What shotgun choke is best for pheasant hunting?

[SDS14]

Hello fellow hunters,

This Saturday my father is treating my brother and I to a pheasant hunt in Northern Utah at one of the local clubs up there. I haven't hunted pheasants in a few years and I was wondering what would be the best choke to use? I shoot a Weatherby PA-08, It came with three chokes Full, Mod., and IC. I have a decent shot when it comes to bird hunting. I am really excited to go and shoot a few roosters and spend time with my brother and dad.

Thanks for your help.
-SDS14

 

[Crumb]

I run a modified choke for pheasants.

 

[jcneng]

IC, especially if they are released birds!

 

[JLDemo]

I run a modified choke for pheasants.

^ Yep, modified its the way to go. Good luck and put some birds down! If you're like my brother and I, sibling rivalry runs deep. Nothing puts a bigger smile on my face then waiting until my brother misses to shoot, if I hit the bird I get to wear a smug look around and it pisses him off to no end. But if I missed or he hits it first, he starts in on me for being cocky and waiting until after he shoots. lol Nothing a cold brew can't resolve.

 

[Sawtooth]

Are you shooting over a pointing dog or at pen raised birds? If so go with the IC. Wild birds that refuse to hold and prefer to run a ways before flushing? Mod.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

Wild birds can be getting pretty wild by this time of year and not hold very well. I usually use a full come December. But I don't pheasant hunt until after deer season has closed.

 

[omeez]

I never considered the climate playing into this question. Great info here.

 

[wolfpup]

Since they are going to be raised and released birds, IC would by my choice. They will hold long and fly slower. I run full choke on wild birds... I rarely get one done with 1 shot. Usually takes me 2.

 

[VikingsGuy]

Improved for farm raised and wild early season with pointer; modified for wild early season with flusher and wild mid & late season with pointer; improved modified for late season with flusher. I never use full choke, we keep our shots within IM range.

 

[Malcolm31]

I like modified for Pheasants.

 

[Don Fischer]

I used to use Mod/Full in my 12 ga. That's what it had! I don't find myself a good enough shot to use full on anything. The few time's I have shot birds with the full choke I messed them up pretty bad. These days with my 28ga's, one has tubes and I use imp/mod in it. The other was mod/full and I had it bored to imp/imp mod. I also shoot over pointing dogs.

 

[406dn]

Another subject that can never be settled. I use an O/U 12 gauge for everything I hunt. The chokes are modified and full. It works for me.

I'd rather hit a bird too hard than not hard enough.

 

[ammo]

IC and Mod on my SxS. The wild guys in Sodak are fast rat bastards.

 

[Bill Zent]

Years ago when I was a young 43 my shotgun was a Mossberg 500 with a modified choke. That was the year I downed 43 pheasants in a row without a miss. I still remember number 44 that I did miss!

 

[MNElkNut]

I stopped changing chokes and just use modified for everything. If they are close, wait. I have had wild birds in December get up at my feet and dumb birds on opener get up wild. You never know.

 

[maxracx]

I hunt wild and pen birds and I have found mod choke works the best out of my Browning Maxus II.

 

[Moserkr]

Mod/full or mod/mod for the o/u and sxs. Mod for pump or semi. Late season the feathers are thicker (in sodak) so I may shoot #3 or #4 instead of a #5. Carlson chokes have become my favorite as well. Pattern holds tighter for whatever choke type you choose.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Believe it or not, I mostly shoot skeet choke at pheasants. However, 1) I have a VERY good pointing Lab, 2) I'm usually hunting a federal bird refuge where steel shot is required and 3) often the only steel shot I've been able to find the last three years for my 12 gauge is 3" shells. Steel through a skeet choke throws a pattern a bit looser than modified with lead shot. Three inch shells are spitting out a lot of #4 pellets so I don't want a real tight pattern or I'll be putting mush in the game bag.

Shooting released farm raised birds with 12 gauge over a pointing dog, use skeet ... or IC if you don't have skeet. Experienced pheasant hunters may have the fortitude to ignore instinct and let the bird get out there before shooting with modified or full, but it sounds like you guys aren't in that class yet. Use a loose choke so you don't blow that sweet meat to bits. It would not surprise me if some of the club's birds have to be kicked in the air. Or thrown in the air if hunting over a flushing dog that keeps catching them.

 

[Don Fischer]

Believe it or not, I mostly shoot skeet choke at pheasants. However, 1) I have a VERY good pointing Lab, 2) I'm usually hunting a federal bird refuge where steel shot is required and 3) often the only steel shot I've been able to find the last three years for my 12 gauge is 3" shells. Steel through a skeet choke throws a pattern a bit looser than modified with lead shot. Three inch shells are spitting out a lot of #4 pellets so I don't want a real tight pattern or I'll be putting mush in the game bag.

Shooting released farm raised birds with 12 gauge over a pointing dog, use skeet ... or IC if you don't have skeet. Experienced pheasant hunters may have the fortitude to ignore instinct and let the bird get out there before shooting with modified or full, but it sounds like you guys aren't in that class yet. Use a loose choke so you don't blow that sweet meat to bits. It would not surprise me if some of the club's birds have to be kicked in the air. Or thrown in the air if hunting over a flushing dog that keeps catching them.

I think what would happen with most people is they shoot enough and they become accostum to what they shoot. We learn to live with what we have.

 

[JLS]

I/C or modified. I shoot 2 3/4” field loads of #5.