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Guest

Anyone have much experience using 7 shot on birds? I have an OU with a straight cylinder under barrel and i'm wondering how hard 7's would perform on pheasants out to a 30 yard maximum distance. I've been sitting on a bag of Lawrence Mag 7's for a long time and wondering if I should give them a whirl. BTW, I hunt with pointers and most of my first shots are under 30 yards.

Joined: 15 Jun 2010 Posts: 1358 Location: Twin Cities, MN

I'm not so sure #7s will do the job. I hear that #6.33 size shot is THE TICKET for first barrel birds. Otherwise, if you're under 25 yards, #7.25 shot will work. Of course, only if you drive them over 1700 fps.

Boy, am I full of it today. Yes, Dave, for your bottom barrel #7s should work well. Load some up and try them on the game farm or training with pigeons before experimenting on big, wild pheasants. The downside is now you may have lots of smaller shot in your birds. Unless, of course, you only head shoot them. I don't like to shoot wild birds with anything smaller than #6 shot for lots of reasons, picking shot out of birds being one of them.
Not being helpful at all,
Jeff

their is an odd number change in the count of an ounce of 7 and an ounce of 7.5. the percent increase in pallets is relatively large yet the difference in weight per pellet is minuscule. These comparisons between other sizes, say 5 and 5.5 are not as advantageous. I have used 7 on Gamble's quail they worked in mod chokes better than cyl. but the consistent killer was 6. 7.5 were disappointing as the bird would poof feathers as if the bird had exploded, then the dog found nothing. My theory here is that the bird was still capable of running down a rat hole and then succumbed but was now lost. In later years the 6.5 was available and 1 oz of those were very good out of a mod barrel. The 7 just never seemed to have that reliability that we bird hunters liked to see.

Guest

I'm also a 6's/5's kinda guy, but an ounce of 7's might do a nice job on these pointed birds. I'm mainly talking our WI state-land variety. I tend to ramp up when I drive out of state.

Guest

Jeff, good to see you are feeling better and back you your normal SA self! Wink

Guest

Byrdog, my gut tells me you're right.

I use #7s on prairie chicken, quail, and early season pheasant, all with good effect.

Late season pheasant 7's in the right barrel and 5's in the left

What matters is the pattern on the target

Guest

I load everything vicinity 1150

This is regardless of whether I am shooting targets, preserve birds, or wild birds.

I normally shoot an ounce and sometimes up to an ounce an eighth all the same speed

Guest

That sounds good. I have a very light (6 lb. 5 oz) prewar Merkel 200E 12 gauge (sorry boys) and an ounce or small fraction over of pattern filling 7's in that CYL barrel would be a good thing. You being from KS tells me that you have some experience with pheasants.

In the past I shoot alot of Pheasants in Ks. Last ten years most of my pheasants are shot in South Dakota

My passion for early season Prairie Chicken has become the dominant hunt each fall with 20 days or so in the field walking them up

Joined: 27 Feb 2015 Posts: 8 Location: Alpine, Arizona

Dave Erickson,
You asked about bird hunting with #7 shot. I have never hunted wild pheasants but I have hunted desert quail and Mearns quail here in Arizona. I have hunted Sage Grouse and Sharptail Grouse in Wyoming. I hunt Blue grouse in Arizona and Utah. Number 7 high antimony shot has been my favorite in 20 gauge reloads for all these birds. I am now loading for my 16 gauge shotguns with number 7 hard shot for this years hunts.
In my experience over the last 40 or so years that hard number 7 shot has made my german shorthairs work much easier.
I believe that the #7 shot improves pattern density over larger shot and still gives good penetration in small to large upland game birds at the appropriate range.
My 2 cents worth.

Guest

Joined: 27 Feb 2015 Posts: 8 Location: Alpine, Arizona

You are welcome. With that said I do not have your scope of experience with eastern birds. They are all on my bucket list. I don't shoot real open chokes but try those 7's.
That is what I like about this site, the exchange of information, coast to coast.
I wish you well with your retirement.
The only problem with my retirement is there is no more PTO. Well, I suppose its all PTO now. Good luck on your hunts with whatever load you choose.

Dave, I'm late to join in, but I'm a huge fan of 7's. If you're shooting 30 yard shots early in the season for pointed pheasants, they will do the job. I draw the line at 7's for upland birds -- smaller shot is for clay targets. I really like 7's in 20, 24, and 28, as it keeps the pellet count up (pattern density) as the charge weight goes down -- and lets face it, the smaller the bore, the less the effective range anyway. With 7's the pellet energy at the target is plenty good at those short ranges. If you're shooting light loads in the 16 and 12, it sure works the same with them, too. Shooting 7 1/2 or 8 or smaller at birds you want to eat seems like the wrong way to go even for small birds like woodcock, quail and Hungarian partridge. And lord knows, even a dove takes takes some killing -- I'd rather have two 7's in a dove than four 8's.