How tough IS a pheasant ????

[Big D]

Years ago, I was lucky enough to be invited to gun Springer Field Trials. We all shot 1 1/4 oz loads with tight choked guns. Obviously, we were shooting for the dogs, but our job was to kill the birds cleanly as far from the dogs as possible so the dog's marking and retrieving could be evaluated. Many of us had our own handload recipes and shot different loads in the first and second barrels.

[William Davis]

2nd that. Training with my Boykin few weeks ago all Chukkas one shot kills 3/4 oz of 7 1/2. Two Phesants the bird supplier threw in unexpectedly, hit on the first shot feathers flying headed for thick cover hundreds of yards away. Hunted both down both flew off again in a swamp. one killed one lost. If I had used more gun would have had clean kills better for the bird and dog.

I think it's the angle plus distance that makes them hard to kill. Only answer to that is pellet size and weight.

William