Has anyone tried the Golden Pheasant Max load 1485 muzzle velocity sounds a little high. Just thinking it might blow the shot out to fast for pattern. Also which shot is best for Phesant hunting a month into the season in South Dakota

I haven't used the 12ga Golden Pheasant, but I have had excellent results with the 20ga 3" load.

My favorite 12ga 2 3/4" pheasant load is 1 1/2 oz. buffered, copper-plated #6 (I miss the older Win Super Double-X) through an IC choke. Later in the season in the cold and/or high winds and rangy birds, I'll go up to #5 or #4 and a modified choke.

I use the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant quite a bit. I use the 2 3/4" 1 3/8oz at 1,250fps with #5. It crushes those roosters. I have a box of the 1,485fps but, have not patterned/shoot any yet. Because it's nickle plated shot. I'm thinking the patterns won't be blown like non plated lead shot with higher velocities.
Winchester Super Pheasant loads are very good also. They have copper plated shot and have similar load weights and velocities.

Great shell.
BTW the Golden Pheasants make an excellent turkey load also.

I ran through a few boxes of the Fiocchi high velocity shotgun shells pheasant hunting in North Dakota last year. My personal impression on these shells were this.
1. When I patterned them I was impressed that they didn't blow the pattern with an imp. cyl. or modified choke. {I didn't have a full choke with me to test but after shooting these shells at range I wished I had because I wondered how they would be for Turkey}
2. The shells did have a fair amount of kick on the range but to be truthful I really couldn't feel anything harsh while hunting. But then again I have had guns double fire on me in the field and I didn't realize it until I tried to pull the trigger again.
3. These shells do have a good amount of downrange energy. My son hit one Rooster last year with his 20 ga. and as it happens so many times while pheasant hunting the bird kept on flying. I shot at the bird when it cleared for me and dropped it at approx. 65 yards (yes we walked it off). Was it a golden BB? I don't know, but it did bust the birds wing clean from that distance.

I've reloaded shells for quite a few years and I really would like to know how they are getting 2 3/4" shells with 1 3/8 oz. of lead to fly at 1485 fps. They are better than I am and their shells performed better than my reloads (man that was painful to say). To tell you the truth, when it comes to reloading plated shot hunting shells it's seems cheaper for me to buy them off the shelf than reload them myself anymore.

Spaniel;

The answer is very simple. They have access to powders and wads you don't. They even have a ballistics lab to use to work up safe loads. Wouldn't that be nice?


I've never hunted pheasant in Sowdakoda, but having lived almost all my life in Nebraska I have a tad bit of experience with shooting pheasants. Are they different in Sowdakoda?? I've never seen any need for anything other than a good 1-1/4 oz of #5s at about 1330 fps. The old 3-3/4 dram MAX load does wonders out of the business end of my ol'e Model 12!

I suppose IF I was going to spend real money and go on a real pheasant hunt I'd get all the gun and shell I could afford, but when they are just out the back door.... That said, over the years, and especially when I was still young, good eyes and reflexes, I killed a ton of roosters with the old Super-X and Remington Express 1-1/4 oz #5 loads. Waaaay out there too, so much so that at times it even amazed me. I don't believe you NEED any hot shot Golden Pheasant loads or any of that, but I doubt it will hurt anything but your shoulder either.

BP

These are exellent live pigeon loads.

I realize that the major ammo manufactures have access to better and different powders, hulls and wads than I do. I just stated that I'd like to know how they are doing it. I also hear statements from hunting partners like how dead do you want to kill that bird. Sure lower velocity shells will kill a pheasant. Subsonic loads and skeet loads with 7 1/2 will usually do the trick also. But, I also believe that sometimes a higher velocity shell with more down range power will knock down more birds than a slower moving load would. Look at how far steel has come in its ability to knock down more birds. The manufactures didn't produce slower moving loads to help with the problem of crippled birds they went hotter. The pheasant up here in North Dakota are no different than your Nebraska pheasants and even if you shoot this high velocity lead, you will still have some birds that keep on flying after being shot. The question is, are there going to be less wounded birds with a higher velocity shell. You can make up your own mind on that.You can make up your own mind on that. And how often do people’s shoulders come home hurting after pheasant hunting (maybe more than I think or have ever experienced).