Pheasant load of choice?

[KyCarl]

I shot a lot too and shot just kept going up up up! We used to go up to The Grand American and buy a ton at a time and split it up. I bought 7 1/2 and 8 1/2's.
Cases of Claybuster AA copies. I loaded a bunch with 1 1/2 oz nickle 5's
with a Winchester red wad in a AA hull Blue Dot Fiocchi primer, They SMACKED them good !

 

[SnowbirdUT]

I use a Win AA hull, Rem SP wad, 1 1/4 oz of #6 or #5 shot with a #32 powder bushing (about 32.2 grains I think) of Longshot and a Win primer I believe. I load the RED AA hulls with 6s and the GRAY ones with 5s to make things easy to identify. With a modified choke this is a great load for me. 13 roosters this season so far. This year I swithched to loading 3 #5s in the tube and then a #6 and a #6 in the chamber, those 6s really work well for me, more birds are dead, fewer runner than when I used all #5s with improved cylinder. I have noticed, as I read here in a different post, that the #5s (and larger) will mostly pass through the birds, where #6s stay in the bird...I find this very true. I have pulled out more shot from birds this year that the entire season last year using #5s only, after 2 weekends. Come on, no one else rolling their own???

Someday I will be rolling my own. I am going to build a rifle based on the 50 BMG case and need to change out/ upgrade my centerfire rifle reloading equipment first.

 

[SnowbirdUT]

I purchase the cheapest 12 ga and 20 ga shells I can with lead #5 shot.

 

[cam2hunt]

Fiocchi Golden Pheasant #5 shot. Has worked for me very well.

 

[COmtnman1]

I shoot an O/U shotgun & shoot a 1 1/4 oz. load of 5 shot with modified choke first shot & usually a 1 1/2 oz. load of 4 shot with improved modified choke for the second shot. Personally i don't like using smaller size shot, too many of those pesky little pellets to deal with when eating that fine cuisine!

 

[remy3424]

Not about the money savings, I too reload rifle cartridges, from 17 Hornet to 338 Lapua, and cast all my pistol bullets and reload those too. I am waiting for the savings to start rolling in! I have 5 presses plus 2 for shot shells, 4 powder dumpers, a couple of beam scales, 30 or so dies sets and a couple dozen bullet molds plus all the accessories for that endevor....just doesn't save money too quickly! Just enjoy the process and idea of it. Maybe I am a little OCD and it also fills my desire to recycle. I do try to find the hulls, wads and shot at guns shows where other reloaders have called it quits, that cuts the component costs way down. If I shoot 5 boxes or so a season, there isn't too much savings to be had....but they shoot & pattern well, makes me feel good and I enjoy doing it also.

 

[KyCarl]

I have loaded with a Mec 9000G for years I have a box full of bars and bushings
They seem to hold up OK

 

[Greyfox]

Over my Brit, 1oz of 6's in either my 12(low brass) or 20(high brass) is more then sufficient. Skeet 1 and Skeet 2 chokes in my doubles.

 

[blkdog]

1 0z nickle plated 5s in my 20 ga works great and doesn't ruin the meat

 

[Wyomingmike]

#5's for me

 

[rugers]

Dont know what kind of shotgun your shooting but in my doubles I load # 7 shot right barrel backed up with # 4 shot left barrel. ic and mod choke. If hunting stocked birds load up on 7 in both. If hunting wild birds late season carry some # 2 shot also, all depends what the birds are doing. If your using pushers and blockers ( usually used in S.D. on game preserves with stocked birds go strait # 4 shot. You also dont need 3" mag shells 2 3/4 work just fine, I shoot 2 1/2 shells kills them real dead. But in all honesty I've killed more birds with 7 shot than any thing else, inside 20 yds you have alot more pellets from 7 than 4 hitting the bird pretty much smokes them, but you have got to be prepared for any thing, carry #7 +#4 and I would have a box of #2 just in case. If your using a 28 ga go strait #6 dont shoot past 20 yards

 

[Allen Kitts]

Remington Nitro Pheasant in 5's. Devastating. 1-3/8 ounces of 5's at 1300 FPS put a hurtin on Mr. Rooster...…..

 

[Salmonchaser]

My girls like the Fiochi Golden pheasant, hate Prairie Storm.

 

[freddogs]

I start with 1 1/4 oz 7 1/2s the first couple weeks of season. I go to 6's and then 5's as the season goes on. I hunt over a shorthair. I reload my own with longshot. Everything is 1 1/4 oz. loads. I use previously fired AA hulls I have left over from trap shooting.