Any Pheasant hunters here

[sushi520vx]

Im looking for a new shotgun. What are you guys shooting with? Im heavily leaning towards something on the lighter side due to a bad shoulder.

[LateralLine]

When we had birds in MO I was the only one in our group but I always preferred a 20ga.!

Doubt it will be a popular answer but worked for me in both KS and MO for birds!

[sushi520vx]

When we had birds in MO I was the only one in our group but I always preferred a 20ga.!

Doubt it will be a popular answer but worked for me in both KS and MO for birds!

There are some guys out there shooting a .410 so a 20g more than adequate.
Are you shooting a semi, OU, SxS?

[squib]

Have carried everything. 16 gauge, 20 gauge, 12 gauge. Auto, O/U.

I typically grab the Benelli M2 auto 12 just because I don't like wounded birds and it also carries easy. We get some quail mixed in so a few extra rounds in tube don't hurt either.

[bass57348]

Depends where and when you hunt.
Wild bird in South Dakota in December take a different approach then pen raised birds just getting set out.

I usually shoot a 12 but have killed quite a few with a 20.

I think a lighter gun would b e harder on the shoulder than a heavier?

[LateralLine]

There are some guys out there shooting a .410 so a 20g more than adequate.
Are you shooting a semi, OU, SxS?

I'm old school and love pump shotguns.

I still love my Remington 870 express, it's bullet proof and really could care less if I scratch it. That just gives it more character and looks better than my buddies with their covered up Benelli's

[Idaho Sandman]

Get a 20ga gas auto loader if a bad shoulder is an issue. I run both a 12 auto and a 20 auto. Open country and wild birds get the 12, tight cover, trees etc with birds that haven’t had a lot of pressure get the 20. Areas I hunt that have waterfowl mixed in get the 12.

[rjvana37]

When I use to hunt it was 12 gauge for Pheasant, 12 for Quail.

[Matt D]

Lots of options out there. Have been strictly O/U for many years now. Personal preference. 20,16,12 gauge all will kill birds. Put the pattern on the front half of the bird and it will drop. If I had to pick one for the average pheasant hunter chasing wild birds I’d say 12 gauge with 1 1/4 oz of number 5’s.

[ProVle]

How about a two barrel 20/28ga. setup? https://www.dupontkguns.com/krieghof...-right-133601/

[Cover Dog]

All my bird guns are SxS. Grulla 12, AyA 20 & 28 and Kimber 20. Early season in Montana I pick the AyA #2 20ga round body. Later in the season it will be the Grulla 12ga. ALL have DOUBLE triggers. 20ga Kimber for Grouse and AyA 28ga for quail.

[tcesni]

I grew up in Iowa shooting pheasants with a single shot 28 gauge (full choke). I’d swear when I bought a 12 gauge pump I wasn’t anymore effective than I was with the 28 gauge.

[pabasshawk]

I grew up in South Dakota and hunted pheasants with a 12 gauge 870 pump for years.

[yatesville88fan]

I'm old school and love pump shotguns.

I still love my Remington 870 express, it's bullet proof and really could care less if I scratch it. That just gives it more character and looks better than my buddies with their covered up Benelli's

Love my 16ga Remington 870 Wingmaster.

[Transom]

I don't hunt them but a coworker I am friends with is in it bigtime making a trip up north everyyear so I have talked about hunting them with him at length. Foe sure I would use a lightweight shotgun. 12,16 or 20. Whatever is light and handles well for you. I am a big guy and prefer longer barrels but be careful about what barrel length you get so it handles well in your hands.

Make sure the LOP works for what you will be wearing.

[DoctorJJ]

If you have a bad shoulder, I’d go with a Beretta A400 Kickoff Plus in 20ga. Thats plenty for pheasants with modern shotshell construction. I have too many Benellis to count but a Beretta gas gun will kick less.

[tholmes]

Love my 16ga Remington 870 Wingmaster.

That was my pheasant gun also. Before steel shot was made mandatory for waterfowl, it did double duty shooting teal over decoys.

Tom

[getfished]

When I used to hunt I had a Franchi 12. My dad had the same in a 20. They were recoil but his 20 was a sweet gun. They are lightweight.

[sushi520vx]

I can get a used Browning sweet 16. Its in very good condition at a good price but when I picked it up and I just didnt seem to do it for me. Jr down below showed no reaction either. I also checked out the Stoeger M3020 upland semi auto, seemed pretty decent. A few friends told me I should look at the Savage 555 OU 20ga.

870 wingmaster 16ga.....had one, sold it. Wish I didnt. Bought it for $200 and sold it for $600

[MI bassassassin]

I use a Belgium Browning A5 sweet 16 with #6 unfortunately our pheasant population has crashed and if I want to hunt I have travel or go to a put and take.