First time pheasant hunter - what's a good choke and load combo?
Just got a Beretta A300 Outlander 12 gauge and planning my first pheasant trip in South Dakota next month. I've been practicing with a modified choke and some cheap #7.5 target loads at the range, but my buddy says that's not gonna cut it for birds. What should I actually be using?
1 Answer
Good question! For pheasant, I'd recommend stepping up to an improved cylinder or light modified choke - that modified you're using is a bit tight for those flushing birds at 20-30 yards. Load-wise, ditch the target loads and grab some Federal Premium Prairie Storm or Winchester Super-X in #5 or #6 shot. Those 1-1/4 oz loads at around 1300 fps will give you the knockdown power you need. What's your barrel length on that A300?
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