How much does this once-a-year hunt cost you?
If you have a gun safe, what else is in there which isn't suitable for pheasant hunting?

A nice older Zoli with those fixed chokes might be a very nice deal. Clean up with clenzoil, a bit of Frontier Big 45 pad and half an hour of gentle buffing and cleaning... maybe a squirt and brushing of Hornady One-Shot into the works, scrub the barrel and go shoot a round of trap to make sure the gun works.

My optimal pheasant chokes would be IC and Mod, but noting wrong with full and it's easy to open up. Nothing wrong with a little elbow grease to clean up an old gun. Keep it oiled it'll last forever.

 

Trip does not cost much at all. My only other shotgun is my 32" Trap gun that weighs about 10 pounds so not the most fun to haul around for hours at a time. It's not impossible as I've done it before but something lighter and shorter barrels would make it much more enjoyable. Thanks for the input!

 

What type of hunt is it. Over a pointing dog, or flushing dog, or just a walk up. I would recommend a nice Semi, with 26 or 28. 3 inch gun. Sx4.. Beretta, oe even an older Remington 1100.

 

I use a FAIR Iside SxS 28 gauge for pheasant. most of the birds are close to my Lab so I have IC & Mod chokes in it.
I do practice with a few times a year at skeet & sporting clays as I feel the dog works to hard for me to miss after
he worked to find it. plus I prefer a clean kill to crippling a bird.

 

Franchi Alcione is my go to upland shotgun. It just fits me and has been reliable. No longer available.

 

Ruger Red Label.

Affordable.
High quality.
Attractive, with nice wood.
Reliable.
Lightweight.
American-made.

What's not to like in a pheasant gun?

 

Ruger Red Label

In 28 gauge would be quite nice!

 

That Zoli might be just the ticket & the price is about right.
My favorites have been the Japanese SKBs (500, 505 and 585)
Ithaca 37
Citori
Benelli Montefeltro
Not necessarily in that order.
Oh, and a Rizzini BR110

 

870 Wingmaster.

 

Model 37
16 gauge
26"
Plain Barrel
Modified
1 1/8-5s
Grin

 

If I had to go tomorrow I would use my 11-87. My favorite was a Beretta 426E SxS. Your dog does make difference and wild birds v released is a consideration also. M-F chokes is what I used with a flusher and wild birds. IC-M would be better over a pointer.

The Zoli looks like it would work....if it fits. Using it once a year says <500 bucks to me.

Edit. I just remembered that I have a Browning Lightning. I haven't had it that long so I didn't have it in mind. That would be my pheasant gun today. Saves littering the ground with cases when one uses an auto loader.

 

Used to be a 16 Ga SA, now it is a CSM RBL 16 Ga SxS.



cdb

 

Beretta 682 Gold w/30” barrels, #6 shot, IC & LM.

 

Merkel 1620

The only upland gun I’ve carried since 2015

 

my favorite is an 870 wingmaster 20 gauge small frame light weight version. from an easy to carry and very simple to operate it checks the boxes for me. And I think wingmasters are nice looking.

 

Ortie bought one of those for his wife Pam, at my club. One of the nicest 870 I have seen. She let me shoot it once and now I am on a look out for one!

 

I have several favorites. If you want an inexpensive SxS that would nicely fit your expressed needs, get a CZ Bobwhite G2 in either 12 or 20 gauge. They are nice light upland hunting guns. I have two: a 20 and 28 gauge. I have other higher grade guns, but the Bobwhites more than adequately get the job done.

 

He has given you a great suggestion here. I shoot SASS and went with the CZ Sharptail for all my shotgun needs. CZ makes a great gun and they are very dependable.

Dale

 

I run a Browning Citori Feather Lightning in 20G/28" barrels and it weighs in at 5lbs 15oz.

 

Which chokes are you using

 

I have a Browning 725 Feather in 20 gauge with 28” barrels. Weighs in just at 6lb with chokes.

 

1. caesar guerini tempio light in 20 gauge. 2. Montefeltro silver feather in 20 gauge. 3. New sweet sixteen

 

My SBE does it all.

 

I like mine too. if I could have only one gun it would definitely be on the short list.

.. but since I get more than one I really like my 20g citori lightning for upland. it was definitely built to carry, but it's also got good enough balance to give me confidence shooting.

 

1.New Browning A5 Sweet 16
2. CZ Teal 16 gauge
3. Browning Citori Hunter 12 gauge

 

Fausti Class SLX 20 gauge or Fabarm L4s Deluxe Hunter in 12. There is just something about hunting pheasant with a pretty gun.

If it’s nasty out, Remington V3 in 12 or Beretta A300 Ultima in 20.

 

Beretta SA in 20 ga. Light and reliable.

 

-RFM SK FIELD 16 ga, only Shotgun I've ever needed for upland game
Everything else I have 835 ulti mag
I MIGHT add a 20 gauge if/when Browning adds a feather weight 20 To the 825 line up

 

If you like the looks and feel of the Zoli, and everything functions, I'd buy it. To me a 28" 20-ga is the perfect pheasant gun. M/F is fine.

 

On Saturday I used a 1940 M12 20 gauge 28 inch S/R MOD (see avatar) on Gambel's with some good results. I also have a twin to it in 16 gauge that I've used on clays but not on birds yet. A plain barreled version in 16 was devastating when I used it on pheasant and chukar last year in Kansas. This year I went with two Berettas, both black Onyx, in 20 and 28 and I did really well with both. The 20 has a straight stock and a 26 inch barrel, which is shorter than I usually prefer, but it works. Quail just opened here in AZ, so I'll be using those and a few others in the inventory like the 20 gauge 626 Onyx SxS, which has taken many birds in the 30 years I've owned it.