Well, steel is the best selling load. Its also the cheapest. But I can tell you for certain that if Hevi or any of the other high density non-tox metals were the same price as steel, no one would be shooting it. So I don't really think that its the "prefered" load. The most economical perhaps, but that depends on how many ducks you shoot, and how good a shot you are.

I shoot mainly 2 3/4 #6 or #7.5 Hevi shot for ducks. For Geese, I'll just use #6, although I do have some #4 that I found for a very good price that I have been using, and they of course work just fine too. That said, I shoot one Hevi SHOT shell first, and then back it up with two Hevi STEEL loads. Since the first shot is the most important one. That way, I am saving money, but still using something that in my experience is LEAPS AND BOUNDS better than steel shot. Don't get me wrong, a steel pellet through the brain is the same as a lead pellet or a gold pellet or anything else. But I've followed more than one wound channel around bones that did not break on ducks and geese. And after having a few birds fall "stone dead" with steel, only to come back to life and be lost, I started shooting the hevi stuff. And to date have lost exactly one bird with it (and I shot it in the can...it was my fault...long story).

As much money as I spend on waterfowl hunting....another $100 a year on shells ain't gonna hurt me too bad...espeically considering how many birds I don't have to shoot once in the air and twice on the water. The shotgun shells are the only thing that acctually kills ducks...and I have found that premium ammunition is a very worthwhile investment.