What is your preferred load for pheasants?

Sixes

20 ga 3 inch 5's

5 or 6 if lead
3 or 4 if steel (ugghh)

Thanks, heading out a week from tomorrow. Cant wait!

Fiocchi gold GPX 5
IM choke
That is all I have used for the last 8yrs or so
Good luck

2-3/4 inch high brass 6's.

Give us an update when you get back.

Before moving to Texas, most of my hunting season was pheasant. Over pointing dogs, I used 20ga 2 3/4" #5 or #6 for early season birds or 16ga 2 3/4 #6.

I highly recommend Fiochi Golden Pheasant. It works.

I think pheasants have a big variety that could be considered appropriate shot and loads. Over points you can shoot an ounce of 6's and do great. If hunting CRP with birds flushing wild, the heavier payloads of 5's really help. If it's windy and/or taking going away shots at distance, we have used 4's multiple times. I think you'll notice a big difference taking shots breast facing or back facing, pheasants are fairly easy to bring down, but shooting 6's up their back at 40 yards is the quickest way to have a cross country rooster chase I know of

overall ounce and a quarter nickel plated 5's are great, you might explode one if it gets up at your feet, but you will have significantly less cripples and runners if the shots aren't ideal.

Yep somewhere there's a video of me chasing down a wounded pheasant on foot for about 200 yards across a field in Montana. They thought it was hilarious, no way my first pheasant was getting away though. That was with number 6's.

Went to cabelas yesterday and found a whole case of Kent fast lead 2 3/4" #5's for $89.99. Couldn't pass on that deal. Kents are all I shoot for waterfowl, hopefully their pheasant shells are the same quality.

I shoot a 12 ga Browning A-5. I use Fiocchi Golden Pheasant #6s in 3".

Those are great loads

I've used nothing but 7.5 for all my pheasant hunting with my 28 Gauges, behind pointing dogs and never had a problem putting them down.
I think anything over that is overkill, limits the amount of shot and will produce holes in the pattern.
Unless you've patterned your gun with a specific shot size, weight and choke, your just having luck if you hit anything with regularity.

28 for pheasant? You're just showing out!

X2

If only shoot at pointed birds 28g should do fine
But if you are spending money and traveling 1000 miles
Hunting wild birds
You need 12g and the right shell and shot

My .02

I'm with you. 8 shot Bennelli 12 ga. Loaded with #6s

I've hunted all over the country and early on fell into the belief that #5 or 6 shot was "the" pheasant load.
I've driven 29 hours straight from NY to South Dakota too many times. After 9/11 I drove to Iowa for a weekend hunt, just to get away from NY.
When I guide, hunters who use 7-1/2 shot have upped their kill numbers significantly.
Granted that most of those are placed birds, but I got tired of them unloading their guns and seeing birds fly away.
Some of the South Dakota guides recommended 12ga 3"Mag #4 shot.If your going to shoot at high passing birds in the late season, that may be what you need.
I like eating the game I shoot, not lead shot and I've never used anything but my 28 ga 7-1/2 3/4 + 1oz loads for any feathered game,in any season and in any of the states I've hunted in for the last 20+ years.
Try 7-1/2 and You'll be surprised at how well it performs.

7 1/2 for pen raised birds works okay.
Lot more 7 1/2s to pick than 6s.