Deans sentiment regarding ethics is one I suspect universal amongst members & frankly it is much of the motivation behind this thread..the topic while somewhat pointed bordering on scientific is free to go wherever it goes so far I’m concerned..I enjoy the discussion and always learn a lot.
I for one quit hunting yrs ago but for upland birds..don’t suspect that will ever change even in the face of a changing world that seems to be changing around me, just too hung up on bird dogs and the beauty of agriculture.
Remington Express shells have forged confidence in me while hunting regardless of gun and irrespective of gauge but for 28. An ounce of #5’s for birds larger than quail seem to be just about perfect.
28ga - the AA super sports (7.5’s), while a shade hot, seem to be very effective out of my 28ga PR but can still be a bit much even w/an IC choke over a dog…sts shells seem to soften things up a bit (Important to reemphasize ~ liberated Quails/WC hanging around the edges)
Tungsten Matrix shells are serious business & that seems to go against the grain of shot hardness/uniformity as the pellets themselves are none too pretty & quite soft if you should spend the couple-a-bucks it costs to cut one open.
At 25/30 yards one of those shells can put a lot of hurt on a wild Pheasant out of an IC choke & there is no pun intended in that comment whatsoever.
Seems like some days, even the widest of patterns is not enough & the gentle sound of wings sounds an awful lot like laughter
To a large extent, I’m reluctant to become too scientific and start sawing away on chokes, that’s why I’ve been mulling this over and have reached out for discussion from those that know.
All of the experience lent from everyone is much appreciated.
Keep it coming..
*Gary..I was sorely tempted by a 20ga that WLMoore recently advertised with a BT as the configuration offered would have dovetailed nicely into my modest collection..apparently someone else felt the same way.