What Choke/Shot Size?

[skagit]

I have been hunting the pheasant release sites on the West side with an 870 Express with a 28" barrel.  I am wonder what the best shot size and choke size combination is for this hunt.  What combination are others with the same gun using?  In past, I have notice that the longer barrel tends to keep the pattern pretty tight.

[AWS]

IC and #4 steel make a great combination. 

AWS

[Old Dog]

 

[wadu1]

IC and #4 steel make a great combination. 

AWS

And or a Skeet choke tube; I shoot all my ducks and geese with a skeet tube from #6 - BB steel.

[CP]

I use a browning grand passage – IM and 1 1/4oz of #4 – speed isn’t that important for release pheasants – 1300fps is fine.  This combo sometimes mangles them up a bit but I like them dead and not fluttering off for some other hunter to pickup. 

Sometimes I’ll use my Citori if it isn’t raining and I’ll put a LM in the bottom barrel and the IM in the top.  The LM usually kills them right there and doesn’t mangle them up so much.  It doesn’t have the range of the tighter choke though (no surprise there).

[whitey]

EXTRA FULL CHOKE AND BB'S 
IT SLAMS THEM IN THE DIRT..

[Camp David]

Full choke and BBs     

Improved CYL and #6s or 4s. Barrell length has little to do with how the shot exits. Barell length offers a better sighting plane when longer. Most new guns have a 32" barell. Best to pattern your gun with the shells you are using to see exactally what is happening @ 20, 30 and 40 yds with various chokes and shell brands.

[Mr56Jeep]

I use a 20 gauge O/U with 28" barrels.  Skeet over Improved Cylinder and shoot Kent #4.  I'd use #6 but that just makes for more pellets to dig out of the meat.

[mossy8352]

For me I am moving to Heavy metal 2 3/4 #4 1 1/8 oz shot. This is a combo of steel and Hevi-Shot. I just got a box in and want to pattern them with my IC steel shot choke from Carson's.About the same price for 25 in a box as the other major brands as straight steel shot. If they are as good as the duck/geese and turkey loads should be a winner. Mossberg 835 Ulti mag with a 28"  barrel. Just looked up the cost $23.69 delivered to my door for 25 shells.

[Mr56Jeep]

For me I am moving to Heavy metal 2 3/4 #4 1 1/8 oz shot. This is a combo of steel and Hevi-Shot. I just got a box in and want to pattern them with my IC steel shot choke from Carson's.About the same price for 25 in a box as the other major brands as straight steel shot. If they are as good as the duck/geese and turkey loads should be a winner. Mossberg 835 Ulti mag with a 28"  barrel. Just looked up the cost $23.69 delivered to my door for 25 shells.

Just my  but.... Heavy metal is good stuff, just kinda over kill for pen raised birds at pheasant release sites... That is a good duck load though... 

[mossy8352]

For me I am moving to Heavy metal 2 3/4 #4 1 1/8 oz shot. This is a combo of steel and Hevi-Shot. I just got a box in and want to pattern them with my IC steel shot choke from Carson's.About the same price for 25 in a box as the other major brands as straight steel shot. If they are as good as the duck/geese and turkey loads should be a winner. Mossberg 835 Ulti mag with a 28"  barrel. Just looked up the cost $23.69 delivered to my door for 25 shells.

Just my  but.... Heavy metal is good stuff, just kinda over kill for pen raised birds at pheasant release sites... That is a good duck load though...

I agree but I only hunt on the East side and then mostly at the Cooke Canyon place. But I have seen a few wild roosters that are a good challenge for these loads. I was hoping some one had used them so I could get their opinion too.

[h2ofowlr]

I would use an IC on the west side and probably modified or eastside with #4 shot.  Hevi-shot works good.  Expensive, but you typically only shoot a few shots to get your birds.  Besides, the release birds seem to hold tighter than the wild ones.  It also depends on the quality of dog you are using.  I see a lot of house pet on the west side hunting for phesant and some great quality hunting dogs mixed in for fun.