Upland bird hunters have their own special shotshell loads. Some just go with what’s on sale at the local Bob Wards store. Others take their shot choice more seriously.
Pheasant, and upland bird hunting, especially over a dog, never gets old. I still get just as excited over a beautiful ringneck bursting from the cover as my first timer. My first pheasant shots were misses. My head was off the stock, I failed to swing the gun, and I shot in the direction of the bird rather than at it. Over the years, I have learned to stay calm until after my dog retrieves the downed bird. Even though I rarely miss today, this came after a long string of misses. Learning from my misses was important.
First decide on what gauge shotgun you plan to use. Pheasants, and other upland game birds can be harvested with everything from a 10 Ga. To a 28 Gauge shotgun. The smaller the shell, the less range, and fewer BBs in the load. Bigger bores have more BB’s and can destroy any potential meat in a cloud of feathers. Bigger guns are also heavier to haul around the field.
A nice compromise is a 12-gauge shotgun. My first shotgun was the Ithaca model 37. This lightweight gun also bottom ejects so I can easily recover my empties, to reload or just clean up after the shot.
No Ground Swatting! This is an unsporting way to kill an amazing upland bird that makes for amazing shooting when on the wing. This seems to be the only way some shooters can hit a bird. No sport involved. Lots of grouse hunters fail to appreciate the satisfaction it takes to shoot a bird on the wing rather than standing in the dirt.
Please wear Hunter Orange! It may not be a rule in every state, but it’s just smart! Upland birds are exciting and require experience to focus and control yourself when shooting after being surprised. Put some orange on your dog too!
Reloading is great fun and allows you to customize your shot shells. My favorite load is 1 ½ ounces of #7 ½ shot, loaded with a Blue Dot powder charge. I call it the “Wall of Steel”. This is my first shot. It is wide and deadly out to 30 yards. My next shell is the same load, but with #6 shot. A bit heavier shot and more distance. My 3rd shot is a full high brass load of #6 or maybe even a #5 shot shell. This will help hit the bird out to 40 yards or so. After that, you are just making noise. Most of my shots are deadly at 15-30 yards. You can use heavier shot but that means less shot and more damage. We do want to eat the bird after hitting it.
Practice makes perfect. Trigger time will make you a better shot. Marksmanship is a perishable skill. Make sure you that try shooting some skeet, trap, sporting clays, or simple hand thrown targets, to keep your eye on the target. Moving targets are tougher than ones sitting still.
Wing shooting is not easy! I have watched excellent rifle, trap, and skeet shooter miss chip shots at pheasants erupting from the cover. Clay targets don’t cackle, slap their wings, or scare them. They call for targets are not surprised by them.
I finally began to fill my bird limits when I learned to focus and stay in control. This took many misses before I finally began to hit my moving targets. Even with a pointing dog, saying” the bird id right here”, I still get super excited. The trick is to become a robot for just a few seconds.
When you clean the birds, look for shot. A metal detector will tell if you missed any BB’s. This is especially important when using steel shot. Chomping down onto a steel BB will cost you a dental bill that is more expensive than a metal detector. Learning how to use a metal detector is also a new hobby to enjoy. You may find some precious metals, jewelry or coins that can help you pay for your ammunition.
Hunt hard, hunt harder!
Montana Grant
