You shoot like.....

Mort

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Throwing a wrench in the CWD thread...lets talk ridiculous shots at pheasants......so starting lying about your 75 yds shot I wanna hear it. I tend to shy from long shots but this weekend I'm out to experiment and will be blazing away....call me nuts but this is how I"m gonna load the side kick (12 ga).....first shot will be #4 lead 2 3/4" followed 3" #2 lead (twice)
 


riverview

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shoot low so you take there legs out so they dont run away. lightly hit pheasants tend to disapper especialy if the dog doesnt see them go down
 

Captain Ahab

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Pull out a bigger lead than you think you need in order to bean them in the head. I've had some pretty nice brain beans with copper plated #4 magnums in the past.
 

SDMF

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Throwing a wrench in the CWD thread...lets talk ridiculous shots at pheasants......so starting lying about your 75 yds shot I wanna hear it. I tend to shy from long shots but this weekend I'm out to experiment and will be blazing away....call me nuts but this is how I"m gonna load the side kick (12 ga).....first shot will be #4 lead 2 3/4" followed 3" #2 lead (twice)

Depending upon which 3" shell you go with, you might end up being counterproductive if you're giving up too much velocity. IMO/IME, Fiocchi Golden Pheasant nickel-plated 2 3/4" @ 1485FPS are about the most wicked pheasant load to ever slide down a smooth-bore. #2-shot is deadly, but, you're giving up quite a bit of initial velocity.
 


Yoby

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shoot low so you take there legs out so they dont run away. lightly hit pheasants tend to disapper especialy if the dog doesnt see them go down

Had 2 of those on Sunday. I was getting pissed at my dog due to him "working" with pup that would blow his points on Thursday and Friday. In the end, I think the birds hit the deck and ran.
 

Wags2.0

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Depending upon which 3" shell you go with, you might end up being counterproductive if you're giving up too much velocity. IMO/IME, Fiocchi Golden Pheasant nickel-plated 2 3/4" @ 1485FPS are about the most wicked pheasant load to ever slide down a smooth-bore. #2-shot is deadly, but, you're giving up quite a bit of initial velocity.

#5 golden pheasant set the bar for upland loads

- - - Updated - - -

And turkey loads to be honest. Don’t buy stupid over priced “turkey ammo”. Fiochii golden pheasant matches or beats most of it
 

eyexer

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I shoot golden pheasant loads the first half of the season. but I have to bust open the prairie storm for spooky birds. that shits the bomb
 

KDM

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Not slamming doors, not talking or yelling at the dog, not making unnecessary noise while approaching cover, tip toeing behind the dog instead of just walking, and just plain being stealthy has put WAY more roosters in my vest than ANY ammo I could ever buy. Nothing wounds more critters than long range shots, so when the roosters jump at 50 to 60 yards, I just bid them adieu and wish them well. I'll get'em another day. For all other shots on roosters, 2 3/4 #4 lead gets fed to Bertha and she does the rest.
 


shorthairman

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Have almost always just used good ole Federal 2 3/4" blue box in #5 (sometimes 6 shot if quail are in play). Use the same for turkeys. I am with KDM though, I doubt if I have ever shot a pheasant past 50 yds as I just don't take those shots. Hunt with two dogs most of the time and although I don't shoot near as many birds as some of you guys probably do, I can't tell you the last time I lost a runner. Also I like to eat my pheasants so I don't want them tenderized (or is it vaporized) by a massive amount of XL pellets...:D
 

johnr

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Your best bet is to hunt east of Bismarck.
finding birds is more important than the specific shot you load into your smoke pole.
 

Mort

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All good pointers, hindsights and all, I'll report back, going to be windy on sat, so thats gives us the advantage. I went out last Sunday by myself as ex brother in law has lots to do with his farm work and I don't mind going solo because I tend to walk slower than most hunters and stop every now and then. My problem was most birds were getting up flying straight away from me and was having hard time identify whether it was rooster or hen, so didn't shot. Took two shot all in the two hour span I was out, like I said I saw birds just took more time to identify by then they are out of range...grrrrr....I'm finding them not dropping them. I think my problem is hurrying the first shot, got work to do on that. Hate nothing more than wounding the bird then can't find it because it hits the ground, runs buries itself somewhere and dies.

Side note: Anyone shooting steel shot at 'em??? That another interested debate.
 
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JakeV

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When hunting public land where steel is required I use hevi-metal #2's and they do the trick.
 

Rowdie

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What I hate is later in the season, I start finding gangrene in birds that were probably shot by you dumb MF'ers that are taking 75-100 yard shots! You think you aren't hitting them at that range, but in reality you're probably spraying more than one bird at that range. STOP IT!! Buy a damn single shot an learn HOW and WHEN to SHOOT!!
 


remm

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I haven't shot lead since it got banned for waterfowl. Been using 20ga 3'' steel 4 shot for the first couple months of the season for the past few years, prairie storm or black cloud seems to work well. Once december rolls around usually shoot 12ga 2's in steel as well. When the lead ban went into effect, I was shooting both lead and steel, however it was getting hard for me to hit anything switching back and forth because my leads got all f'd up due to the slower velocity of the lead. Couple 100fps makes a big difference in how far you need to lead a bird, especially once you get out a little farther. I can't see myself ever buying a lead shell again other than for the kids to shoot clays
 

Mort

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All this talk, now can't wait to get out this weekend...arrrggghhhh....Friday after work give me a window to sneak in couple of shots.
 

That guy

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3" bb; they don't run away just fold. Also pass through better so not to be eating shot.
 

Pheasant 54

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How many of you have shot triples when three or more get up at the same time
 

FishFinder97

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I shoot an old Remington 870 wingmaster in 20 gauge, 2 3/4 in 4 shot lead out of my 20 gauge on roosters, works just fine and I don't take risky shots. In the later season I really like to use the Remington 3 in 4 shot lead which is 1 1/4 oz. I only shoot my 12 gauge for waterfowl and turkey.
 


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