The bobwhite is a pretty decent little guy, he will hold till he cant stand it anymore then flush, giving the shooter some really great close shots. Just about any shot will work (promo or expensive)

But the last few years I have been using good heavy trap loads in all my gauges, Like the AA heavy trap in 7 1/2 for quail and almost everything else. Cant say they do a better job, but when I pull the trigger I dont worry if the shell is up to the task, and I have opened the choke up more than I had used in the past. Maybe that helps. At a couple bucks a box more than the promo's and the amount we shoot hunting, its the cheapest part of the trip. Fiocchi hunting loads I like too.
Mike

 

I think the best 12ga load for quail hunting is a light target (trap) load (pick your brand Win, Rem, etc.) with 1 oz of lead #7 1/2s (about 350 pellets) at 1,180 fps. In my mind, using lead loads with a velocity higher than about 1,200 fps for quail/dove/clay targets is just putting extra powder and cost in the shell for nothing more than extra recoil.

As far as chokes for Bob's, if I had my O/U I'd probably have a CYL/LM choke combo in unless the birds were flushing wild where I would tighten those up a bit, and if I had to use a single barreled gun it would have either a SK or IC choke depending on which patterned the load better. For some of the western species I may tighten up those chokes depending on the shooting I was getting.

Many quail hunters favor #8 lead and that's not a bad choice but I prefer #7 1/2s, plenty of pattern density and a little extra pellet energy for the longer shots. They don't all wait for you to kick'em up!

Good luck.

 

Joe your 12 gauge load just described my 16 gauge load.

I too have gone to the more open choke thing, I like the combo of skeet and I/mod instead of the I/C -Mod on pheasants. Maybe the shells have gotten better at holding patterns together these days, but Im comfortable with skeet as the first shot and light mod sometimes or the I/C mod combo.

I can pretty much toss out all my full chokes, I never use them.
If I feel I need to tighten up I use the improved mod more and more.

The heavy shot I like to use, is because I dont shoot up much all year so the heavy shot feeds well in any auto's I use, that way Im not buying all different shells all the time.. But I agree light loads of quality work great for quail or dove. But some wont feed well in a couple autos I have.
Mike

 

I shoot 1 1/8 oz at 1200 fps Estates thru a IC choke at both doves and quail.

As long as I do my part , they do theirs and I seem to kill more with less shots since I got into this combo several years back.

 

I shoot 3/4 oz. of 7 1/2 for Mr. Bob wild or preserve. The 3/4 oz load is a reload in 28ga. The best ga there is!

 

In either 12 or 20 ga, the standard target load of 8's at 1200 fps has worked well for me on several trips ... wild birds in Cuba. Like it for grouse & woodcock up here too !

 

In Tennessee, if you can find a wild covey, it is almost never in the open. Lots of shooting in trees and thickets. I shoot 1 1/8 ounce 3 1/4 dram 7 1/2 shot in my sweet 16, especially late in the year. On pen birds 1 ounce 8 shot is fine. Walmart used to carry 16 gauge heavy loads in 7 1/2 shot size, not much anymore. Bass pro is a good bit higher in price.

 

I prefer 1 1/8 of 7.5's for Mtn. and Valley quail here in northern California. I can go from hunting heavily forested mountains to open sage flats and not have to switch shells for either bird. They also work well for the early season when ruffed grouse and blue grouse season are open at the same time as quail. 7.5's seem to carry a little better for longer shots on the bigger Mtn Quail. I just bought a 16 gauge so I might be switching to 1 oz loads for next season. This year was a terrible upland year as we are in a drought, but I managed 56 Mtn quail, 21 Valleys, and 13 grouse. And that was in between the pheasants, chukars, 107 ducks, band-tailed pidgeons, and doves. God its great to be layed off for hunting season and picked back up 2 weeks after its closes!!!

 

All released birds for me, and when my boys not using it, my Lightning Feather O/U fitted w/ 28 ga short tubes, Wal Mart Winchester 7.5s at 1300 fps choked sk/sk.

 

Shorthair Crazy,

For CA Quail, huns and chukar with my 16 ga I go with the Nobel Sport 1 1/16 oz loads in 7.5 (I wish they had them in #7)

Work like a champ in my 16's

http://dkgtrading.com/nobelsport/hunting.html

In my 12's I like the B&P #7 1 1/8 oz

https://www.bandpusa.com/Shopping/produ ... ucts_id=17