Upland hunting, done right, is a close-range affair. With a few exceptions—wild-flushing pheasants come to mind—upland ammunition is less about raw speed and power and more about proportional efficiency. It doesn’t take a high-speed magnum load to stop a grouse or quail. Besides, upland guns are often quite light, and getting your teeth jarred unnecessarily by a high-velocity shell doesn’t make the hunt better, and it rarely puts more birds in the bag. Here's a guide to upland loads that, with one or two exceptions, will do the job without undue stress on the shooter.
Best All-Around Lead: Winchester Super X Upland/Upland and Small Game
Best New Non-Toxic Load: Boss Copper
Best Green Load: Federal Hi-Bird Fiber-Wad Bismuth
Best Lead Pheasant Load: Fiocchi Golden Pheasant
Best for Small Birds: Federal Gold Medal Paper
Best for Old Guns and 16 Gauges: RST
Best All-Around Lead: Winchester Super X Upland/Upland and Small Game
Winchester still loads a modest-velocity 12-gauge Super X “Pigeon Load” for upland hunters, but in larger shot sizes as well as the traditional 7 ½ and 8. At 1220 fps to 1255fps, they are slow by modern standards, but Super X has been killing birds since 1922, when John Olin and Winchester improved ammo with harder, rounder shot. Slower shells kick less and often pattern more efficiently than high-velocity shells that deform pellets and open patterns. If you keep your shots to a reasonable distance, as we all should, 12 gauge Super X make a great choice for any lead-shot needs.
Best New Non-Toxic Load: Boss Copper
As the price of bismuth skyrockets out of sight, Boss Copper comes to the rescue. Copper shot is not a brand-new idea, but it’s new to most of us in the U.S. It’s here now, in every gauge, from 12 to .410. Copper is denser than steel, but not as dense as bismuth. It’s hard enough not to be subject to the shattering problems that afflict bismuth, while also being soft enough to be safe in older guns. It patterns true to choke, that is, an IM choke gave me 65 percent IM patterns, and it doesn’t cost (comparatively) an arm and a leg. It’s about $2 per shell, which is pretty reasonable these days.
Best Green Load: Federal Hi-Bird Fiber-Wad Bismuth
If you want to practice leave-no-trace upland hunting, you’ll have to pay extra for Hi-Bird Fiber Wad bismuth. As one who believes plastic will be the new lead very soon, I am pleased to see Federal and others making biodegradable, fiber, and even paper-wad ammo. With a fiber shotcup to protect the brittle bismuth shot, these Hi-Birds should pattern like lead, but without the toxicity. And, fiber, unlike plastic, decomposes harmlessly. With the price of bismuth what it is, these shells may not be around forever, so I’d grab some if you want them. Currently, they are offered in 12-gauge only, at 1330 fps, in 1 ¼-ounce, 5 shot loads. The same fiber-wad load comes in lead 4, 5, or 6 shot for about a third of the price.
Best Lead Pheasant Load: Fiocchi Golden Pheasant
Golden Pheasant increases payloads while dialing the velocity down a notch. The result is a shell that patterns well and doesn’t kick unduly, while still putting plenty of hard, nickel-plated shot on target. Since I personally believe in payload over speed, I am a fan, and I will choose to ignore the fact that a 1485 fps, 1 3/8 12-gauge load has snuck into the otherwise reasonable and balanced Golden Pheasant lineup. The standby 1 3/8 ounce, 1250 fps 2 ¾-inch 12-gauge in 4, 5 (my choice), or 6 shot makes a potent pheasant shell. Golden Pheasant also comes in 16-gauge, and in both 2 ¾- and 3-inch 20- and 28-gauge.
Best for Small Birds: Federal Gold Medal Paper
A high-quality target load like Federal’s Gold Medal Paper makes a great choice for upland hunting. Target loads are made of top-quality components for good patterns and softer recoil. They come in 7 ½ and 8 shot, useful sizes for everything from pheasants over a pointing dog (7 ½s only) down to quail and woodcock. As a bonus, every shot with paper hulls gives you a whiff of nostalgia when you pop open the gun. Federal’s Gold Medal Paper in 12 and 20 gauges come in 1 1/8 and 1-ounce 12-gauge loads and a 7/8-ounce 20-gauge. If you shoot a 28 or a .410, a Gold Medal Target still makes a fine shell, but you’ll have to live with the less-exotic smell of plastic hulls.
Best for Old Guns and 16 Gauges: RST Shotshells
RST ammo has been a boutique maker since before the term was coined, and RST’s niche is light loads for older guns and guns with short chambers. If you value efficiency over recoil, these are the shells for you. If you inherited a 24- or 32-gauge, or if you’re just weird enough to have found one on the used market, RST has you covered. Old 2 5/8-inch 10-gauge? They’ve got you. For the 16-gauge, RST offers 1-ounce and 7/8-ounce loads. They have 10-, 12-, and 20-gauge bismuth, too. RST sells spreader loads for close-cover quail and woodcock hunters. But, there’s a catch: as a little guy in the world of bigger ammo makers, RST often faces component shortages and slower production times. You’ll have to order your ammo early, and look upon the occasional frustration of finding RST ammo in stock to be just part of the fun of owning an old shotgun.
