[lacrw]

What are your opinions on the size shot to use on ducks versus geese?

 

[Duckslayer04]

Early season I use Federal #4s for ducks in the decoys. All season I use Federal BB for geese. Sometimes I will shoot 3 1/2s at geese. When it comes to later season ducks or the very rare pass shoot I will shoot #2s.

 

[Goon]

I use the Winchester Xpert 2's 3 and 3 1/2 inch. For geese I use BBB black cloud or Black death. I have had a hard time finding supreme BBB 3 1/2 this season.

 

[huntinND]

I use 3" Winchester Expert in #3 shot for ducks and 3 1/2" BB for geese all year.

 

[lacrw]

Thanks for the opinions guys - now I just need to worry about the aiming portion.

 

[barebackjack]

Ive been shooting alot of 3" 4's for them the last few years and been having really good results. I shoot the occasional with 3" deuces or BB every now and than (while snow or honker hunting), and well, every time I get sold on more pellets over bigger pellets.

 

[dakotashooter2]

You really should pattern a few loads. I have struggled with crippled birds for years. I used mostly 12 ga but switched to 20ga (O/U) 2 years ago because I shoot it much better. I shot mostly standard Federal 2's and BB's (12 ga) through Mod and Imp chokes. I tried #4s but really fared no better. This year I switched to a (Carlson) extended full choke and did some patterning and found I got a more even pattern. I have had very few cripples this year using #2's and 1's and my shooting average has been better than normal. I have come to the conclusion that I was probably shooting around bird rather than truley missing them. The open chokes just left too many holes in the pattern to effectively kill bird.
However there still needs to be a balance between velocity, payload, shot size and pattern density. Generally to gain speed you give up some payload and pattern density. Give up pellet size and you sacrifice some energy. If you go to smaller shot you may want to go as fast as you can get to maintain some of the energy. If you go to large shot you maintain the energy but give up some pattern density. Also keep in mind that speed, while it sounds promising, CAN "blow" a pattern.

 

[huntingdude16]

For ducks, so far this year i've been shooting an ounce of #4 out of my 20ga sxs for ducks with great results. You don't anything special when the ducks are less than 20 yards in your face.

 

[texcl]

I use #4 3" remington nitro steel loads, and have for years, I feel they have a slight edge on winchester shells. The biggest thing for me is that the seal on the crimp is better so when you get them wet they don't go fiz-pop. the first day of the season this year nearly 50% of the winchester loads I had hangfired after getting them wet, but the remington loads fired 100%. I use #4's on geese but only at very close range and I shoot them in the head and neck, I have less cripples than my buddy who shoots bb's at them but of course I have to wait for them to get close. Experts will kill them dead just make sure you keep them dry.

 

[huntingdude16]

You do know Winchester makes a line of shells called 'Drylok' right?

 

[sod44]

for ducks i use 2 and for geese i use bb.

 

[goin'green head]

I use 2 3/4" #4's for ducks. My old wingmaster can't shoot 3". I had another 870 that did shoot 3" but I couldn't hit anything with it so I took the old gun out of retirement and have been doing well the last few years. I still haven't had the choke bored out as it is a fixed full choke barrel. I have heard different points of view on doing that but I'm worried that it will change the way it shoots and I'll be in the same boat again.
Am also thinking of getting a new barrel with changeable chokes. Not sure what to do if anything.

 

[nd_hunter]

I'd say keep it green head...no reason to mess with a good thing right???

For ducks I usually use 3" federal premium #4 early season and #2 later in the year for those big northern mallards. 3 1/2" BB for geese all year long. Whatever load you choose make sure you pattern your gun to see what choke/shell combo works best

 

[texcl]

I've used dry-locs and they work pretty good, I still prefer remingtons but if the dry-locs were a couple bucks cheaper I'd probably buy them, it's really not much of a difference.

 

[DOUBLEWEIM]

10 Gauge for both, I hate crippled birds. And I usually just make jerky out of the meat anyhow.
#2's for the ducks
T's for the geese.

Besides, when you sneak on these geese in the ditches and tree rows, one needs the POWER! T's will give you the wing breaking abilities.

:sniper:

 

[birdog105]

I have cut open 2 of the following from different boxes of ammo, with the following results...

Rem Nitro Steel 3"- Round uniform shot well sealed crimp

Rem Sportsman HV 3"- Same shot as above, less water sealed crimp

Kent Fasteel 3"- Polished shot uniform and round, no water sealant

Win Xpert 3"- Mixed shot sizes(from 6-2 in a 3 shot round) barely
any round shot, no water sealant

Win Super X 3"- Identical to Nitro Steel with better water sealant

Federal Game Shock Steel 3"- Round pellets with pits and burrs on some
shot no water sealant

Fiocchi Speed Steel 3"- Round uniform shot few pits or burrs on some
shot

Just my opinion but your best bang for the buck is Speed Steel by Fiocchi or Sportsmans steel by Remington... both rounds shoot kinda dirty compared to more expensive ones but I'm okay with it for the few bucks I save... hope this helps, To be honest, after opening an Xpert I will NEVER buy them again unless its my only option...

 

[birdog105]

Oh yeah, and I use 2 or 3 shot exclusively... either or on all species of waterfowl

 

[barebackjack]

ITo be honest, after opening an Xpert I will NEVER buy them again unless its my only option...

Who needs round shot? :lol:
Expert kills em fine for me, but Kent kills em finer.
The old dropped lead shot wasnt round and that new black cloud stuff has ridges and ditches on it, whats up with that?

I dont like winchester (Xpert of Drylok) because they have some diiiiiirty burning powder.

 

[flockchopper]

I have always shot 3in. #2s at ducks and prefer kent faststeel and for geese 3 1/2 in. T shot through my patternmaster and they hit hard at close and long range.

 

[birdog105]

The ridges on Black cloud are symetrical giving the shot consistant wind resistance around the BB thru its rotation, there is a reason they don't make "dropped" shot anymore, and I prefer round shot as it flies straight, where as mis shapen "flat sided" shot has the ability and tendency to curve... baseball vs frisbee, :wink: