pheasant hunting with 20ga
I am looking at going pheasant hunting in SD and would like shoot my beretta silver pigeon 20ga. Or do I need to take a 12ga. If the 20 will work, what kind of shells do I need? About all I do is shoot skeet so it is great for that. Also anybody know of a good place to go. Something nice but not crazy money? 3 day hunt? I have looked at some places on line but it would be great if someone has been to one and can tell if good or bad.
THANKS[img][/img]
The pic is a lamp I made. Just trying to learn how to post pics on here
THANKS[img][/img]
The pic is a lamp I made. Just trying to learn how to post pics on here
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I've only used a 20 gauge for pheasant, and years ago quail. I used 7 shot in chamber with 6 after that. My gramps would use 6 followed by 4.
If your just buying one shot I'd go with 6. I think you would be fine from 7 1/2 through 5. I've always shot just a 2 3/4 in my 20 gauge.
Good luck on location. I grew up in western Iowa, as a kid I could walk any ditch and get a few.0 -
I've hunted pheasants in ND for the past 25 years, mostly with a 20 gauge. Your skeet gun if it is choked for skeet, may be bored too open for effective killing range on the Dakota prairies especially if the wind blows ( it always does ). If you hunt behind good pointing dogs and restrict yourself to shots under 25 yards, a skeet gun is deadly with #5 or #6 shot in 1 to 1 1/8 oz. loads. I prefer Modified and Full chokes in my SKB O/U to reach a 45 yd kill range. Most pheasant hunters use a 12 gauge but a 20 in good hands is very adequate. 0 -
My son used a 20 gauge for years on quail and pheasant. Using a 2 3/4" load of 2 3/4 dr, 1 oz of 7 1/2 in the IC barrel and either 2 3/4dr/1 oz 6 or a short mag w/1 1/8 oz 6 in the Mod barrel. We hunted over a good pointing dog, not wild running birds. Most of our bird hunting ended 10 years ag when the big hog farm bought the land and closed it to hunting. We hunt game farm bird once a year and for theat, I use a 28 gauge with 3/4 ounce loads of 6 or 7 1/2. If I hit them, they fall even with that small gun but the shots are generally shorter with lighter feathered birds. 0 -
MY Granpa bought a new Ithaca mdl 37 20 Ga in the early 50's.He hunted western Kansas and Nebraska and shot many pheasants and quail with it.In December ,1968 he died with that gun in his hands from a heart attack while hunting quail.My younger brother has the gun now and has shot loads of pheasants with it.
I went to S.D. for the pheasant opener this year.First time ever. We went to De Smet and stayed at the Super Deluxe motel.They are all set up for hunters and very helpful.It's about 90 miles from Souix Falls.0 -
I've hunted Pheasant, Quail and Geese for over 50 yrs with my 20. Early part of the season 6's, later part of season 5's & 4's. 0 -
I used to use a 12ga, but walking cane fields with a 12ga got old fast.
I picked up a Winchester 101 Pigeongrade in 20ga and that's all I shoot now. I usually used the IC and Mod chokes.0 -
I've never hunted pheasants with a 12 gauge . the 1 to 1 1/8 6s or 7 1/2s in a 20gauge double (sxs Ithaca SKB)always worked great for me 0 -
A 20 ga is fine. If you have a 2 barreled gun, I would suggest a modified and a improved cylinder or thereabouts. I like the 2 3/4" Fiocchi golden pheasant load in #5 shot. I used some of the new "Prairie Storm" shells this year and had good luck with those also. For the price difference I'll stick to the golden pheasant loads. 0 -
Lived in Iowa for 9 years and all I had was the 870 Wingmaster LW Wingmaster (choked full) my parents bought me for my 16th birthday. I regretted their decision on the 20ga for about 15 minutes into the first walk through a bean field I made! I used almost exclusively 4 shot (I know...these are big fields though...40 acre squares with one house about every 3 square miles!) as I rarely had a dog to hunt with. "2 3/4 #4 or #6's are what I used all through the years out there. I had NO issues vs. a 12 ga. Used a few friends 12 ga guns over the years, but befor the end of the day I always went back to my 5 1/2 pound 20 LW. It is such a handy gun you can easily pistol shoot it, which I did a few times to prove a point to friends out there....better the gun you can carry all day long and shoot well, than the one that puts out a little more shot and becomes a boat anchor around 9:30 in the morning! As you can see from ALL of these posts, 20ga is not only just fine, I actually vastly prefer it! Best of luck on your hunt. I used to just drive up to houses the first few years I was in Iowa befor I knew anyone, and about %75 of the time they were VERY gracious and some even took me out with their dogs! I suppose times have changed (that was the early 80's, west and No. of Waterloo /Cedar Falls) but that would be the cheap route! 0 -
quote:Originally posted by treadlok97
what kind of shells do I need?
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