Best Shot Size for Pheasants
Pick shot size for the cover and the land rules, not the internet argument. Early switchgrass flushes and late-season open prairie are different problems. So are Game Production Areas and Waterfowl Production Areas that ban lead in your vest.
This page is the shot-size deep dive. For choke tubes and load selection by cover type, see Pheasant Hunting Ammo & Chokes. For the gun itself, see Best Pheasant Shotguns.
Short answer
| Situation | Shot that earns the vest pocket |
|---|---|
| Early season, thick cover, close flushes | Lead #6 or #5 |
| Mixed CRP / edges / most public weekends | Lead #5 (the honest default) |
| Late season, bigger roosters, windy open country | Lead #4 or heavy #5 |
| Non-toxic required (GPA, WPA, listed wetlands) | Steel #2 or #3 (or denser bismuth/tungsten equivalents) |
| Mixed dry/wet day—unsure of the next tract | Pack a non-toxic box even if today’s Walk-In allows lead |
Pattern density and a second shot you can still shoot clean matter more than a magnum box that flinches you.
Lead shot sizes that actually show up in Midwest vests
| Size | Approx. role | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| #6 | Dense patterns, softer punch | Opener, close birds over flushing dogs, lighter 20-gauge loads |
| #5 | All-rounder | Most CRP edges and shelterbelts at typical 20–35 yard flushes |
| #4 | Extra energy | Educated late-season roosters, longer crossing shots, big 12-gauge payloads |
| #7½ / #8 | Too light for wild roosters | Leave them for clay or quail—do not “hope density” a tough pheasant |
A rooster’s feathers, muscle, and going-away angles punish undersize shot. If you are choosing between #6 and #5 for unknown cover, #5 is the safer default for wild birds.
Gauge notes (without magic)
- 12 gauge: 1⅛–1¼ oz of #5 or #6 covers most days; step to #4 when birds are running and towering far.
- 20 gauge: Prefer quality #5/#6 payloads you can shoot twice; do not chase underpowered “light field” loads for late prairie.
- 28 gauge: Works for skilled shooters in thick cover with dense #6/#5—not a long-range late-season tool.
Non-toxic: size up, then pattern
Steel is lighter than lead of the same diameter, so hunters commonly go two sizes larger than their lead pick (lead #5 → steel ~#3/#2). Ballistics work tied to Midwest agencies—including Tom Roster’s lethality testing referenced by South Dakota GFP—has long favored larger steel on pheasants when non-toxic is required.
| Non-toxic choice | Practical take |
|---|---|
| Steel #2 | Strong default for wild roosters on WPAs/GPAs; favors penetration on longer shots |
| Steel #3 | Close second; denser pattern than #2 at the same payload |
| Steel #4 / #6 | More pellets, less punch—keep shots honest and dogs close |
| Bismuth / tungsten-matrix | Nearer lead performance; costlier; still must be a federally approved non-toxic type |
Federal migratory-bird rules list approved non-toxic shot types in 50 CFR 20.21(j). Coated lead is not non-toxic. When a unit requires non-toxic for small game, assume possession rules may ban lead shells in your vest—read the state page, not a forum post.
Where Midwest agencies require non-toxic for pheasants
Rules differ by land type, not by “pheasant season.” Verify every morning.
South Dakota (GFP)
Per GFP General Hunting Laws — Non-toxic Shot:
- Required for all small game/waterfowl hunting on: State Game Production Areas (GPA), lake and fishing access areas, state park system areas, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land, Bureau of Reclamation WPAs managed by GFP, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wildlife Refuges, and USFWS Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA). Lead shot may not be possessed while hunting waterfowl/small game on these areas.
- Not required (GFP encourages non-toxic anyway) on: U.S. Forest Service National Grasslands, SD School and Public Lands, or most GFP Walk-In, CHAP, and CREP when hunting small game such as pheasants.
GFP’s hunting-areas FAQ tables the same split: GPA and WPA = yes for upland birds; Walk-In / CREP / CHAP = no for upland (waterfowl still yes). See GFP FAQ and Hunting Areas Information.
Kansas (KDWP)
Approved non-toxic is required for listed migratory birds statewide, and for all shotgun hunting on named wildlife areas and national wildlife refuges (Cheyenne Bottoms, Quivira NWR, Marais des Cygnes, and others listed in the current Kansas hunting regulations). Most WIHA / iWIHA tracts do not require non-toxic for upland birds—but posted “non-toxic only” department lands do (K.A.R. 115-8-3). Always check the current KDWP regs PDF and field signs.
Iowa (DNR)
Iowa DNR states non-toxic shot is required to hunt all game animals (except deer and turkey) on selected public hunting areas in north-central and northwest Iowa. The current hunting regulations booklet lists those areas—see Iowa DNR pheasant hunting. Do not assume every WMA is lead-legal.
Federal wetlands everywhere
USFWS Waterfowl Production Areas and many refuge units enforce non-toxic for shotgun hunting. If the atlas shows a WPA mosaic inside your pheasant loop, load steel (or approved denser non-toxic) before you leave the truck.
A practical packing plan
- Pattern your #5 lead and your steel #2/#3 at 25 and 35 yards before the opener.
- Morning atlas check — GPA/WPA/refuge vs Walk-In/WIHA/PLOTS/PAA. Signs beat the PDF if they disagree.
- Two-box vest on mixed days: lead for confirmed lead-legal Walk-In; non-toxic staged for the WPA you might hit after lunch.
- Keep shots inside 30–35 yards with steel when you can—Roster-linked testing and field reports both show crippling rise hard past 40 yards.
- Dog work beats shot size — a big-running pointer past your pattern is a training problem. See Training a Pheasant Dog.
Featured gear — partner slots
Name TBD · Why it matters: density + punch for mixed CRP · Who it’s for: most Walk-In / WIHA weekends · Partner link coming
Name TBD · Why it matters: keeps you legal and lethal on GPA/WPA days · Who it’s for: SD GPA loops and mixed dry/wet itineraries · Partner link coming
Name TBD · Why it matters: nearer lead performance when steel patterns thin · Who it’s for: hunters who shoot few shells and want soft-on-teeth options · Partner link coming
Related
- Pheasant Hunting Ammo & Chokes
- Best Pheasant Shotguns
- South Dakota Walk-In Guide
- How to Read a Walk-In Map
- Pheasant Hunting Gear Checklist
Sources
- South Dakota GFP — General Hunting Laws (Non-toxic Shot)
- South Dakota GFP — FAQ: non-toxic shot by land type
- South Dakota GFP — Hunting Areas Information
- South Dakota GFP — nontoxic / lethality background PDF
- 50 CFR 20.21(j) — federally approved non-toxic shot types
- Iowa DNR — Pheasant hunting (selected public areas require non-toxic)
- Kansas: current KDWP hunting regulations (listed WA/NWR non-toxic list) and K.A.R. 115-8-3 for posted department lands