Larry, I guess I have misread or misunderstood, or both the subject of this thread.
I thought we were discussing the shot size difference between Italian shot and American, not the difference in number of pellets between large shot and smaller shot.
And that is why I say the 10 or 12 pellets, more or less, difference in a pattern of American shot compared to the same size designation of Italian is not worth much concern.
Drew, I truly do know how much of a conservationist you are in the field and certainly was not questioning that of you.
It is just that I advocate, as many here can tell you, the use of a good dog above all else and such will, if her owner will spend enough time on shank's mare, find three a day inside of 20/25 yards, particularly in SD. To that end, any reasonable shot size will anchor them pretty good.
For more than a half century up close and personal because of a good dog, has been more important that the pellet count in my shells and I really believe that to be true for any Uplander.
I don't really know off hand how many birds I have shot over the last 53 seasons that did not make it into the bag, but it is really very few. That's not to say it is because I am such a great wing shot. Rather it is to say that good ammo and good dogs have made even my marginal shots lethal and those birds the dogs had to make me look good on would have been no less wounded if I had been using pterodactyl loads.
I guess all of this rambling is to say that shot size is in my experience such a minor consideration in the Uplands relative to other factors that weigh so heavily. The difference between Italian shot and American, size for size, is IMHO even less of a worry.
BTW Drew, one of those youngsters that I gave one of your collars too, took a second with his dog in a FT over in Idaho week before last. He really has become a fine trainer over the last decade and is now training with Don Romine.
And if you haven't heard. I had to put Belle down in April. As fine a master huntress as ever delivered a rooster to hand.
