# Prarie Storm Ammo



## Utahgreenhead (Apr 28, 2009)

So now that the hunt is underway, I've been wondering about those new shells from Federal, the "Prairie Storm". Has anyone had a chance to try them? I looked them over the other day and wasn't sure if it would be worth the investment on them. But then again, for a season of pheasant hunting how many shells could a guy really need. They seemed like good bullets, just a little steep on the price is all. Maybe I need to stop being such a stingy miser. But that's just me.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

I bought a box to try on pheasants. I fired once on Saturday, and missed. So I can't really tell you exactly what I think. I plan on going out a few more times though, so I'll let you know. And honestly, they really don't cost much more than pheasant loads from Remington or Winchester.


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## iluvchukars (Oct 21, 2009)

I work with a guy that loves the stuff!!! He says its worth the money.

Personally will probably never shoot it cuz I like my reloads ive been doing. I think its more about where you hit'em more than what you hit'em with.

I shoot a 20 banger loaded up with 7/8 oz #6 shot goin just over 1300 fps.
Killed chukars, huns, grouse and pheasants with it.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Yeah, the box of PS that I bought is 3 inch loads of 1.25 oz #6s, at 1250 fps. I liked the idea of being able to have as heavy a load as a 12 ga 2.75" would have, but from my 20 ga. When it comes to my 12 ga, when hunting pheasants, I like to shoot Winchester Super Pheasant copper plated loads. Of the birds I have hit with that stuff, they drop stone dead. Now those Win loads run almost as much as the PS ones do.


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## Bret (Sep 7, 2007)

I have been very happy with it. I have been shooting 12 gauge 2 3/4" 1 1/4 oz of #5's @ 1500FPS. It has performed better than I thought on birds. Very deadly load. I feel it is every bit as good as the PF Federal Premiums I used to shoot at the same velocity. It is worth the money to me. You can walk a long time to put a rooster in the air in Utah at times. I like that rooster to fall dead and not run away to die later. This load is a rooster Killer for sure.


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## kev (Feb 7, 2008)

I've been around several guys that have shot it, and there are not very many cripples. However I have to note that most of the guys that spend the money on good shells seem to be of the "better than average" shot variety.

Personally I am really liking Winchester Xpert 2 3/4" 1 1/16 oz #4 steel, 1500fps (I think?). Use the same load for ducks and it puts pheasants down for the count. I've shot about 2 boxes worth at roosters and have only had one bird that needed to helped out in the dying department when the dog brought it back. The few chuckars I have shot with it didn't argue much either. All that for right around $9 a box. Pretty good deal if you ask me.

Later,
Kev


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

kev said:


> Personally I am really liking Winchester Xpert 2 3/4" 1 1/16 oz #4 steel, 1500fps (I think?). Use the same load for ducks and it puts pheasants down for the count. I've shot about 2 boxes worth at roosters and have only had one bird that needed to helped out in the dying department when the dog brought it back. The few chuckars I have shot with it didn't argue much either. All that for right around $9 a box. Pretty good deal if you ask me.
> 
> Later,
> Kev


Thanks, Kevin, that's very helpful. I bought a bunch of the WW Xperts from Cablelas back when it was $62/case delivered. That will be just the ticket for my Grulla, which is choked .004"/.008". The steel will pattern tighter, so should be good for long flushing pheasants on our WMAs with that gun. I'm well stocked for years to come.


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## kev (Feb 7, 2008)

I'm almost always shooting backup for the kids or simply choose to shoot last so I like a factory mod, or my original Patternmaster. Both chokes work well and like I said after 30+ roosters only one had to have his head chomped, before he went in the bag.

After today I can tell you this with absolute certainty #7 1/2 shot from a low brass Wal-Mart target load is not going to get the job done, no matter how much $$$ you saved over buying a decent shell!! (Sorry for the rant, had to get that off my chest)

Later,
Kev


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

I bought a case of Remington HD in #6 a few years back when they had a big rebate going and it's the best upland game shell I've ever shot. I've shot numerous grouse, pheasant and chukar with it and it's rare to find a pellet in a bird, almost all hits will pass right through. Great shell for jump shooting ducks too. To get back to the original question I know that the Federal shells with the Flitecontrol wad are great for long range, but do they work as well in close?


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## Bret (Sep 7, 2007)

I have not had any trouble shooting them at the same ranges I would shoot the old stuff at. I am choked mod in the bottom full in the top. To close you have a problem with anything.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

Thanks for the advice, Kev. I shot this today with B&P #4 steel, 1 1/8 ounce at ~1400FPS. Heidi had made a nice point, I whiffed with the first barrel, then knocked it down with the left barrel. It's is choked .008", which would be a light IC. Unfortunately, it landed in 10' tall phrag. We couldn't find it after looking for 15 minutes, so figured it was a runner and continued our hunt. We got another rooster up, but couldn't shoot because it flew straight for the cows. We circled back to do a grid search in the phrag, and were able to find it. It was probably dead when it hit the ground.

Pardon my excitement, but this is my first Utah pheasant in maybe 20 years:


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## kev (Feb 7, 2008)

Congrats on the rooster. Should eat well. I like shooting steel. They switched waterfowl the year I started hunting ducks so I've never known anything else. Anymore a good lead load is more money than a good steel load, so I've never seen the benefit of switching back and forth.

Later,
Kev


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

My wife was happy as she likes pheasant. I've been a hard core grouse hunter, and havn't hunted pheasants due to access problems. George Bird Evans, who wrote a lot about setters and grouse, called them smelly, gaudy, and obviously viewed them as lower class compared to grouse. I think I'll hunt them more now that I know I can go places and have a decent hunt. I've even talked to my wife about a trip to NoDak.


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