and harder hitting shot. I don't like the added recoil and higher ammo prices, but I use what works best for what and where I hunt. I mostly squirrel hunt with my 16's and Im usually shooting long 30-40 yard at a tough (small target) in thick tree tops on the side of a mountain. So I opt for 1 1/8oz loads generally. If Im bird hunting or rabbit hunting then Im fine with 1oz loads.
Last edited by kylongrifle; 10/21/22.
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Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 378
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 378 |
I mostly squirrel hunt with my 16's and Im usually shooting long 30-40 yard at a tough (small target) in thick tree tops on the side of a mountain. So I opt for 1 1/8oz loads generally. If Im bird hunting or rabbit hunting then Im fine with 1oz loads. Yeah, I'm down here in the bottom right corner near the KY/TN/VA line. I can step foot in either state within about 30 minutes either way. I know what you mean hunting on hillsides and in old growth trees. Some squirrels, you would do better using a surface to air missile to be able to get in range of some of them. Especially if you are standing on the down hill side of them. Even now with as many leaves that have turned and fallen, there's still a lot of stuff that just absorb pellets. So, launching as many pellets as possible does not have any down side where that is concerned. My usual squirrel loadout is 1-1/8 remington express long range. Though, I've taken a lot using winchester super x (which I haven't seen in years) and federal hi brass.
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,325
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,325 |
An ounce of 7-1/2's for targets and forest grouse. For prairie birds I use one oz of 6's mostly, and if I find I need a larger shot size I also up the charge weight to 1-1/8 oz if shooting 5's or 4's. I have an old hammer double that I just took hunting for three days on wild pheasant, sharptails and huns. It is choked cylinder and full. Put an ounce of 6's in the open barrel, 1-1/8 oz of 4's in the "choke" barrel. A rather odd combination of chokes and shot sizes that in practise worked very well.
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