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Member Joined: 02 Sep 2010 Posts: 829 Location: SW Ohio

Would the Herters #6 loads at 1150 fps be a decent load for preserve pheasants. I joined a local hunting club and need to get some more shells. Since the price is so good I thought about getting the Herters instead of the much more expensive Remington long range or the Federal Wing shok.

Opinions?

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3177 Location: NCWa

I suppose there is a reason that the 1 oz 1165 fps loads are marketed as Rabbit & Squirrel loads, and the 1 1/8 oz 1265 fps loads are listed as Pheasant (formerly Pheasant and Duck) loads; but the makers were probably referring to wild pheasants; so a semi-domestic bird would probably drop to a lighter load.

Joined: 28 Aug 2014 Posts: 924 Location: Eastern Tennessee

Got all the wild birds I need here in NW Iowa, but I've tried factory 1 oz at 1165 fps and not been impressed with the wound rate (federal, remington, winchester). My reloads have been mostly 1 1/8 oz between 1210 to 1275 fps. I might consider 1 oz, but I would not suggest anything less than 1210 in speed and would consider more in the range of 1225-1275 as ideal.

I find once I had patterned more than 1300 fps the loads seem to be counter-productive. I've taken to only purchasing the cheap 1 oz factory loads for sporting, dove, and rabbits. Then I reload them to 1 1/8 oz in faster fps for pheasants and turkey or 7/8 steel in faster fps for public lands.

Just as s disclaimer I have yet tried cheap loads of fiocchi, rio, or herters in 16 ga.

1 oz. of 6's will get the job done, whether it be 1165 or 1265 FPS. Not enough difference to bother with, especially on barnyard pheasants.

1oz #7.5 RGLs take down pen raised pheasant quite well IME.

Aside from quality and dependability, how well a load performs for you depends quite a bit on the the gun you use and the conditions you will be hunting in. So we could use a bit more info to answer your question.

Will you be hunting over dogs? Pointers or flushers? What kind of cover will you be hunting in? Open or wooded? How is your gun choked? How well do you shoot it? Thanks.

Member Joined: 02 Sep 2010 Posts: 829 Location: SW Ohio

Hunting over retrievers(flushers), pretty well trained but have to work to keep the young one close. Gun will be either a 16 ga A5 with poly choke (prob set at Mod), a 16 ga Marlin 90DT with choke tubes, usually Mod and Full, or a 16 ga Beretta Silverhawk, fixed choke marked Mod and Full but shoots closer to LM and IM.

Open cover, tall grass, corn and wheat stubble, edges of trees but not wooded lots.

I bought a box of Rem Game #6s at 1200 fps, kind of splits the difference. Plus it was $8/box vs $16/box for the Remington Long Range 1 1/8oz at 1295

Will see how that works.

Thanks for the replies
Nate

Open cover, young flushing retriever? I'd look for 1-1/8 ounce #5 loads and forget the one ounce 6 shot loads. More reach and more punch will do the job a lot better IMO.

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 1113

I use Fiocchi Golden Pheasant #6 on preserve pheasant, but it's also my choice for western grouse and chuker, so I keep a flat on hand. I've never seen a reason to shoot anything else. It works if I do.

I did load up some 1 oz #7 nickel plated loads at about 1250 for Idaho California quail and had a pheasant rooster get up when pressured and presented a 40+ yard crossing shot. The 1 oz of #7 nickel just folded him out of a LtMod choked barrel. I think the vitals being exposed on the crossing presentation helped with the effectiveness of that load. A going away shot may have turned out differently.

Sure, send them along.......if you still want some heavier turkey loads I can do that........would be nice to meet one day over coffee or a round of skeet.

Good so far, got a young pup to work with and she is doing OK. My older GSP has been great.

I decided against the Nebraska trip this year, because the grouse and pheasant populations are down. Where my place is, the farmers were asking us not to put too much pressure on the few pheasants that are left. No point biting the hand that feeds you and I got enough to do with this pup.

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

Where in Nebr were you headed? Pheasants are up and I had seen truckloads of grouse. Quail up to.

One of my old hunting partners (the first guy) calls pen raised pheasants P-Burds, because they are pheasants in color only. He hunts put and take birds with a .410 on many days. That's something I'd never do on wild birds.

If the birds are put out the same day you hunt, it won't take much of a load to bag them. Birds that have been out longer get just a little wilder. None the less, one ounce 6's should do the trick on shots in reasonable range. Pen raised birds don't seem to have the vitality of wild birds, and will come down easier, and run less. Still, use a good dog for maximum fun!

Enjoy!

Just north of North Platte.

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

Yeah, pheasant numbers might be a bit low there, but that is exactly where I saw the most sharptails I have ever seen (except NoDak)
I was antelope hunting the sandhills north of NP, kicked up 100's literally every day.