driven pheasant day

[hankook1]

hi guys,

ive been shooting pigeons on a regular basis for over 40 years but this year i have joined a shoot syndicate as well and will soon be shooting pheasants and partridges and would like to ask for some advice from people who shoot both if i need to change my shooting style for example in general will i need heavier loads

and will they be flying much faster ..

[ips]

Wont be as fast as pigeon and will hold flight path more than pigeon. I use 30g 6s for "normal height" pheasant and partridge. As for style, depends how you shoot pigeon but yes probably 😁

Enjoy 👍

[b325]

I'm going to disagree with ips and say they are normally faster than pigeon. Will agree about the holding their line and flying a more predictable path.

[hankook1]

thanks guys i will soon work it out

[ips]

Having googled flight speed it seems that b325 is correct, pheasant fly faster than pigeon. In my defence maybe its a perception thing same as partridge that seem faster than pheasant, but aren't 👍

[archi]

Partridges also look quicker than pheasants due to size and wing beat speeds but aren't and if shot out in front don't normally appear to need much lead but this is all personal and depends on your shooting style.

If you shoot pigeons well you will be ok on the others.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

hi guys,

ive been shooting pigeons on a regular basis for over 40 years but this year i have joined a shoot syndicate as well and will soon be shooting pheasants and partridges and would like to ask for some advice from people who shoot both if i need to change my shooting style for example in general will i need heavier loads

and will they be flying much faster ..

 

You fail to say what cartridges you use for Pigeon, so difficult to tell you what to change to.

 

I use 28 grammes of 6 and have had some cracking birds over the last few years. I've never felt under-gunned and kill cleanly/

 

Good luck.

[b325]

It's very difficult to give advice without seeing you shoot. I would start with doing what you normally do and if that doesn't work swing the gun a little faster. I would use your normal cartridges as well.

[welshwarrior]

Normal pheasant 28-32g 5-6s I start at 30g 6 and switch later in season to 32g 5s as the birds get stronger.

 

Style depends how you shoot my advice a session with a good game shooting instructor on a good clay ground will pay dividends before your first day to insure the style is workable.

[ElvisThePelvis]

Pickers up will thank you for using 5’s, funnily enough I use these for pigeon too. 6’s for early Grouse, anything lighter for clays. ‘See bird, shoot bird’ works for all.

[Scully]

I use whatever cartridges Ive got for both pheasants and pigeons; ranging from 28grm 7s to 32 grm SIPE 5s.

Ive bought all manner and make of cartridges on the recommendation of other shooters over the years, but as I get older Ive come to realise there really isnt a lot in it, if anything at all.

If I had to choose one it would be Gamebore Clear Pigeon 30grm 6s for everything.

My shooting technique is the same for either species.

Theres no need to overthink things.

[SxS]

Normal pheasant 28-32g 5-6s I start at 30g 6 and switch later in season to 32g 5s as the birds get stronger.

 

Style depends how you shoot my advice a session with a good game shooting instructor on a good clay ground will pay dividends before your first day to insure the style is workable.

 

Ahhh... but which 6s and 5s?

 

Unfortunately with some "premium" loads being European shot sizes there's scope for some confusion: the 5s in Hull Three Crowns/Imperial Game are 2.8mm vs the 3mm "5" in High Pheasant Extreme. Taking these as an example, a 30g IG has 234 pellets, 36g HPE has 238. Ok, sometimes you need the extra energy but unless they're tough/high I think there's a case for the lighter load sometimes being preferable.

 

For me it's always 28g 6s (Three Crowns or IG if I can't get the Three Crowns) on partridge or early/lower pheasant shoots, then 32g 6 HPE for the higher stuff moving to 32g 5 HPE later in the season. There does seem to be a school of thought that says that you need the heaviest loads/biggest shot available to mankind and I've seen folk pushing 36g through when much lighter loads are clearly getting the job done.

 

The wingbeat of partridge always means that I manage to miss (at least) the first few in front!

[welshwarrior]

 

Ahhh... but which 6s and 5s

Well if you want specifics EJ Churchill's Hellfire 5 or 6 with copper plated shot patterns better and penitrates better than plane old lead

[scotslad]

Pickers up will thank you for using 5’s, funnily enough I use these for pigeon too. 6’s for early Grouse, anything lighter for clays. ‘See bird, shoot bird’ works for all.

I do a fair bit of picking up (and a bit of shooting) and I'd thank the guns far more for hitting birds in the head than up the bum, and if ur shooting them far back the pellet size won't matter.

 

For the OP it will depend on the type of birds u shoot when decoying, if u shoot quite a few high crossers or high incoming birds there won't but a massive amount of difference shooting driven pheasants.

