Early A s/n 10742 gets the game

[Bince]

This is the gun featured in the Spring Newsletter article I wrote. I now own this gun and am thankful to my friend Jim Cooney who sold it to me.

The recent "Safe to Shoot" post inspired me to go the experts with a question. In January, 2026 I plan to shoot some incoming pheasants with this gun at a range of 50 yards. As the previous owners have told me, they have used 2 3/4 inch 1 1/4 ounce shells for pheasants in the 1950 - 1990 time period. On my shelf now are Remington ShurShot Heavy Dove with 1 1/8 ounce # 6 shot at 1255 fps. I am also considering loading some 1 ounce #5 shot loads with a pressure of 9200 psi. What ammunition would you experts out there recommend for this upcoming outing? Regards, Mike Bunce

[Bince]

I forgot to mention that the chokes are full and full .042 and .042. As noted in my article, this gun is in very good condition with no bore issues. Rgds, Bince

[Jeff S]

Congratulations on owning that fine gun. Personally, I usually use 1 oz. loads of #7 1/2 or #6 shot, RST.

[DarylC]

I agree with Jeff. 1 oz of 7 1/2's @ 1200fps through those chokes will be plenty for the birds but easy on you and the gun. Good luck and maybe turn it into another article. (hint, hint).

[vaturkey]

Big fan of 6's over 7.5 for Pheasants. Just think they penetrate more and penetration is a good thing. PS. Sounds like a tower shoot to me. 7.5's can loose a lotta energy at 50 yards.

[Foxnut]

Mike, congrats on the gun. That will be a fun gun to shoot since you know the family provenance so well. I’m with Tom, I’d shoot the #5 or #6 shells and use 1 oz loads. 50 yards is a punch even with a full choked gun. I’d have no problem w/7 1/2’s if it was a walk up hunt over dogs on a preserve hunt where the shot was much closer. My group hunts SD late November/early December and the birds can flush at 30 or greater yards. I use #5 or #6 RST for those hunts.

[DarylC]

I've killed many wild pheasants with 7 1/2's and if you use enough choke and put the shot charge in the right place you will kill the bird. On release birds you will be shooting at their most vulnerable spot, their underbelly. Shoot what you want but 5's tear up too much meat. A good trap load will do the trick for you.

[vaturkey]

I've killed many wild pheasants with 7 1/2's and if you use enough choke and put the shot charge in the right place you will kill the bird. On release birds you will be shooting at their most vulnerable spot, their underbelly. Shoot what you want but 5's tear up too much meat. A good trap load will do the trick for you.

Yea, but you had retrieving pups. Ever tried to run down at pheasant at 68 years old?

[DarylC]

My birds were DOA. Made it easier on the dogs and me.

[Sporrns]

When I started pheasant hunting with a buddy or two in the mid-1960s, we knew nothing about reloading and cared not one whit about recommended loads in all the magazines. The 2 owners of our pheasant-rich farms that we had permission to hunt on in north central MD hard by the PA border both told us the same thing: "Use 6s, nothing smaller, and anything bigger is a waste of money and harsher recoil". We were total Nimrods, no dogs, single-shot 16 and 12 ga. guns, full choke, etc. but we did pay attention. We walked up our birds and went whenever we could, all 3 of us still being in school. We hunted in all kinds of weather and terrain that in a few situations we probably shouldn't have. As we matured and progressed, bought better guns (all doubles!) over the years, we stuck with #6s across our 12-16-20 gauge spectrum. Rare was the day when at least 2 of us did not come home with a nice fat rooster. In the aftermath, i have always thought of #6 shot as the quintessential choice for walk-up pheasant hunting. Kevin

[Researcher]

I'd say the vast majority (like 90%) of Pheasants I've shot from 1959 to today have been under 35 yards and a #7 1/2 trap load for the first shot or in the right barrel has been more than adequate.

One of my most memorable hunts was opening day 1970 in Colorado. No one was available to go with me, so I just drove out about an hour east of Denver, picked out a likely looking field of last year's stubble with a brushy fence row and went for a slow walk starting just after noon which was the opening. Got into a bunch along the fence row and shot a rooster and because I was alone with no dog marked him down and went right to him rather than trying a double. After I finished the fence row, I walked back through the middle of the field and noticed a swath about 20 feet long and at its widest two feet that the combine had missed so I walked by it and gave it a kick and out went Cock John number two. Took this picture when I got back to my car --

Crossed the road and walked down another fence row and maybe 100 yards in a rooster got up and flew low and I shot over him and didn't try the left barrel. A way farther and another rooster went properly up, Meat-in-the-Pot connected, and I was on the road back to Denver by 1:30 pm.

For Sunday, a classmate from Georgia at Lowry AFB was eager to go, but Saturday night a front blew through, and Sunday was much colder and spitting rain and we walked all day to get two.

[44whiskey]

hey Dave., is meat in pot still wearing lace on pad from 1970 today

[vaturkey]

My birds were DOA. Made it easier on the dogs and me.

Always liked the " Dead in the Air" birds. Much easier for the dogs or me.

[ROMAC]

When I started pheasant hunting with a buddy or two in the mid-1960s, we knew nothing about reloading and cared not one whit about recommended loads in all the magazines. The 2 owners of our pheasant-rich farms that we had permission to hunt on in north central MD hard by the PA border both told us the same thing: "Use 6s, nothing smaller, and anything bigger is a waste of money and harsher recoil". We were total Nimrods, no dogs, single-shot 16 and 12 ga. guns, full choke, etc. but we did pay attention. We walked up our birds and went whenever we could, all 3 of us still being in school. We hunted in all kinds of weather and terrain that in a few situations we probably shouldn't have. As we matured and progressed, bought better guns (all doubles!) over the years, we stuck with #6s across our 12-16-20 gauge spectrum. Rare was the day when at least 2 of us did not come home with a nice fat rooster. In the aftermath, i have always thought of #6 shot as the quintessential choice for walk-up pheasant hunting. Kevin

I spent a lot of days from fall of 1978 to 1981 hunting both sides of route 15 from Emmitsburg on down to Frederick.

Most orchard owners were happy to let a couple of college age guys with pump shotguns access to their land to chase pheasants.

[Bince]

Thanks to all for the great information. Since this is a tower shoot and the birds mostly incoming I have decided to use 1 1/8 ounce # 6 lead shot. I will be writing another article following the shoot in January. I look into RST shells and they are not available. Given the excellent condition of my early A both wood and steel and the relatively few shots, I am confident that the gun and I will do much better than the pheasants.