20 NEBRASKAland • OCTOBER 2016
Non-toxic Shot for Pheasants
By Jarrod Spilger
S
ome of Nebraska's best pheasant habitat is located on waterfowl
production areas (WPAs) and wildlife management areas (WMAs)
which require the use of non-toxic shot.
Steel duck loads will get the job done, but consider downsizing a bit
for better results on roosters. Smaller shot sizes, like number 3s, 4s or 5s
provide greater pattern density than larger No. 2 shot. Likewise, 3-inch
magnums are fine for waterfowl, but a 2¾-inch shell typically holds
enough pellets to effectively bag pheasants – with significantly less
recoil.
While regular round steel shot used to be the only game in town,
pheasant hunters today thankfully have more options, including a trio of
non-toxic loads designed specifically for gunning roosters.
The first is Federal Prairie Storm FS Steel. It has a 50/50 payload
of round steel and banded Flitestopper steel pellets for improved
penetration on heavily feathered birds, like pheasants. The second is
Winchester Blind Side Pheasant, which has a full payload of cubed-
shaped Hex steel shot for increased knockdown power.
Finally, there's Hevi-Metal Pheasant, which has a 50/50 payload of
regular steel and tungsten-based Hevi-Shot pellets. This might be the
ultimate option, since the Hevi-Shot component (being denser than steel or even lead) provides maximum penetration and
energy, even at a distance.
All three loads are priced similarly and have high velocities ranging from 1,400 to 1,600 feet per second.
Cornfields and CRP tracts may be the obvious places for finding pheasants, but don't overlook those cattail-rimmed
wetlands and the grassy uplands surrounding them on WPAs and WMAs in the non-toxic zone.
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PHOTO
BY
JARROD
SPILGER
