Hunting Preserve Pheasants, Some questions

[keyser]

I'm going on a preserve pheasant hunt soon, with some chukar and quail mixed in. I haven't been in several years, but I shoot skeet fairely regularly. Last pheasant hunt I was on was put/take at atterbury several years ago and I used high brass 6's from a 12ga with a fixed skeet choke. I plan on using the same gun, but the owner is recommending using low brass 7.5's. Granted, that will probably work for the chukar and 8's for the quail, but will low brass 7.5's do it for pen raised pheasant or should I stick with high brass 6's?

If low brass 7.5's will be fine, will typical skeet/target loads be alright in 1-1/8 loads. I'm currently shooting Fiocchi White Rhino's which are 7.5 1-1/8 handicap loads, would those be alright?

If not, which shells would you recommend?

 

[CountryBoy19]

I've shot reloaded 7 1/2's on a put-and-take pheasant hunt before. I didn't have any problems putting birds down. I got the only rooster of the day.

 

[sp3worker]

My buddy and I went on a preserve pheasant/quail hunt a few years ago and we both used 7 1/2's with a modified choke. No problems, except hitting the quail , we went 4/10. We used the cheapest Federal shells Walmart sold.

 

[singlesix]

Shot Pheasant few back at a Preserve and I was using 8's and had no problems. 7 1/2s should be fine. Where are you going? Make sure you check them out before showing up and shelling out the $$$.

 

[disengaged]

Our last pheasant hunt - we used 7 1/2s on pen raised pheasant and didn't have a problem at all.

Good Luck!

 

[dean2182]

I use an over & under with #6 w/ mod choke in one barrel for long shots & 7 1/2 w/imp in second barrel-Have been going to Lost River for years, never had a bad day

 

[Uconas]

my last bird hunt like that i used a 20ga imp and mod with 7.5 low brass it worked fine for me

 

[jonny4523]

Wow, seems like I'd be one of the few using bigger shot. I use high brass 4s or 5s. Sometimes I'll carry 7-1/2s in case we scare up a covey of qual.

 

[colt45er]

On the Preserve hunts I have been to we try to keep it Pheasant and Chuckar or Quail and Chuckar. The reason is because I have found a big difference in what some pheasants can take as far as shot goes. 5's put them down most of the time where smaller shot does not always. Could be just the place we hunt, but it is all of the shooters in the group,

Then if you have a quail pop up, 5's are too big. Even if you lead them and only get a few pellets on them, 5's do damage on such a small bird.