Like someone else said if u get urself to a clay ground and shoot some driven targets, even some of the tower.

 

But the main thing is to be safe, polite, courteous and SAFE, and esp at start of the season be quite selective with ur bird choice as they will not be flying at the best. Even later on in the season don't get to greedy or shoot birds over u neighbours (or at least until u get to know them a bit better)

[itchy trigger]

I use whatever cartridges Ive got for both pheasants and pigeons; ranging from 28grm 7s to 32 grm SIPE 5s.

My shooting technique is the same for either species.

Theres no need to overthink things.

 

 

if you can shoot pigeon, you will have no problems adapting to pheasant and partridge, as to cartridges, I shoot with a guy who's cartridge bag looks like its full of smarties, all types, makes an loads in it, no selecting, just loads whatever comes to hand, his motto is "if you on it, its dead, the cartridge does not make a difference

[ips]

I do a fair bit of picking up (and a bit of shooting) and I'd thank the guns far more for hitting birds in the head than up the bum, and if ur shooting them far back the pellet size won't matter.

 

)

An interesting point. I see quite a few guns shooting birds behind and yet I have always considered that if the bird gets passed 12 o'clock it beat me and deserves to fly another day (unless its been pricked of course)

Opinions on the etiquette ??

[Scully]

 

 

if you can shoot pigeon, you will have no problems adapting to pheasant and partridge, as to cartridges, I shoot with a guy who's cartridge bag looks like its full of smarties, all types, makes an loads in it, no selecting, just loads whatever comes to hand, his motto is "if you on it, its dead, the cartridge does not make a difference

I tend to agree with this.

My cartridge bag is filled with whatever I have in fibre.

I must admit that when decoying with my self loader I tend to stick to one make. It doesnt matter what that make is; its just my self loader seems to foul up now and then if I mix up its feed.

[panoma1]

Don't overthink things, just go suitably attired and with the gun and cartridge combo that you shoot best with!....follow advice/instruction, and after the first day or so you'll know the form anyway!........most importantly, be safe and enjoy yourself!

[Scully]

An interesting point. I see quite a few guns shooting birds behind and yet I have always considered that if the bird gets passed 12 o'clock it beat me and deserves to fly another day (unless its been pricked of course)

Opinions on the etiquette ??

Depends on keepers instructions at the start of day really.

I dont really mind what some decide to do so long as its safe. A missed first barrel often sees the bird behind the gun before the second is fired, especially if they wait until the bird is directly overhead before the first barrel is fired and missed.

[ips]

A good friend and one of the best and most experienced game shooters you will find concurs that it isn't good form to shoot pheasant or partridge up the backside, (although a second barrel overhead and behind is acceptable, if ones back is good enough) But spinning around is Potentially unsafe due to loss of balance but mainly it just isn't cricket old boy...

 

 

 

Edited to add the bit in brackets

Edited October 9, 2017 by ips

[Scully]

A good friend and one of the best and most experienced game shooters you will find concurs that it isn't good form to shoot pheasant or partridge up the backside. Potentially unsafe due to loss of balance but mainly it just isn't cricket old boy...

 

A good friend and one of the best and most experienced game shooters you will find concurs that it isn't good form to shoot pheasant or partridge up the backside. Potentially unsafe due to loss of balance but mainly it just isn't cricket old boy...

Turning sideways means that overhead bird becomes a crosser; it also means you dont lose your balance. 👍

[ips]

Good point sully 👍

But surely you are then taking a shot over another guns head ??

[Scully]

Good point sully 👍

But surely you are then taking a shot over another guns head ??

Not really. That bird that was coming straight towards you is still over your own head, but is now a crosser.

If you have doubts then err on the side of caution. Sometimes its a close call.

[ips]

Not really. That bird that was coming straight towards you is still over your own head, but is now a crosser.

If you have doubts then err on the side of caution. Sometimes its a close call.

I see what you mean now 👍 actually that's a handy tip as it saves getting your dodgy back all twisted up on a 1 o'clock bird 😁

[Walker570]

I shoot 18/19grms in my 410 at both pigeon/pheasant and partridge. The one thing you will be pleased with is normally both pheasant and partridge will keep their flight plan and travel the same route. They don't jink about like pigeons and personally believe they are much easier to hit. Shoot everything in front as much as you can but with partridge remember there are beaters in front so make sure the bird is well up and that goes for crossing birds as well. Take note that a reasonable bird crossing your peg might make a far better bird for your neighbouring gun and a call of 'Your bird' will not go unnoticed. Whatever, the plan is to enjoy yourself. Have fun.

Edited October 9, 2017 by Walker570