When shooting steel in a 12 ga. don't go smaller than 2s and you will be OK. If shooting a 20 ga. you may want to drop down no smaller than 3s to help with pattern. #4 steel will kill but has very limited range.

I use #2 to drop them. If they drop and still are alive, I quick put a #4 in and kill the duck.

The most I hunt ducks.. I always use #2 shots because it is best way to shoot ducks down from far... Last time I went hunting ducks with my two friends and I shot two ducks with two shots about little far than 35 yards and got them down on land quickly. If I hunt teal, I will use little small than #4 shots, becuase it is so small... I use 3 1/2" or 3" shell "T" for geese... It is best shot I ever hunt..

I use 3" number 4's and sometimes 2's...... On geese I use BB

Hay there Im from England so not sure what our shot sizes would be over the big duck pond.

number 4s steel for very close ducks(flighting them onto ponds ect) prefrably no more than 20yds!!

Number 4s Bismuth if you have it over there. Its all I use and have droped everything from teal springing of a pond, high phesants and most impresive of all a mallard flying like a bat out of hell at over 70yds!!!!!!! They kill beter than scuds.

Tungsten. size 3s and 1s are nice on very tough birds but at closer ranges it gives a very tight pattern!!!!

i use #2 #4 and double bb. double bb being the one i use more.

Wow. There must be some great shots duck shooting these days. I kill them dead to 45-50 yards with 2 3/4 inch #6 Bismuth in a modified choke and rarely have a cripple. Beyond that range I'd have to go to 4's AND a full choke to kill them as dead, and then I'd be at a disadvantage when they were inside 50 yds. as they usually are or ought to be, when you're shooting over decoys. I just don't find many people capable of causing a load of full choke shot to meet up with a flying bird at 60 yds., including me. For geese it's #4 Bismuth, same choke, same yardages, same effectiveness. I'd have to go full choke 2's with the same problems at short range (inside 50yds) to be effective at the longer ranges. Heavishot performs equally as well, but is a much harder alloy and will crack teeth where Bismuth will not. I eat what I kill. I have a few friends shooting steel and they're swept up in this bigger=better stuff, shooting 3's or worse 2's at ducks. They miss a lot of shots over decoys and most of what they hit has to be shot again or worse, wind up lost cripples. If I shot steel, which I don't anymore, over decoys I'd use 3 inch 4's for ducks and 3 inch 2's for geese in a modified barrel. I'd still be at a disadvantage versus the pattern of the 2 3/4 Bismuth 6's and 4's and have a mouth full of cracked teeth (the dental bills would be far mosre costly than the Bismuth), but it's the best you can do with steel. Good news though. My most frequent hunting buddy of 25 years has been buying Bismuth 6's for ducks lately. I think he's finally tired of wounding game.

i go out and buy my own shoot from cabelas or basspro and reload it i use #1 for duck and i just bought some f`s for geese and i love them

I have to include myself in the hevi shot # 6 category but make sure you pattern whatever load you plan to hunt with in the gun you are going to hunt with to make sure they are compatable.

3 steel, 3 to 5 bismuth or kent impact, for smaller ducks (teal) and big ducks in the early season. 2 steel if it's real windy. Late season, I wouldn't mess around with 3 steel. Birds are too plumed up, have thick fat and feathers. I stick with the 2s then, especially late season divers.