can i use 7 shot for pheasant and ducks....?

[backwoods_boy]

i knew 4's were much better i just couldnt make it to the store......so i borrowed some from buddy.
gonna use the 7's for skeet :-)

[Intruder]

7s in LEAD are a really nice early season pheasant load.  I've never seen them commercially loaded but you can buy 7 shot lead and for reloading.  They pattern great out of my 20 gauge in SK, IC, and Lt. Mod.  They cleanly kill roosters out to 25 yards.   

[Yummy and Tasty Animal]

i shwacked two roosters with 7 1/2 lead at about 25 yards last month.  i would have preferred to use 6 shot, but i have a ton of 7 1/2 and didn't want to go to the store to buy pheasant loads.  if i was buying a load for both pheasants and ducks i would buy 4 shot steel.  i heard a rule of thumb one time was "always buy steel 2 shot sizes up from the lead you would use (i.e. if you use 6 shot lead use 4 shot steel)".

i wouldn't trust 7 shot steel for anything bigger than a quail.  i use 2 shot steel on ducks and they don't ask questions when they are hit

[rougheye]

I use to use 7 1/2  for pheasant all the time , they work fine . Now i like 6 or 5 if i can find it just so there are less bbs in the meat .

[whitey]

Why wouldnt You just get a box of Pheasant loads?7 1/2?

[DOUBLELUNG]

7 steel is gonna be good to about 30yds.

+1

Keep them, though - one of the best swatter rounds available when you're chasing crippled ducks on the water.

[Intruder]

7 steel is gonna be good to about 30yds.

+1
Keep them, though - one of the best swatter rounds available when you're chasing crippled ducks on the water.

I agree with the cripple part but I think 30 yards on a pheasant w/ steel 7s is pushing it a little.  You're basically shooting the equivalent of 8 1/2 in lead.  That seems a little on the light side to me for roosters.  Great on quail though.