I've used RST 7's on grouse and roosters, and handloaded 7's as well. As previously stated, I've always had high marks for RST loads. The
first rooster I killed with my French 16 was 7/8 of 7's , a January in Kansas. I think even Larry would consider that "late season."
7's are a versatile, somewhat underutilized shot size in my opinion.
Mike
Mike, Jan in KS does qualify as "late season". And sometimes, depending on the conditions (a bunch of fresh, fluffy snow overnight will often make even late season roosters sit extremely tight), late season birds will sit as tight or tighter than opening day birds. But usually it's not a bad idea to go to larger shot, heavier loads, and tighter chokes because of two other late season conditions: 1. A lot of early season roosters, especially if there was a good hatch, aren't even fully grown by opening day. Not even fully feathered. A couple months AFTER opening day, they've grown up. And they've also grown fatter than opening day birds, because putting on fat is nature's way of keeping them warm in the winter. 2. Hunting in cold weather, you may not have put on fat, but you've almost certainly put on warmer clothes so YOU keep warm. Those clothes can slow you down a bit when you go to mount your gun. Playing those odds . . . while a light load of 7's might kill every rooster you encounter late season, they're not the choice I'd make. I'd go to both a larger shot size and a heavier load. And at least one barrel with more choke.
