pheasant load for 20 ga.

[Gadgetman]

Taking my son out for his first season of pheasant hunting. I have never shot 20 ga and am wondering if 3"steel 2 shot is going to be the best bet for him. I also dont shoot steel either, use lead or some of the exotic stuff for areas that require non toxic shot. Would prefer to just buy a case of the best all around steel for him and be done with it. Input please...

[gspman]

There is an article by Tom Roster in a recent issue of Shooting Sportsman magazine on the 3" 20 gauge. I'll reread it tonight and post some info tomorrow.

[charliepete]

Some people bad mouth the 3" 20 gauge, but I've had good luck with it. In my opinion steel 2's are about the best steel shot size out there. One concern though, if your boy is recoil sensitive shooting a big load out of what is and often times a light gun (20 gauge) can lead to flinching. It's up to you, but I'd buy a 7 boxes of lead and 3 boxes of steel. Lead does a much better job than steel, and is usually cheaper to boot. For lead loads I like a standard 2 3/4" 1oz of 5 shot for the 20 gauge. With a modified choke this load will kill them dead to 35 yards if you center them.

[Gadgetman]

He isnt recoil sensitive. The only reason he is shooting a 20 is being lighter it is easier to carry and he can swing it better. I am aware of the advantages of lead, but he hasnt used lead so instead of muddying up the water by switching from one type of shot to another I figured i would do him a favor and start him on steel, as I am sure at some point soon it will be the only option avaailable to him and his generation.

[Powerstroke]

I use 3" #4 for pheasants in my 20ga. I've never had a problem with this combo. I shoot Federals.

[lichen fox]

Use a load as close to the one you would use in a 12 gauge...the only differnce between a 12 & 20 is with a 20 you have less shot and thus you have to be a "better shot"...ballisticly they are equal...as for steel vs lead, I'd go with the lead, "where it's legal"...get some of each, and pattern them both to compare...

[brittman]

In my experience with 20ga. shotguns I have found that 3" magnum shells may have issues with patterning correctly. You are forcing a similar amount of shot down the barrel compared to a wider diameter 12ga 2 3/4 in shell.

People often hear this: Pattern your gun with the shells you intend to shoot. but rarely do they...

I have found with 20ga 3" shells in the 2 guns we own (double barrel and BPS) that the smaller the shot diameter the better (more uniform) the pattern is. Lead size 6 and 7+ worked best. Steel 3 and 4s were fine. Anything bigger patterned poorly.

Other types of non toxic shot in smaller sizes can be an answer (but pricey).

[Neighbor_guy]

Check into the offerings from Kent. The Fasteel for waterfoul or the upland fasteel. They realy turn up the volume on these shells and I have found great performance with the 12. By this time next year I hope to be praising them in the 20.

If your boy is not recoil sensative, these may be worth looking at.

[InTheNorthwoods]

I probably shoot as many pheasants with a 20 gauge each year as anybody, it really isn't much different than shooting a 12 gauge except for the number of shot per shell and a small velocity difference if you are sure to buy the correct shells (high velocity).

In my experience I would much rather shoot lead than steel. It patterns better and has way more punch than steel flying at the same speed. I shoot 6's, 5's, and 4's depending on the time of year but don't fret if I don't have what I would ideally like to shoot. In a perfect world, I'd like to shoot 3" later in the year for heartier birds that more spooky, but its not necessary and it can be hard to find sometimes and when you do find it it is usually pretty expensive. If I were going to settle on one shell to buy a case of, it would probably be 2 3/4" lead #5's high velocity (not game loads). Then grab a couple boxes of steel 2's or 4's for areas that require non toxic shot as you can pick up a couple boxes of these on sale relatively cheap. Seems like lead pheasant loads are more expensive than buying steel in 20 gauge now days.

[gspman]

Quote:

ballisticly they are equal

Not sure exactly what you mean by this but they are definitely not equal. Given the same loads a 12 gauge will perform better ballistically than a 20 gauge every time. 12 gauge has a larger bore diameter and lower pressures, thus less shot deformation and a shorter shot string producing a more uniform pattern. It's the immutable laws of physics at work. Has to be... got to be...

[Jarrod32]

As for the lead vs steel discussion, lead is better, but if you will also be hunting waterfowl and/or be on public land where non toxic shot is required, just stick with the steel so you don't get shells mixed up.

As for the size of shot...seems to me that #2 might be a bit large in a 20-gauge. The larger shot doesn't always pattern very well in the smaller gauge guns. I would suggesting going with #4, and you probably don't want to go with any choke tighter than modified.

[R. Miller]

I've shot a 20ga for pheasants almost exclusively over the last four years. Love it. Lead 2 3/4" or 3" #4s and #5s and steal #4s or #2s or both.

[Archerysniper]

I have also been useing the 3" #4 fed steel loads and have very good results with it.

[Dave S]

I've shot the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant #5 2 3/4" rounds with great success. I won't use anything smaller than #5 lead or #2 steel just so I'm consistant with the same rounds throughout the year. I also try to stick wiht the same brand also.

You often hear of guys who are using shot sizes smaller than #6. That's fine and dandy if you hunt over a pointer or you're quick with target acquisition and can drop your birds within 20-25 yards.

Late season you definitely want to use a higher power, faster shooting round and larger shot size. I would personally recommend using nothing smaller in #2 for steel.

Most importantly over everything you read in the posts above, the main thing you need is a round that fits your style of hunting/shooting/gun in order to make a clean dispatch of the birds while reducing the risk of losing them.