1 1/4 oz for upland?

dklees · Mar 4, 2017

Does anyone ever load 1 1/4 oz for upland? I'm wondering if it is worth it to get 30-40 more pellets in a pattern? Using 1 1/8 nickel plated currently but have thinking about going to 1 1/4 oz for next season.

Don't know if I should post here or in hunting but maybe I'll try both.

Any help if you have something that works well or patterns well, greatly appreciated.

poacherjoe · Mar 4, 2017

That's all we ever used for pheasant and ducks back in the day. Not for quail though! I shoot 1 oz loads in the 12 gauge for quail

zzt · Mar 4, 2017

dklees, it doesn't take much to take down upland birds. I hunt with a 20b and shoot B&P 15/16 oz Nickel plated #7 from Nov until Pheasants grow their denser feathers. Then I switch to Nickel Plated 6. I prefer the 7s, because they don't smash bones to bits. The don't feather draw, so the penetrate all the way thought the guts and stop at the meat on the other side. I use 7s for Chukars, no matter what.

For those times the birds are getting up far away, I use Winchester Supreme 1 1/8oz copper plated , buffered hard shot. It patterns and works beautifully. The down side is if you hit a bird closer than 40 yards with a F choke and this load, it is only fit for the stock pot.

I shoot LM and M chokes for upland, as a general rule.

jmac_cope · Mar 4, 2017

I have shot 12 ga 1 1/4 oz or 1 3/8 oz for wild pheasants for many years. In the last couple of years I have reduced my shot charge to 1 oz but bumped them up to around 1300 fps.
I have found them to be just as effective as the heavier loads, especially when using good plated shot. I really like the nickel plated #5.

John

8 Straight · Mar 4, 2017

I use 1 1/4 ounce of 5 or 6 shot for pheasants, but use a 28 ga. with 3/4 oz of 8 1/2 for woodcock and grouse.

Jim R · Mar 4, 2017

I use 1 1/4 oz and big shot. I think you owe a quick clean kill the animals you are hunting. My father-in-law had 1800 acres of prime hunting land for upland birds. You shot a 12 gauge or you didn't hunt his land and it was the same way with our hunting club. No small gauge guns, too many wounded or crippled birds.

dklees · Mar 5, 2017

Thanks all. Didn't have the best season last year/season. I'm not trying to go for anything close with a heavy load. I do use a 20ga 7/8 oz. w I.C. over dogs for Merns and my farthest shot was perhaps 38 yds.

But too many times I'd only have a chance at 4o+ for Gambles on the first barrel. I'm using fixed mod/full late season and have noticed the majority of birds were downed with only 1 or 2 pellets. Rare was the one that looked like it may have been hit w anything over 2. I'm just wondering how big a pattern is going to be at say 45-50 yards and would an extra 1/4 or 1/8 help?

zzt · Mar 5, 2017

If you are shooting long range birds using large shot, adding another 1/8oz will certainly help. Using buffered shot shells will help even more. It really helps to hold the pattern together, because the shot stays rounder.

I hunt in SE PA. We have wild birds, but a lot are farm raised and stocked. We shoot over dogs.

When I first started hunting pheasant (without dogs) I used high brass 6 shot- 1 1/4oz @ 1330fps. I ran out of them one day and switched to low brass- 6 @ 1220fps. I discovered I did much better with that. I later shot a couple of informal patterns and discovered why.

Red Birds · Mar 5, 2017

I use 1 1/4 oz shells for Dakota Pheasants in my 20 but I don't reload them, I buy them. If I only shoot 3-4 boxes of shells at pheasants a year it isn't worth it. However I always use my reloaded 1 oz. shells for Quail.

dklees · Mar 5, 2017

Honestly, I prefer my 6 1/2 lb IC 20 autoloader with 7/8 nickel plate over dogs whenever that's an option. With nice grassy hills and no cactus. I don't think I've gone out over 35 yds in this situation but there's not a lot of spots I can go for this.

However, late season where I'm hunting, it's going to be 40-45 yds for anything clean if you are lucky. I'm using fixed mod/full Broadway this time of year and do very well with it. And after walking 4-5 miles through the cactus, rocks, hills, catclaw and only seeing 2-3 small coveys, the first flush I see that's in that range is often the only opportunity.

I'd like for it to be different, but for the past 8 seasons it hasn't been. I've spent more time getting cactus out of me, dogs, and the quail when cleaning them, than I've spent swinging that 12ga.

Wait, I have an idea. How about you all invite me out and I'll come to where ever you are to hunt some quail?

pheasantmaster · Mar 5, 2017

I used 1 1/4 oz loads for everything where I live in KS up till about 5yrs ago when I started using my 20ga alot. In my area besides Pheasant and bobwhite, we had prarie chicken. Usually had 6's early and 5's later. Yup shot Bob's with big shot. Just don't shooten on the rise.

bigbore613 · Mar 5, 2017

Whatever you try put it on paper, only way to know what's happening in your gun with many loads patterning different.

dklees · Mar 5, 2017

bigbore613 said:
Whatever you try put it on paper, only way to know what's happening in your gun with many loads patterning different.

Okay so my next question is who has tried and put them on paper? Actually put on paper 1 1/4 ounce loads?

bigbore613 · Mar 5, 2017

I patterned all my waterfowl loads many brands and shot sizes. There can be quite a difference. Also quite a difference between shell lengths. Non toxic Shells have evolved much in the last few years.

1 1/4 oz for upland?

dklees

poacherjoe

zzt

jmac_cope

8 Straight

Jim R

dklees

zzt

Red Birds

dklees

pheasantmaster

bigbore613

dklees

bigbore613

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