If you have arrived at that opinion from actually hunting all varieties of quail, then your experience with Gambel's has been different from mine. If a 20 is used for them a load of 7/8 oz. 7 1/2s or, at a minimum, 8s, is eminently more suitable. I flat would not put a load of 9s in my shell bag for Gambel's. And, also IMO, skeet choke is too open. I have used, and will use, IC and M for them. I am reasonably quick on a covey rise or flush, but if you can properly employ a skeet choke on Gambel's in most situations I have been in, you are in a rare league. I cannot speak on this concerning the other desert quail but I have been told some of them are runners, much the same as Gambel's.
All my best, SRH
Having hunted Gambel's Quail for over 60 years all over the Southwest, my opinion is in line with Stan's. I prefer 16 gauge and 20 gauge for upland birds,
all wild, all fair chase.
As a comparison, shooting wild Gambel's Quail is like shooting down fighters ground to air....Where as shooting Pheasant or Grouse is like shooting down lumbering bombers ground to air. A very major difference.
I have loaded 2.5" hulls in 12, 16 and 20 gauge for over 40 years and use #7 lead and sometimes #7.5 as a minimum for quail
out of Modified/Full Choke guns , NO OPEN CHOKE BORINGS HERE, i.e. Gambels Quail etc. . Anything less
in lead pellet diameter or choke boring is just an exercise with poor results, in my opinion.
I have all my presses set up with short kits and load only 2.5" for all gauges
and chamber lengths. I hunt Gambel's quail with regularity using one of my 20 gauge guns, with 7/8 oz #7 lead in a 2.5" Cheddite hull. I have also used #6 lead with good results in 2.5" hulls.
20 Gauge Beretta...M/F...
20 Gauge L.C.'s M/F and 20 Gauge Sterlingworth's M/F...
20 Gauge Sterlingworth M/F...
20 Gauge Smith and Wesson M/F (Dickinson - Akus)...
20 Gauge MEC 2.5" short kit...
Best Regards,
