Pheasant season this Saturday...

[bigbore442001]

Here in the good ole Bay State ( Massachusetts, that is) the pheasant season will open up . We are allowed two birds a day of either sex, possession limit of four.

At our club we stock some birds for the season for the enjoyment of our members.

I'll be out there this Saturday morning but with a twist. I'll be using a muzzleloading smoothbore handgun. I have a 16" .20 guage barrel that shoots rather well with a 60 grain load of H777 and one ounce of shot. I use cut 16 guage plastic shot cups for better patterns. I am surprised at the density at 25 yards.

If a bird is in front of me, I should be able to get it.

 

[pmwest]

Sounds like loads of fun...Good Luck!

 

[oneshot]

And I was worried about using this!! :grin: I'm thinking of going Pheasant Hunting,never have.I figure I will be ok if I don't let them get too far out.

oneshot

 

[Rebel]

The double barrel would be fine for phesants. They aren't that hard to kill. If you can use lead shot i would go with #5 or #6 and try to keep your shots within 25-30 yds.

 

[J.M.]

My club also puts out birds, and last year I chased them around with a 20 ga fowler. It was funny to see the looks from other hunters. Interest in the gun was a good indication that guys are interested in flinters, at least from a curiosity standpoint. I did manage a few birds and a few misses, and now get teased as the guy with the old musket. Have fun on Saturday.

 

[M. Spangler]

could be worse you could be at a rifle shoot where they're using TC omegas with scopes can't hit the blind side of the barn and they're looking at you weird because you're the guy hitting the bullseye with an iron sight hawkens :grin: :blah:

 

[shmrck1]

Bigbore,
Good luck! Let us know how you do...
snake-eyes :hatsoff:

 

[bigbore442001]

Saturday was pretty fun. I was assigned an area at the defunct trap range . I slowly walked along the edge of a field and nothing happened.

As soon as I came close to an old ladder left in the field, a cock flew up about ten feet from me. I raised the long barreled handgun and had aligned the three dots on the bird. I pulled the trigger and a white plume of smoke enveloped the area where the bird was. I figured that it was so close the shot didn't have time to pattern.

I felt a bit dejected but went on. I walked all over the area three or four times and came across a couple other hunters. As we chatted a hen flew up next to us. Needless to say there was a barrage of shot that hit the bird. It flew off over an oak and folded up in the swampy thicket.

We fanned out and I found it on a deer run. The other people let me keep it. I can't say whether my shot hit or not as three shots went off in unison.

Later, I met a friend who gave me a bird. He didn't want to clean it so I took on the task. Both birds were skinned out and then put in the crock pot. I deboned all the meat. Mother will get the white breast meat while the rest will be made into a stew.

I did learn some things. That gun is fun but you need to be right on to get a bird.

 

[paulvallandigham]

If you shoot where the bird IS, your shot pattern will arrive where the bird WAS. You have to shoot in front of the bird, OR where the bird WILL BE if you are going to hit it, regardless of the gun you use.

I am very glad you saw birds and had fun. That is what it is all about.

We can only shoot hen pheasants here in Illinois on game farms, or hunting preserves, where the birds are put out and hunters pay to take them. The same goes at the few state hunting preserves where you pay a fee to hunt for the day.

Elsewhere, it is cocks only.

 

[shmrck1]

bigbore,
You had a good time and that is what
it's all about. Besides what Paul said about
leading the bird with your shot....Let me add,
pay attention to wind direction. I have found over
the years that most birds will get up and go the
way the wind blows and this is especially true
of phesants.IMHO
snake-eyes :hmm:

 

[jmckenney]

bigbore,
...Let me add,pay attention to wind direction. I have found over the years that most birds will get up and go the way the wind blows and this is especially true of p....IMHO
snake-eyes :hmm:

Snake eyes, are you talking about pheasant hunting
or politicians? :haha:

 

[Java Man]

I'm going out tomorrow for the Michigan opener. Has been too many years since I went after pheasants. At least this time,I'll be carrying a flinter.

20ga. 60gr 2f, 3/4oz #5's. Looking forward to alot of fun. Will be hunting with my Dad and my Son. :grin:

 

[shmrck1]

Come to think of it, it would apply to both now
wouldn't it :rotf: :rotf:
snake-eyes :grin: