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Shot Shells #7531122 06/10/19 04:28 AM
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TrackQuack Offline OP
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Hey Guys,

I have asked this before but didn't get much of a response. I have been hunting more and more upland over the past few years and always buy shells during off-season or big sales (I am CHEAP). Where do y'all buy your lead shells from and what shot size/FPS/OZ do you use for primarily pheasant but also quail are highly likely as well? I have generally just shot steel since i have been doing combo hunts or certain areas that require it but would like to have lead for my upland only trips when chasing pheasant.

Whenever I look, I generally find shells that are more for 2 3/4" #6 lead than i would ever spend on a non-toxic load. I am sure the market volume of steel at particular shot sizes allow better pricing but also wondering if I am looking at the wrong places/brands. Any advice is appreciated.

Re: Shot Shells [Re: TrackQuack] #7531131 06/10/19 05:11 AM
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Sniper John Offline
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Your probably going to get a lot of different answers. For wild pheasant I generally use standard #6 2 3/4 Field Loads in either 12 or 20 Gauge preferably around 1300 to 1400 fps and nothing under. Not because they are cheaper than the marketed pheasant loads, but because I know that load shoots well for me in just about any brand and patterns well out of my shotguns with IC and M chokes. For the times I know a walk in unit also has waterfowl jumping opportunity like along a creek or a pond; I usually have a 2nd vest I can swap for outfitted with #6 Kent Tungsten Matrix or Bismuth again at least 1300 fps. Traveling two or more states away and the low limit on pheasant and ducks, I can splurge for a better non tox shell that shoots like lead out of the same chokes for hunting pheasant and bonus ducks in the occasional waterfowl area. If it is a quail area or dove are in season though, I will have several #7 steel in the vest. If I were a rich man, I would only shoot Tungsten Matrix for everything smaller than Geese.

Like you, I catch the off season sales and clearance Able Ammo, Rogers Sporting Goods, Bass Pro and Cabelas, Grafs and Sons, Midway USA, and anything that comes up in a search. Also I always search for Coupon codes before making an order.

Re: Shot Shells [Re: TrackQuack] #7531219 06/10/19 12:12 PM
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RayB Offline
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Because I like my 16 gauge I reload but that could be an option for you as well. Non tox components are readily available (not cheap 10# of bismuth is $140) but steel is.


There is time, and you must take it, to lay your hand on your dog's head as you walk past him lying on the floor or on his settle, time to talk with him, to remember with him, time to please him, time you can't buy back once he's gone" GBE
Re: Shot Shells [Re: TrackQuack] #7533119 06/12/19 03:24 PM
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bill oxner Offline
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One ounce number 8 shot for me. I only hunt quail


Quail hunting is like walking into, and out of a beautiful painting all day long. Gene Hill


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Re: Shot Shells [Re: TrackQuack] #7533292 06/12/19 06:19 PM
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I prefer #6 for pheasant and #8 for quail. But I've taken both with #7 1/2, so that would be my compromise size. I generally shoot 1 1/8 oz because one of my guns really needs that much weight to operate reliably. So I've just settled on that and that's what I load.

Re: Shot Shells [Re: TrackQuack] #7533315 06/12/19 06:33 PM
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RayB Offline
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I like my 16 ga. for pheasants 1 oz.#5 and 7/8 oz #7 for quail out of my 20 ga. Although I have taken the 16 ga. for quail it's just the perfect split between 12 and 20. just my 2cents
[Linked Image]

Last edited by RayB; 06/12/19 06:35 PM.

There is time, and you must take it, to lay your hand on your dog's head as you walk past him lying on the floor or on his settle, time to talk with him, to remember with him, time to please him, time you can't buy back once he's gone" GBE
Re: Shot Shells [Re: TrackQuack] #7533490 06/12/19 09:46 PM
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I use my 20 almost exclusively for pheasant and quail, mainly because it's lighter. Rio high brass #6 most of the time. If the quail are extra thick, I'll keep some 7.5 in one pocket of my vest and switch out when we're working singles. And yes, I've killed a couple of pheasant when I had the 7.5's loaded up.


Silver spurs and gold tequila
keep me hanging on.
Pretty girls and old cantinas
give me shelter from the storm.
Re: Shot Shells [Re: TrackQuack] #7553683 07/11/19 04:28 AM
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The Olive Offline
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12ga 2 3/4 Monarch High Brass 1 1/4 in 6s for roosters, same shell just 7.5 for quail and doves too. My whole family only shoots the 7.5s for the entire Dove Opener. That stuff is amazing and worth the extra $2 a box. Shot my dove Opener limit on 18 shells last year, we were crushing them with that stuff heck I had two doubles on dove, probably never happen the rest of my life. We were just drinking coffee and laughing all morning about doubles...

