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October 14, 2011, 11:35 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: April 13, 2011
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Quail: 8 shot, or 6 shot???
Quail hunting for my first time tomorrow morning with an H&R 12 gauge in a farly open chapperel area of southern California. Using simple cheap Federal wallmart ammo. Which size shot is best, 8 or 6, and why? I have found they both work for dove- seem to get longer kill shots (further distance) with the 6 shot. Plan on bringing both with me in the field, but I'd like all the imput I can get.
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October 14, 2011, 11:41 PM | #2 |
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For Western Quail I have found #8 a little light. I prefer 71/2, but my buddies prefer #6. Between 8 and 6 I would go for the #6.
Jerry
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Ecclesiastes 12:13 ¶Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. |
October 14, 2011, 11:43 PM | #3 |
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Thanx Jerry
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October 15, 2011, 09:10 AM | #4 |
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Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA
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In the southeast, hunting bob whites with a dog means closer shots, so folks generally use #8. Improved cylinder or modified for choke.
Blues in my desert country won't hold for a dog, so shots are commonly longer, as well as having a larger bird as a target. Blues average about half-again the size of a bob white. I use high-brass 7-1/2, and full choke. #6 will carry killing energy farther than #8, of course. Patterning a shotgun helps a lot. Evenness of the spread of the shot will vary from one brand to another, for the same size of shot. One brand might be evenly spread across the circle; another might have "holidays" which are large enough to let a bird fly through. One source of paper for testing is your local newspaper, getting the last few feet of a roll of newsprint. |
October 15, 2011, 11:51 AM | #5 |
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I use #7 1/2 or #6 shot for southern Az quail, with preference falling to the #6's. Shots are sometimes on the long side, and #8's don't seem to do it very well on our larger quail like gambels and scaled.
I use 7 1/2 for our little Mearns quail. Shots are generally close, and they're not quite as big. Daryl |
October 15, 2011, 01:01 PM | #6 |
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When I hunt quail in Southern Idaho I use 3 inch 6 shot and a full choke. I all so use this for pheasants.
p.s. I need to note that my wife will not eat Quail shot with lead (even though its fine to hunt with in Idaho). So my experience comes from steal shot.
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Shot placement is everything! I would rather take a round of 50BMG to the foot than a 22short to the base of the skull. all 26 of my guns are 45/70 govt, 357 mag, 22 or 12 ga... I believe in keeping it simple. Wish my wife did as well... |
October 15, 2011, 03:36 PM | #7 |
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Join Date: October 13, 2011
Location: TEXAS
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no pro here
Im no pro but I hunt more than a normal person. I would recommend you buy 7 shot. I know you said 8 or 6 but for some quail 6 may be a bit big, same for dove. You should be most successful with 7 shot.
Its perfect for all quail, dove, sporting clays. Make sure you use an appropriate choke tube in your gun. |
October 15, 2011, 09:44 PM | #8 | |
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Location: Osborn, Missouri
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Quote:
I always patterned all my shotguns with shells that had different shot size so I could see which patterned the best. I had an A5 Browning that would pattern 6's and 5's as pretty and even a pattern as one could ever want. That same A5 would not pattern 7&1/2's or 8's of any brand of shell, the patterns had holes in them big enough I could throw my cowboy hat thru them. Best Regards Bob Hunter www.huntercustoms.com |
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October 15, 2011, 10:22 PM | #9 |
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I also hunt quail in So Cal. For Valley Quail I use 7 1/2's, for Gambel's Quail, I use high base 6's(Those little prixxs run like hell) and for Mountain Quail, I use 4's(Bigger birds, longer shots).
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