# Long Range Roosters?



## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

What's a good load in the 12 ga. for wild flushers...say thirty to forty yards. I see some offerings at stores in 3" 12's with 1-7/8 oz. of 4's or 6's. Is this overkill or is that what a lot of you experienced hunters are shooting later in the year?

THansks, 
Dan


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

To answer that question you are going to have to pattern your gun at those ranges! Start with heavy loads of 4's and 5's and move up or down from their.

Some guys I know are shooting #6 hevi shot but they have pattern tested the gun and load and choke to know range effectiveness with a dense enough pattern to get the job done!


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## jhegg (May 29, 2004)

A moderately tight choke with 1-1/4 oz. of #6 hevi-shot (the high density stuff) should take care of your situation.
Jim


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## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

I"ve heard that hevi shot is pretty potent. What kind of range do you get with a load like that on winter roosters?
Thanks,
Dan


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

dfisher, do not take this wrong, but simply having a shell or choke and load combo capable of killing at 50-60 yards does not mean one should be shooting at birds at that range unless you are proficient in hitting what you shoot at with a full pattern.

Thus roosters busting at 40 yards and being at 50 before you shoulder the gun are best left to fly away. Most of us could not hit the birds and the few that do go down are a result of luck most times and not skill.

That is why if you go pattern some loads, it may very well give you some insight as to just how far away that target is. The other thing with roosters is that the tail tends to cause people to shoot behind the target. 12-14" of head to body and 20" of tail. Legs drop and the birds fly away to die.

I set up the clay target thrower this summer at 30 yards. The guys that where shooting with me that day did not hit squat. Both of them mentioned that single day of shooting has caused both of them to restrain themselves this fall on roosters because they realized how unlikely they where to hit them with a lethal amount of pellets!


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

Drake killer with Black Cloud turns them into screen doors till about 60 yards. You have to wait on the shot though. Made the mistake of shooting at one today at about 20 yards, there was no breast left.


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## get the net (Oct 28, 2004)

I think a lot of birds end up with just a leg dropped this time of the year. Lot more more marginal shots taken because of the roosters getting up what you would normally consider to be just out of range. After while, the thought process switches to I better start shooting. Takes a little more discipline this late in the season.
I know  I was guilty on Thursday. Right leg dropped as he flew away. Not recovered.


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## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

I think I've been pretty lucky in that just about all the birds that Bill the Chessy and I flush are within 15 yards of us and many hold till you about step on them. Bill flushed one out of a clump of grass the other day that nearly flew into me. I have had several hens nearly miss me, as they flush out of treelines.
Sometimes though, when Bill the Chessy gets a bit ahead of himself, he'll get out there a bit and put one up. Then it's decision time and there isn't much time to decide whether to take a shot or not.

Dan


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## HIGH BRASS (Dec 24, 2007)

Fiocchi GPX #6 and a LABRADOR should do the trick...


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

Leg down is a bird that is going to die. Smack him again right away. Mark him down. Give it a little time and then try to put him up again or retreive him. He is shot through rear and in tough shape.


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## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

HIGH BRASS said:


> Fiocchi GPX #6 and a LABRADOR should do the trick...


LABRADOR :lol: I didn't think they let them out in the winter time :lol: Frostbite and all. :rollin:

Happy New Year, :beer: 
Dan


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## TANATA (Oct 31, 2003)

dfisher said:


> HIGH BRASS said:
> 
> 
> > Fiocchi GPX #6 and a LABRADOR should do the trick...
> ...


Lab we where hunting over today got some frost bite on the old jewels I think. :eyeroll:


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

Yeah they were bleeding, think we need to make him a nut cup.


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## TANATA (Oct 31, 2003)

50 yard shots regularly this year with blue box federal in 4's with modified choke. I hit them better at that range than 30 and less for whatever reason. Can't concentrate I get too excited when they bust up. :lol:


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## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

TANATA said:


> dfisher said:
> 
> 
> > HIGH BRASS said:
> ...


Ahh, that's probably chafing from the cover. Bill the Chessy gets that all the time. "Drive on," we say. "Don't mean nothin'." :beer:

Nutty Buddy for Labbies. 
Happy New Year
Dan


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## kgpcr (Sep 2, 2006)

Kent Ultimate Upland #4 shot. 1.5oz at 1400fps works nicely and i bought flats this year at sportsmans whse at 8.99 a box and they shoot realy well!


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## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

kgpcr said:


> Kent Ultimate Upland #4 shot. 1.5oz at 1400fps works nicely and i bought flats this year at sportsmans whse at 8.99 a box and they shoot realy well!