Re: Shot Shells [Re: TrackQuack] #7553982 07/11/19 04:51 PM
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Smokey Bear Online Content
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I like to load my own.
Pheasant-1 1/4 oz # 5 shot. Out of a 2 3/4" 12 or a 3" 20. 1,200 fps + or -
1 1/4 oz # 4 bismuth. 2 3/4" 12. 1,300 fps for no tox. areas.
Quail-1 oz # 7 1/2 shot. 2 3/4" 12 or 20. 1,200 fps + or -


Smokey Bear---Lone Star State.
Re: Shot Shells [Re: TrackQuack] #7554111 07/11/19 07:13 PM
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I shoot .28 7.5 shot on anything a dog points, including pheasant. I'd go to 6 or 5 for driven pheasants, but don't hunt them unless someone forces me to. Quail, and Huns get out there faster than pheasants and prairie grouse so the the load seems to be as effective for all birds. (If you hunt mostly quail you are always surprised at how grouse and pheasants need about 5-6 wingbeats to really get going.

Re: Shot Shells [Re: Mundo] #7554119 07/11/19 07:21 PM
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I prefer ones that have shot in them but ones I bought lateiy did not


Tigger
If it isn't white it is not a birddog.

KC
Lying is lying. Don't bitch about one doing it and condone another. That's called hypocrisy.
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Re: Shot Shells [Re: TrackQuack] #7554285 07/11/19 11:02 PM
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Night and day difference in bobs vs blue quail. Blue quail 1 oz of 6 shot

Re: Shot Shells [Re: tigger] #7554324 07/11/19 11:51 PM
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Originally Posted by tigger
I prefer ones that have shot in them but ones I bought lateiy did not

roflmao roflmao roflmao


Bobby Barnett

Re: Shot Shells [Re: tigger] #7554422 07/12/19 02:27 AM
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Originally Posted by tigger
I prefer ones that have shot in them but ones I bought lateiy did not


Hang around me and stuff happens grin

Re: Shot Shells [Re: blanked] #7554760 07/12/19 05:31 PM
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Originally Posted by blanked
Night and day difference in bobs vs blue quail. Blue quail 1 oz of 6 shot


Well articulated.


Quail hunting is like walking into, and out of a beautiful painting all day long. Gene Hill


[Linked Image]




Re: Shot Shells [Re: TrackQuack] #7559220 07/18/19 12:18 PM
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It all depends on the type of shots that will be required, the cover, the distance, the style or type of hunt, even when in the season you will be hunting.


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"Give me an Army of West Point graduates and I'll win a battle... Give me a handful of Texas Aggies and I'll win a war." - General Patton


Re: Shot Shells [Re: TrackQuack] #7579367 08/13/19 11:25 PM
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My daughter made a great decision and married a Kansas man. I hunt with his family in western KS and they almost to a man us 12 gauge 2 3/4 and 3" high brass # 5 shot. on quail here in texas I use 7 1/2 and 8 shot with open and modified over under chokes

Re: Shot Shells [Re: Flashprism] #7580032 08/14/19 07:21 PM
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"almost to a man us 12 gauge 2 3/4 and 3" high brass # 5 shot"

I hunt once a year in SD with a guy that uses 12 ga 3" 5's. I like to hunt around him cause dogs get lots of cripple work. He thinks if he can see it, he can kill it.

Re: Shot Shells [Re: TrackQuack] #7592089 08/28/19 06:05 PM
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interesting info


Don't be afraid of the light it's just me.
Re: Shot Shells [Re: TrackQuack] #7622030 10/02/19 07:54 PM
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We make at least one 5-day Nebraska trip every year, and I have shot everything from #5 and #6 Remington Long range 12ga and 20, to Rio's and Estates when on sale. Last year I was determined to only shoot my 20ga O/U, so I was shooting #6 Rem Long Range , around 1300fps, and crippled a couple but just wasn't dropping birds like hunts before. Switched to my 12ga 1100 and Kent Fast lead 2 3/4" 1.5charge #5 1420 fps and it killed the birds I shot at the remainder of the trip. Such a good shell, that we bought a case. Only bird that didn't look like he got knocked out of the sky with a baseball bat was our last bird of the trip. It was a "slut" bird, and took every load we sent his way, and finally succumbed to our fury about 25 yds into a standing corn field. It was at the taxidermist here in Waco less than 16 hours later.


We bought them at Sydney, NE Cabela's store for about 10/box.

Last edited by Chaseh; 10/02/19 07:56 PM.
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