HuntingNet.com Forums

HuntingNet.com Forums (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/)

- Waterfowl Hunting (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/waterfowl-hunting-7/)

- - Shot Size (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/waterfowl-hunting/166050-shot-size.html)

2,3 and 4(on a good fog for ducks)
T,bb for geese and 2's if they're low. my buddy and i shot four cacklers out of a flock with 2's at 10 yards over the top after my dad and bro shot at them. it was raining geese

where i hunt its mostly wood ducks and teal in the early part of the season so i use #4's. when the bigger ducks (mallards, pintail, blue bill) and geese come down i use #2's. when im field hunting geese i use BB. always winchester expert steel HV. its fast, heavy, and cheap.

I shoot 3's with ducks and 1's with Geese. I have a couple spare boxes of hevishot 4s which I'll use for geese this weekend.

Cheers,

Three of us are hunting a small pond. 2 of us are using 12ga. 3" with #4 steel, the other is using 12ga 31/2" with #4. None of us are able to kill a duck with one shot. 2 of us hit the same duck 5 times before we got him killed. We're only shooting at 30-40yrds. Should we switch to a heavier shot, like #2, switch to a tighter choke, what? It's getting frustrating throwing so much shot at one bird to kill it. The only time I've managed to kill one with less than 3 shots was with BB which was the last round in the mag on the previous duck that I missed, so it was in the chamber when I reloaded with #4s.

I think all 3 of us are using mod. chokes in our guns. Should we go to full or even tighter?

This won't help us much on this season since it closes in 2 days, but the next season opens Dec. 16th.

Thanks in anvance

Winchester Supreme #2 for teal to Geese

Quote:

ORIGINAL: iloveto4x4innc

Three of us are hunting a small pond. 2 of us are using 12ga. 3" with #4 steel, the other is using 12ga 31/2" with #4. None of us are able to kill a duck with one shot. 2 of us hit the same duck 5 times before we got him killed. We're only shooting at 30-40yrds. Should we switch to a heavier shot, like #2, switch to a tighter choke, what? It's getting frustrating throwing so much shot at one bird to kill it. The only time I've managed to kill one with less than 3 shots was with BB which was the last round in the mag on the previous duck that I missed, so it was in the chamber when I reloaded with #4s.

I think all 3 of us are using mod. chokes in our guns. Should we go to full or even tighter?

This won't help us much on this season since it closes in 2 days, but the next season opens Dec. 16th.

Thanks in anvance

My regular duck hunting partner shoots a Remington® 1100 3" Mag (Mod) using #2 & 3 steel. His experience mirrors yours unfortunately, 2-3 shots to 'break the duck down' & put it on the water; & another shot or two to kill it after down. OTOH, I'm shooting a Mossberg® Mdl 500 20ga 3" Mag. I use Hevi•Shot®, #5 & 6. Not to brag but whenI shoot a duck, OUT TO 50YDS; it's Bang, Splash, DDRT (Duck Dead Right There)! Yes Hevi•Shot® is expensive but considering that I kill ducks, WITH THE FIRST SHOT; in the long run it's cheaper than my partner shooting 3-5 shots of Steel. If you switch to Hevi•Shot® you will be utterly amazed at how it performs.

Quote:

Nobody will probably agree with what I'm about to say, but I like #2 steel with a steel rated full choke. I guess I'd rather hit em hard or miss em completely that to hit em with a more open pattern 3 times and watch em fly off limping. Now I do realize some folks use IC and MOD with success and that's great but it doesn't work for me.

BTW I have felt the frustration you speak of and I almost quit duck hunting because of it.

Winchester Supreme 3" #2 shot at Ducks.
Winchester Supreme 3 1/2" BB shot at Geese

Quote:

ORIGINAL: deer_beer11
its fast, heavy, and cheap.

and junk.

buy a shell that is going to actually patten worth a SH1T. supreme, drylok, kent, or maybe federal. spend the extra $$$

The one that's shooting 31/2" #4s is using heavyshot and he still can't kill them on the first shot. I'm going to try the full choke and #4s in mine as soon as season opens back up. If I'm still having trouble, I'll switch to #2s and see what happens. Thanks for the advice.