Q West Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Hi all, I've got my last day of walked up shooting tomorrow and was planning on using my old sbs (28" barrels choked at 1/4 and 3/4), with Eely hi flyer 30g/6 cartridges. I've used this exact set up during the season and was happy with the performance. However while speaking to a work colleague who's joining me on tomorrows shoot i've been advised to rather use my Beretta 686 (30" m/c) with tight chokes due to it being rather late in the season. He recons that the Beretta's 30" barrels might even be too short and that we should really be using 32", because the birds will be flying that much higher. It's only a walked up shoot and will the birds really be flying that much higher cause we're that much later in the season. Admittedly I do not claim to know much about pheasant shooting, but this does not sound correct to me. Your opinions (on this matter) welcomed. Cheers Q Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJ91 Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Use whatever you feel comfortable shooting with maybe some birds will be abit higher but an extra 2inch on end of your barrell wont make that much difference i have seen a bloke using an old 28bore s/s with 26g 6s at warter priory near end of last season..(very high birds) he seemed to be killing plenty My first pheasant days (walk 1/stand 1 on beaters days) i used a 20bore with 26inch barrells choked at 1/4 & 1/2 it knocked them down fine, granted they werent the highest birds but they were definatly as high if not higher than average if you point the gun in the righht place you will kill the bird Good luck and hope you enjoy it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cookoff013 Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 bigger barrels dont mean more killing power. i`d stick to what you have been using, the only change you "may" have to do, is change to a 5 for late phesent. but apart from that, stick to your guns. just because 2" is extra on the barrel isnt going to make it shoot better, afterall. shooting a bigger #5 shotsize would bring down high phesent better than a 6. "in either gun" but thats if you feel comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshwarrior Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Use what you prefer my father only every used 25inch barrelled 16 Bores for any shooting and he never struggled. It's the pattern that kills use any gun you can put the bird in the middle of the pattern with and you wont go far wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 As others have said its pattern placement that kills. There is no reason at all not to take your SBS, yes SOME of the birds will be a bit wild and you may be tempted to stretch things a bit but you do not need tight chokes and super long barrells. The large majority of your birds will be sub 30 yards but they will be travelling pretty quickly usually. 30gr of 5s through your SBS will kill at 50 yards comfortably through your SBS if you do your bit. A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Side by side no problem, you are used with it and obviously like it, most likely thousands of pheasants are shot with sxs in Britain compared to hundreds with other barrel formats. Last year a friend was picking up at a major Borders shoot and was behind two well known Northmbrian brothers who were sweeping high birds and he said they were HIGH birds from the sky. Being curious as to what ammunition was being used he had a look at the cartride pile on the way out which he describeds as " bog standard 12 bore 2 1/2 inch game loads. So be not afraid point her in the right direction as other posters have said. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arjimlad Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 On a walked up day I would rather have the SBS. Don't change over from what you have got used to and been successful with. Does your colleague have a SBS as well or just his OU ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 As all the other posters have rightly said,use whatever you're comfortable with and whatever has been successful so far.Don't worry about high birds,just enjoy yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q West Posted January 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 On a walked up day I would rather have the SBS. Don't change over from what you have got used to and been successful with. Does your colleague have a SBS as well or just his OU ? He's only got a OU and have never shot a sbs before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 He's only got a OU and have never shot a sbs before. Then don't listen to him..... for 100+ years pheasants, ducks and geese were all brought down by black powder SbS's... If your happy using the SbS go for it, reminds me i must take mine out on the clays soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Ignore your work friend shoot with whatever you are comfortable with if your walking gun consider gun weight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utectok Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 I agree shot what ur used to! Long barrels make almost no difference ballistically speaking. Most Important to point it in the right direction!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aldivalloch Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 In my experience, walking-up pheasants doesn't produce high birds. Are you sure your mate's not trying to nobble you? 32" barrels in o/u configuration tends to equal a heavy-ish gun that's going to feel heavier still by the end of a day's walking; full chokes may help you to bring off the very occasional longish shot, but at closer (i.e. normal) ranges you'll have to be pretty accurate because of the smaller, tighter shot-pattern. And if you ARE accurate, your reward will be birds with a lot of lead and bone splinters in them!! The best gun I've ever owned for walking-up pheasants? A very old 16 bore side-by-side boxlock ejector, 5lbs 13ozs, both barrels true cylinder, shooting fifteen sixteenths of an ounce of no. 6 shot. Easy to carry all day, handles beautifully, and whilst I've got to restrict myself to a maximum range of about 35 yards anything that gets up closer than that is at reasonable risk of being knocked back down again. I'm a long, long way from being a good shot; this gun/cartridge combination helps compensate for my mediocrity and certainly greatly improves my chances of pheasant for Sunday dinner. And that's what it's all about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utectok Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cookoff013 Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 As others have said its pattern placement that kills. There is no reason at all not to take your SBS, yes SOME of the birds will be a bit wild and you may be tempted to stretch things a bit but you do not need tight chokes and super long barrells. The large majority of your birds will be sub 30 yards but they will be travelling pretty quickly usually. 30gr of 5s through your SBS will kill at 50 yards comfortably through your SBS if you do your bit. A +1 cook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.