heavy shot

[jedd]

Anyone use heavy shot on pheasants yet?

[tj]

my father is a recovering heart patient so his reflexes are a little slow and the bulk of his shooting starts at about 40yds(if they get past me!) and he used hs for the first time this season. WOW is all i have to say. i dont think i would ever use it or recomend it but he "pillow cased" one at 50yds! the bird jumped and i watched it and didnt even consider shooting and and he pulled up and fired on shot and the bird died before it hit the ground! luckily we have a few good labs that found the bird in the switch grass. he was using a hastings extended IM in a browning gold. i seen him shoot at least half a dozen birds that i didnt even mount my gun. the hs is great for and his situation. i use my home rolled loads of 4s in a briley X2 F and can cleanly kill birds at 40-45yds but the hs was wicked.
ill never use the hs on pheasants because i dont think i have the skill to be shooting that far and lead works just fine for the ranges i like to shoot. i think at thirty yards and under it could have been a mangled mess.

[ 01-08-2004, 11:14 PM: Message edited by: tj ]

[birddog]

I reload waterfowl loads with it and grabed a few to test out on pheasants and had the same outcome as tj replied with. Guessing between 20 and 30yrds I all but ground up three roosters with some high reving #4's. So it worked well. but, to me it's a bit expensive to be throwing at pheasants. I usually use Federals premium Pheasants Forever loads 1-1/4 oz. of #4 copper plate when I'm out in the Dakotas and this has worked great too.

if the price ever comes down on the bulk re-load material I might switch to it but, i'll definately load'em a bit lighter and maybe jump up to 5's or 6's.

[birddog]

tj - what loads was your Father using?

[fezman]

one of the dudes i hunt with only uses #6 high brass with a full choke for phesants in his 11/87 because his gun dosent like light loads. more than once ive seen him explode a bird into a bloody mess which is areal shame in pa because we only have a 2 bird limit. its kind of sad to see the dog trying to retreve several parts at one time

[tj]

birddog,
they were 2 3/4 #4s i think an 1 1/4 oz. they worked great for my father.

fez,
hunting wild pheasants is a whole different world then planted pheasants. my dogs work no farther then 10 or 15yds from me yet the birds will still jump 50yds and farther in front ou us. in one area we actually have to "sneak" up to, no talking to each other or the dogs. this is why we use full chokes and #4 shot. our season just ended with a total of 65 roosters and not a one was "shot up".
we ate every one.
i have hunted planted pheasants in wisconsin and it was not hunting but rather shooting.
you want to try some pheasant hunting try a late season iowa hunt.

[ 01-15-2004, 04:56 PM: Message edited by: tj ]

[birddog]

I hear ya fezman.. i have to laugh cause that's the way one of the birds looked... both wings broken (one hangin' by a thread)and it's back was a pile of mush... no telling what coulda been with a full choke - wouldn't want to find out out either... they're precious no matter the limit.

[birddog]

tj - yea there's a difference but they all run like carl lewis on crack! One of the reasons I like pointers vs. flushers in the field. don't get me wrong we still have plenty of wild flushes out in front of us. If I'm hunting alone or with someone that knows my dogs or is at least conscious of them I don't use a bell. If they're new to 'em or just not with it ... a small nickel bell gets added to their collars which accounts for a lot of those wild flushes.

Were those loads the factory pheasant loads by remington?

[tj]

birddog,

the shells were remington duck loads. i bought them at gander mountain when they came out.

i hunt over nothing but labs. they hold solid points and flush when i tell them to. then they go and retrieave the downed or wounded bird. i love hunting behind them, they work much slower then pointers and will retrieve in any environment.
i have two pure breed pointing labs, a yellow named taz and a chocolate named abby, and am currently raising another chocolate named alli.

the problem is that towards the middle and end of the season the birds get VERY jumpy.

i love my dogs. there are a couple of pups from my blood line in wisconsin i believe around Wausua(sp?).

im really looking forward to next season! how bad is that?

good luck

[ 01-15-2004, 08:12 PM: Message edited by: tj ]

[birddog]

yea the jumpy thing is always a scorcher it's the same out in the Dakotas.
I've hunted private land sw of Mason City a few years back and had a good time.

Call it coincedence ... I had a vet from outside Davenport in Eldrige tote her husband up here twice to pick out a pup (Wirehaired pointer) last July. I'd have to look to make sure but Dar and Scott Beegern comes to mind. Good People! Get this....SHE HUNTS .. HE DOSN'T !! That caught me off gaurd. But I know the boys got it made there with 'em. No kids and plenty of room at their place west of town. So he's spoiled rotten I can imagine.

Next season will not come soon enough! haha

Leaving for north west Wisconsin tomarrow to chase the dogs around the grouse woods for the weekend.

have a good one!