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Shotgun Loads
- Thread starter TonyD
- Start date
Depends on cover and shooting distance. Northern woods I can comment about, and you are originally from the North, so:
Early season, woods cover, short distance:
Pheasant, Dove - #6 (1 1/8 or 1 1/4 ounce loads):
Quail, Grouse, Squirrel - #7 1/2 (1 1/8 ounce loads)
Later season, open woods, longer distance (also early season and fields) (1 1/4 ounce loads):
Pheasant, Dove - #4, 5 0r 6
Quail, Grouse, Squirrel - #6 (1 1/8 are OK, as well)
Turkey, anytime - #2, Mag loads
If Georgia is like Arkansas, the same will apply.
Early season, woods cover, short distance:
Pheasant, Dove - #6 (1 1/8 or 1 1/4 ounce loads):
Quail, Grouse, Squirrel - #7 1/2 (1 1/8 ounce loads)
Later season, open woods, longer distance (also early season and fields) (1 1/4 ounce loads):
Pheasant, Dove - #4, 5 0r 6
Quail, Grouse, Squirrel - #6 (1 1/8 are OK, as well)
Turkey, anytime - #2, Mag loads
If Georgia is like Arkansas, the same will apply.
Well, I'm a nut about chokes.
Turkeys, Full, or Extra Full.
Everything else, close in, Skeet or Imp Cyl.
Further out Imp Cyl, Skeet 2 or possibly modified.
Doves and Pheasants, I'd use the tighter side of the recommendations.
I Grouse hunt with my Skeet gun, a Winchester 101 Field Gun, rechoked to Skeet/Skeet 2.
Skeet 2 is between Imp Cyl and Modified, IIRC.
Turkeys, Full, or Extra Full.
Everything else, close in, Skeet or Imp Cyl.
Further out Imp Cyl, Skeet 2 or possibly modified.
Doves and Pheasants, I'd use the tighter side of the recommendations.
I Grouse hunt with my Skeet gun, a Winchester 101 Field Gun, rechoked to Skeet/Skeet 2.
Skeet 2 is between Imp Cyl and Modified, IIRC.
A Grouse weighs what, a couple of pounds. Turkeys go 16 and up. Turkeys take a lot of killing, and like moose, they don't always know that they're dead yet.
1 1/2 ounce of #2's (2 3/4" Mag) is on the lower end. I've seen 2 ounce loads (3"), and recommend them.
1 1/2 ounce of #2's (2 3/4" Mag) is on the lower end. I've seen 2 ounce loads (3"), and recommend them.
Chris
NES Member
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I've seen people pull out the old 10 guage, and you'll even see the occational custom built 8 guage for Turkey. I think the real key for Turkey is to find a really good location and get them in close. Many of the 'Bigger is better" crowd I feel don't use the tactics of calling and position very effectively and try to make up for it with more firepower. Different folks with different views.
With just about any shotgun hunt, it's the analysis of the wildlife patterns, finding your ideal place to sit and wait, and then having the patience to wait for the shot.
Your best test is to take your gun, large pieces of poster board, and see how your gun patterns with various loads at different distances. Use the spread to determine where you want to find your targtets, or adjust the power and choke to better meet your expected range.
The larger the bird, the larger the shot you need for a kill. Different shot will pattern differently, so be sure to try various sizes.
The more lead weight you have, the higher a dram charge you'll need to launch it effectively. Especially when you are after larger targets.
Patterning will be your best indicator as to what mix is best for your gun. When you find a good array of the shot of the size you need for the bird you are hunting in the range you expect to take a shot, you've found your load.
Just remember if you decide that you will take your shot at 30 yards and use a dense powerful shell to be effective at that range, and then you see your best shots are in the 12-18 yard range, you might just end up with bird fluff, so always have some ammo in the pocket for different tasks.
A lot of working out the best ammo is knowing how it works in your gun and what the prey you are going after will be like.
The first bird I ever took was on the ground and never saw me. I don't remember the load I was using, but all that was left after the shot was fluff and the leg band. After suffering the laughter of my family, I was reminded that there was a 'reason' to getting them in the air.
With just about any shotgun hunt, it's the analysis of the wildlife patterns, finding your ideal place to sit and wait, and then having the patience to wait for the shot.
Your best test is to take your gun, large pieces of poster board, and see how your gun patterns with various loads at different distances. Use the spread to determine where you want to find your targtets, or adjust the power and choke to better meet your expected range.
The larger the bird, the larger the shot you need for a kill. Different shot will pattern differently, so be sure to try various sizes.
The more lead weight you have, the higher a dram charge you'll need to launch it effectively. Especially when you are after larger targets.
Patterning will be your best indicator as to what mix is best for your gun. When you find a good array of the shot of the size you need for the bird you are hunting in the range you expect to take a shot, you've found your load.
Just remember if you decide that you will take your shot at 30 yards and use a dense powerful shell to be effective at that range, and then you see your best shots are in the 12-18 yard range, you might just end up with bird fluff, so always have some ammo in the pocket for different tasks.
A lot of working out the best ammo is knowing how it works in your gun and what the prey you are going after will be like.
The first bird I ever took was on the ground and never saw me. I don't remember the load I was using, but all that was left after the shot was fluff and the leg band. After suffering the laughter of my family, I was reminded that there was a 'reason' to getting them in the air.
from:
Tennessee Hunt and Fish - Shotgunner Pellet Chart.
from
The Multi Purpose Shotgun
from
Shot Size Table*
more:
Steel Shot "vs" Lead Shot
Shotgun Shot Patterning
Findout how many pellets are in a shotgun shell! View the Shot Conversion Chart courtesy of MEC. Have you ever wondered how Lead Shot is made?
Matching Choke to Your Quarry
Steel shot energy chart
Is the 3" 20 gauge a Good Turkey Gun?
I didn't want to reinvent the wheel. It is amazing how fast I found this using Google.
Here is my google search:
Here is a nice link if you'd like some hints on how to try it yourself some time.
TonyD
One Shot One Maggie's Drawers
Coyote33 said:
I'm absoluting indepted to you for the wealth of knolwedge you have brought to our forum with your Google skills!! I must now label you as the Google master as we peons here apparently don't know the process. I assume with your mastery knowledge of the internent you must have realized that our forming of this forum was to ask and answer firearm realted questions, and now thanks to you we can eliminate this forum and rely solely on Google.
My many thanks to you and Al Gore for inventing the internet.
