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Pheasant loads 20 ga.
Robin
Member Posts: 1,228 ✭✭✭✭✭
Gentlemen,
I am making this year's pheasant hunt with some old friends that I have never hunted with before. I used to dive with one of the guys and came to understand that he knew everything there was to know about diving and lobster catching. Never the less, the know-it-all is a fine person in all other respects. Due to the hassle of checking bags, I am only taking my 20 ga Ugartechea SxS this year. It is choked cylinder and improved cylinder and is chambered for 3" shells. My question is whether or not there is any real benefit to using 3" shells rather than 2 3/4" pheasant loads. My shotgun is light to begin with and I wonder if the longer (and maybe slower) shot stream amounts to any real benefit in the field. This is only my 4th pheasant hunt and most of the other times I hunted with my old 12 ga Ithaca NID, so I have a lot to learn about the smaller gauges. Thanks
I appreciate the advice and will go with the 3" shells. This shotgun was supposed to be choked IC and mod but my gunsmith measured it and told me it was closer to cyl and IC. It has work fine with dove but I know pheasants are quite a bit tougher. Thanks again.
I am making this year's pheasant hunt with some old friends that I have never hunted with before. I used to dive with one of the guys and came to understand that he knew everything there was to know about diving and lobster catching. Never the less, the know-it-all is a fine person in all other respects. Due to the hassle of checking bags, I am only taking my 20 ga Ugartechea SxS this year. It is choked cylinder and improved cylinder and is chambered for 3" shells. My question is whether or not there is any real benefit to using 3" shells rather than 2 3/4" pheasant loads. My shotgun is light to begin with and I wonder if the longer (and maybe slower) shot stream amounts to any real benefit in the field. This is only my 4th pheasant hunt and most of the other times I hunted with my old 12 ga Ithaca NID, so I have a lot to learn about the smaller gauges. Thanks
I appreciate the advice and will go with the 3" shells. This shotgun was supposed to be choked IC and mod but my gunsmith measured it and told me it was closer to cyl and IC. It has work fine with dove but I know pheasants are quite a bit tougher. Thanks again.
Comments
To increase your chances, you may want to consider the 3" just for the additional shot you will be putting out. You may also want to consider a larger shot size than normal.
Just my 2 cents.
I shot those till I sold my 20 last year. Tried many wad/recipe combos and couldn't assemble a load that patterned as well. As 22highpower stated, with your chokes a higher pellet count would be in order. The nickle plated shot will help compensate for lost pellet energy with smaller shot.
Best
If you're not hunting over dogs, you don't want wounded birds to hit the ground running.
Years ago the birds were wild
in Nh now they're stocked and
flush for the most part, close.
I use the Walmart high brass
"3 or 4" pack -6's or 71/2"
and have had no problem.
Towards the end of the season
I see more flushes further
away and I stick to 6's.
I only use a 20 (ic)now , I peeled
a bird open with a 12 on a close flush,
what a mess.
Congratulations on your hunt with old friends! There is nothing better.
I've used an older 20ga. superposed for a long time, choked like yours. While it is wonderful for grouse and woodcock in the woods, it was a challenge in the pheasant fields.
I found that I could use a combination of #6 copper plated shot buffered to get a little tighter pattern. This is a standard for me for any field shooting now.
Good Luck and Enjoy the hunt!
Best.