I always considered roosters to be a 12 bore game but I have a little 11-87 in 20 gauge I really like. What load have you guys been running in your 20's for pheasants? Im thinking a 1 oz load of #5's might just be perfect. Thoughts?

That's what I run in my 20's and it seems to work just fine. Haven't had anymore cripples then I do shooting a twelve.

I've been shooting #5's or even #6's 2 3/4 inch 1 oz Winchesters.

Some guys insist they need to shoot 3 inch shells in their 20s for pheasants but I don't believe it.

I was wondering about the 3 inchers

I don't think its necessary, but I guess when it comes to shooting birds you'd rather have overkill then lose a bird.

I don't believe 3" shells are necessary or better. Fiocchi Golden Pheasant or Federal Copper Plated Premium ammo in 5's or 6's will do the job. I haven't been able to get 5's to pattern very well out of the 20 gauge guns I own and generally use 6's.

Fiocchi Golden Pheasant would be my choice regardless of gauge.

I have a box of Remington #5's, thought I would give em a go.

Take this to the bank.

I've had good luck with 1 ounce of 5's out of an SKB 280E with IC/M barrels on ND birds within 35 yards. I usually have a 2 3/4" Winchester Super-X in the right barrel and a 3" Fiocci GP 1 1/4 ounce 5 in the left barrel. The birds so far don't seem to know the difference as long as I point the gun correctly.

What this man said. I really like the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant 3" #4's in my 20 gauge.

3+

True Dat.

NB

I like 2 3/4" plated lead 6s in the open barrel and 5s in the tighter barrel. My 20 doubles are either IC/M fixed chokes or choke tubes with cylinder (Skeet 1) tube in the first barrel and modified in the second.

Don't use 4s for pheasants much any more, partly because they do too much damage on the quick, short shots. Picking wads of feathers out of meat doesn't appeal to me much. And I have blown pheasants in half when shooting 4s close and fast (too much caffeine, I suspect....).

I don't take the kind of real long shots that might call for 4s. Just not that good a shot. When I hunt in an area where steel shot is required, I DO use 3" steel 4s, tho.

Otherwise I'm not a fan of 3" 20s. Bigger isn't necessarily better. But it does cost and kick more....

Shot a few roosters with the 1 oz #5 Remington's and they seemed to realy pound em. Im sold

1oz of #6 s works for the preserve birds we shoot

Passport, shoot any more pheasants with that 20 ga???? I have a couple little 870's in 20 ga. that I have decided I will take at least one on my next trip for upland shooting.. I like my twelves, but that little 20 handles so nice.. Did 5's work out fine after the first hunt or did you switch to 6's???? Thought I would pickup some good 20 g. pheasant loads on the way back to Wy. next week..

I shot 3 roosters with Remington #5's and they pounded em. I would not hesitate to use them again and in fact my 20 is beginning to be my go to gun over my 12. I found some Golden Pheasant, nickel plated, #5's on sale and will give them a go next time I go out, not that the Remington's didn't get the job done but rather that I have heard so much good about the Fiocchi.

You will have no worries on "normal" distance birds, I have not had any longish shots yet.

Who all shoots 3" #4s in their twenties? I just came across a literal "butt ton" of 3" 20ga #4s for free. I suppose for that price they will work just fine.

To be exact the shells are Imperial Magnum 3-1/4 Dram Eq., 1-1/4 oz., #4 shot. They are older but as new in the cases. They have been stored at a constant temp since bought new. I have ran some through my Benelli M2 Field and they function flawlessly.

Tell me what you think about using them please, would they tear up too much meat on the close shots?

Mark, I have used a similar load in my 12's for many years.. Some times the shot size varied from 4's to 5's or 6's.. But I never felt 4's tore up too much meat.. For me it was kind of the reverse fine shot but a lot more pellets in the birds..I think your choke would be the key here..
It is interesting that folks look on this load as a real blaster, but in a 12, it is merely a heavy field load and my very favorite in that ga.. I would guess if the gun shoots them well enough for good patterns, they would be excellent.. However I think I would use them as a second or third shot rather than the first.. With my little 870's the recoil is sharper from 3" over 2 3/4, but with an auto you might never notice the diff... Great buy..

Passport, thanks for the reply.. Once when one of my first goldens was not long for this world, I took Toby on a final hunt at a very good preserve.. We shot all the roosters I could afford, because I knew it would be his last go round.. It was very cold and the birds held well, and Tobe knew how to make them fly.. Dropped 13 roosters that day with a little 870 20 ga. mod. choke and Fed. 1 oz. of 5's... It was my last gift for the little guy and all the birds he put up for me.. Usually, I shot an 870 12, but the 20 did fine..

In my 20 use 2 3/4" 5's and 7 1/2's for the most part, with either Aliant Steel or 7625 for powder, but have also used longshot, and even shot factor ammo .
I have found over the yeras that when I am over the dogs, the gauge, choke or shot size makes very little difference as compared to when i actually am pointing the gun when I trip the trigger!
Howevr, if birds are flushing wild- like they were this fall when we were on the Sharptails, I like to go to big shot loads of 4's.
100 grains of FFG and 1 1/4oz of shot in my 12 hammer double.

Cat

cat, One thing I think we forget is the dog we are using makes a difference in the shots we get.. My dogs are flushers, so the shots tend to be longer than say over a good pointing dog.. My dog Toby was a full choke dog.. He moved fast, and I had to move fast to keep up with him.. Often the birds were getting up at longer distances than if I would have had a pointer..

You are SO RIGHT!!
However, even though my buddy's Griffon and my GSP are rock solid dogs, at times the danged birds flush early, or simply start running, then it's a marathon LOL!

My good friend down south who I hunt with runs a golden who is a super dog and works very close - UNTIL she sees a pointer loccked up.
THEN it doesn't matter if the danged pointer is 100 yards away, she knows there's a bird there and it's goin' up LMAO!!
It's a bit comical, but some guys won't hut with him because of this.
Hey, it's just 'nother day in Paradise as far as I'm concerned as long as there is a dog, a shotgun, and birds involved!
Cat