Let's talk shotgun shell options
 

I have decided to put a lot more attention into my choice of shotgun shells this off season. I hunt dove, duck, goose, pheasant, and rabbit with my shotgun.

Yesterday I switched to BBs for goose, and dropped my first bird of the season. I know that I am not that bad of a shot, and I have seen feathers fly while the goose flies off.

I'm thinking that the change helped.

So, what do you use for each, and why?

First off DJ - I use #3 Steel for Ducks and BB fSteel or geese. I ahve found I get more birds per shot fired using Black Cloud. I have also spent time at the patterning board as choice of choke with these and its Improved Cylinder in my 12 Ga Benelli. I onlu use 3 Inch rounds.

For pheasant I still use lead unless I am hunting some WMA that requires non toxic. For Lead I use #5 or #6 in 2 3/4" My Choke is Modified and Full in a Over and Under 12 Ga.

For Grouse, woodcock I use a 28 ga - 3/4 oz 7 .5 shot with chokes of Cylinder and Skeet. Shoointg is up close and in tightthick cover.

Rabbits I no longer hunt.

And a 3.5" shell to me is a waste of money- offers me nothing I can't do with a 3 inch round for waterfowl and 3 inch is a waste of money for upland.

JW

Grouse - Doves - Bunnies - Quail = 12 ga - 2.75" - #7-1/2 lead shot - "low brass", but powerful Trap Loads. Sometimes same shell with #8 shot for doves and quail.
Same shell as above for early Season Pheasants --
Late season Pheasants = hi-brass 2.75" - #6 (or #5) lead shot.

Ducks = 12 ga - 3" - #6 shot - Hevi Shot only

Geese = 12 ga - 3" (sometimes 3.5") - #4 shot - Hevi Shot only


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I never made the move to the 3 or 3 1/2 in. shells. Me and my buddies still shoot the 2 3/4 in number 4 steel for all our ducks. (don't have geese where I'm at in Florida). Much of our shooting is over decoys or in tight around timber.

If I'm goose and duck hunting at the same time, I use Blackcloud 3" #2's.

I use the same if I'm only goose hunting.

If I'm only duck hunting, I use Blackcloud 3" #4's.

I think 3 1/2 inch shells are a waste of money but that is just my opinion. I don't think they hurt anything as long as they cycle good in your gun. I don't feel they are worth the money if you are shooting decoyed birds.

If you are skybusting and praying for a kill, more pellets are always better.

Does it change anything that I only hunt public land?

I don't care where you hunt, you still gotta call them in close and then shoot them in the head !

Where I normally waterfowl hunt we don't get very many shot opportunities. Most seasons I shoot more geese than ducks. I shoot a 3" 12 gauge using Hevi Shot #2 and #4 for geese, and #4 and #6 for ducks. I keep a few #6 steel around to finish off cripples if needed.

Ducks- Hevi Metal 3" #3's
Geese- Hevi Metal 3.5" BB's
Partridge- Lead 2"3/4 #5's either Federal or Winchester
Rabbits-^^^Same^^^

All shot through my Benelli SBE II with a Patternmaster extended range choke tube.

I shoot 3" #2's most of the season. Did shoot #4's a few times this season. That's for ducks I don't really goose hunt besides snows, which I shoot the same as I do duck hunting.

We use nothing but HeviShot Duck and HeviMetal shells in our
NE Arkansas operations. For large ducks (mallards, pintails)
we like #2's and for the small ducks 3's and 4's....

I use 7.5 shot for Pheasant,Rabbit,Grouse and woodcock.
7.5 is very versitle around here, A little under powered for pheasant but I don't get shots much over 20-30 yards anyways.
For ducks and geese I use #2, But I don't "hunt" geese I only shoot one if I Jump one (I mostly Jump shoot ducks) and I make sure its within 30 yards or I don't shoot.

All small game (Rabbit, Squirrel, Grouse, Dove) I use a 870 16 gauge with either #6 or #7.5. Im just getting into Duck hunting but my friend whose an avid Duck hunter shots 3 in Steel through his 11-87 with a modified choke and doesnt miss very many and cripples even fewer

The HeviMetal shells were extremely good to us this past season.
We hunt in heavily pressured areas in the middle of the MS Flyway and at times the birds do get spooky...

We in Russia for duck hunting, use shot number 5. And for hunting geese shot number from 3 to 00, and for the distant shots katrech use. Steel shot and we did not shoot anybody, only use lead shot. When choosing a ammunition I sometimes guided by this link http://www.glavpatron.ru/select.php?l=1