What's your favourite pheasant load 12ga

[Firebricker]

I ordered T.Rosters manual on lead and bismuth buffered loads because I'm in search of a good buffered pheasant load. Has anybody used this manual ? What's your favourite load for pheasant ?

[tomme boy]

When we used to have birds here, I used 1 1/4 oz. #6 for early season. Then later when they liked to flush farther out, I switched to 1 1/2 oz. #5. Always seemed to work for me.

[Reload3006]

I like 1 1/4 oz sixes early then switch to #4s later on. My load is blue dot .. my fav you cant do any more because S&W bought and then shut down ALCAN... LOL I am still pissed about that.

[Johnch]

I never used buffered loads
As I find the buffer raises pressure more than it helps hold the load togeather IMO

I use several different 1 1/4 loads and a 1 3/8 load if I am expecting long shots
All are in the 1330 -1350 FPS range

Always use Mag ( hard ) shot
I to cheap to load copper or nickle plated shot

I use a Fed High Power hull load most of the time ( Also Top Gun or Estate paper base hull )
But I have to look it up if you want it
1330 FPS and Blue Dot
Because I get tons of these hulls for free


Fed paper hull 1 1/4 of #5 1,330 fps
Fed 209A primer , 37 gr of Blue Dot , 12S4 wad , listed as 10,300 PSI
Soft shooting for the speed and the hull breaks down in a year
I hunt several farms that want us to shoot paper hulls or pick up all the plastic hulls

Fed Gold Medal hull 1 1/4 oz if #5 1350 FPS
Win 209 primer , 37 gr Blue Dot , SP 12 wad , listed as 9,000 PSI


Fed Gold Metal Hull 1 3/8 oz of #5
CCI 209M primer , 29 gr Pro Reach , 12S4 wad , listed as 10,910 PSI
Snappy , but works well


Long Shot powder works well also and can be loaded faster
But it is LOUD !!!!
So I have moved away from loading it much anymore

John

[Firebricker]

Thanks for the info guys. Johnch, Like you I get a ton of Federal hulls free mainly top gun target loads. I've been working out of town five days a week since June but were only working five 10s so we found a gun club and started shooting two rounds of skeet on Tue and Wed then two or three rounds of trap on Thursday. I'm the only reloader so I get all the hulls mostly Feds. I've got a good selection of different hulls though.

Glad you mentioned Longshot powder that's one I've been considering. I've got HS-6, 4756, Blue Dot on hand. Probably going with #5 Mag shot. FB

[Reload3006]

my current pheasant load .. I don't really like to give out info in public not that i mind sharing but liability issues. OK if you use this load do so at your own risk Cast Boolits nor myself can be held liable Blah blah balh. You get it.
Winchester AA hull or Remington STS
1 1/4 oz lead shot ..... size your option
Remington Power piston 1 1/4 oz wad
WW 209 primer
40.0 Gr Blue Dot powder.
about 1330 FPs
10,000 psi

[Firebricker]

Reload, I'll give that one a try when I get time I've got those components on hand. FB

[eye shot]

First I always used a good dog, he points you walk up say pull and it's just like shooting trap. Birds aren't hard to kill so I just use a 1 1/8 oz trap load of 7 1/2 shot.

[35remington]

Rather than pounding myself with the recoil of high velocity loads, which don't return much for your investment, I tend to take a different approach.

Mine is 26.5 grains Herco, 1 3/8 ounce #5 hard or magnum shot, BPI buffer, Remington SP 12 wad for 1150-1200 fps in the 2.75 inch Federal paper basewad shell. This is a Riefenhauser type shell found in the cheap "promotional" packaging. The eight star crimp variety actually load very well with good crimps, and if they get lost after firing on a pheasant hunt I don't agonize over it like if it was a more expensive trap load type shell. The larger capacity case allows more shot and powder for more payload at equivalent pressures to the reduced capacity trapload cases.

The reduced velocity makes these more pleasant to shoot with quicker recovery time. Since the buffer keeps the shot rounder, these loads have equivalent or better downrange speed than the loads starting 100 to 150 fps faster.

Remember the three to one rule in terms of velocity retention of round shot. 150 fps faster at the muzzle is less than 50 fps faster at 40 yards, and that's assuming the loads are of the same type. The buffered pellet, especially those at the middle to bottom of the shot charge, stay rounder and hold their velocity better.

With lead shot, speed doesn't matter very much. Buffer makes it even less valuable. For early season the buffer may be omitted if you wish, and for all normal shooting it probably isn't absolutely necessary, but I like it for the later season.

For some reason, Blue Dot gets a lot of bad press at temperatures of freezing or below. Herco has never had that stigma to overcome.

[Firebricker]

I got T Rosters manual looked through it last night a little looks like some good info. I'll be lucky to get time to try any of them for a couple more weeks.

35remington, That load sounds pretty good and I have a ton of Fed hulls definitely going to try it thanks. FB