That sounds like a pretty good deal.
Dan


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## kgpcr (Sep 2, 2006)

Sportsmans Warehouse has them for 9.99 regular price and 8.99 this fall. i bought enough to last me for long time!


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## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

kgpcr said:


> Sportsmans Warehouse has them for 9.99 regular price and 8.99 this fall. i bought enough to last me for long time!


I'll have to check it our. Thanks
Dan


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## kgpcr (Sep 2, 2006)

anyone shot much Kent ammo?


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## dfisher (Oct 12, 2007)

Shot a lot of the steel that they produce. Works pretty good. As good as anything else.
Dan


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## magnum44270 (Jul 20, 2007)

kent #2 steel!


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## shea_patrick33 (Jan 23, 2008)

yea i shoot a lot of late season birds here around mitchell SD and i have really good luck with remington nitro steel 3" #3 they work like a charm with a lot of nock down power. If you really wanna reach out there and touch some birds do what i did while blocking on a hillside over a river bottom. i slipped in a 3.5" BBB and nocked his butt down at a 110 yds dead. wow it was an amazing shot


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## J J Mac (Feb 3, 2008)

Be careful with the large shot. High velocity steel BBB can penetrate the skin at ranges in the vicinity of 200 yards and can cause serious injury up to 50 yards! I think it is very poor practice to use large shot like that when hunting with other people.


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## USAlx50 (Nov 30, 2004)

:lol: at the last two posts.. First of all who shoots at birds 100+ yards away? As for J J, people should know where their hunting partners are and shoot accordingly no matter what kind of shell they are using. I'm close enough to kill people with the normal pheasant shells frequently when pheasant hunting.


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

1 3/8 oz of 2 shot lead late season pushed by blue dot at 1350 fps.


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## gonedoggin (Mar 20, 2008)

I got involved in gunning for Spaniel field trials and hunt tests a couple of years ago and it's been an enlightening experience for me. The gunners are expected to let the pheasants get out as far as possible in order to provide a more challenging retrieve for the competing dogs. At first I was amazed at the range those guys could kill birds at but w/ a little practice (and an afternoon lesson w/ a shooting pro) working specifically on hitting the long bird, 65+ yards can become routine.

As far as the shot size, studies have shown that #6s traveling at normal speeds 1,250 -1,350 fps can penetrate a pheasant out to around 40 yds. #5s will do the job at any range you can hit the bird. There's no reason to go larger if you can get them.

There's also no reason to go beyond 1 ¼ oz. either. Any larger payload and the slower speed effectively eliminates any advantages of the more dense pattern.

My personal favorite and one I've made a lot of long kills with is B&P w/ 1 1/5 or 1 ¼ oz of #5. These are Italian shot size so they equate to what would be a #5 ½ for US shooters. B&P has a unique hull that really reduces the recoil as well.


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## kgpcr (Sep 2, 2006)

I will call bull**** on 65-70 yrd routine kills for wild pheasants. That is a range where more will get wounded that is acceptable!


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## gonedoggin (Mar 20, 2008)

kgpcr said:


> I will call b#llsh*t on 65-70 yrd routine kills for wild pheasants. That is a range where more will get wounded that is acceptable!


Go watch a Springer field trial and get back to me.

I'm not promoting taking those shots on wild birds, I agree that would be unethical. My point was that a # 5 pellet is as large as you need to use.


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## kgpcr (Sep 2, 2006)

I have been hunting to long to believe consistent 65-70 yrd shots on roosters. Just not going to happen. Yes your super springers need 150yrd retireves to be challenged i may be sold on that one but not the 70yrd pheasants


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## USAlx50 (Nov 30, 2004)

I'll believe 60 yard shots can be routine, but saying that anything heavier then 1 1/4 ounce shots is detrimental because of slower speeds is nonsense. Ive seen 1.5 ounce shells move faster then the 1250-1350 fps youve mentioned so that makes no sense. With the right load, choke, shooter i'll beleive consistency on 60 yd shots, 70 yds is getting out there a bit.


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## honkerslayr (Dec 14, 2006)

I reload 3'' 1 7/8 oz. no.4s at 1250 fps with blue dot. I patterened it at 60 yds to see what it would do. With a full shocke 70 % of the pellets hit inside the 30'' circle. This to me is the ultimate long range load even though i don't like to usually shoot them that far. Another great load is a 3'' 1 5/8 oz no. 4's it has better velocity at around 1400fps but doesn't carry the payload that a 1 7/8 does.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y (Sep 23, 2004)

I have used those 1 7/8 before . Man with a 6 LB over and under they are punishing! ! But they do a number on a rooster!


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