Have a question for the ones that like to chase ducks. Just really getting into it and having a lot of fun. We don’t have a pile of ducks and geese, but enough to keep it interesting. What gun, choke and ammo are you running? I am shooting a mossburg 935 the stock modified choke. I have a mix of federal BB, federal #4 and hevi shot #2 for steel shot. The #2s pattern pretty well. Just wondering if there are better ammo choices out there.

Thanks

Use what your shotgun patterns with and shoots well at the distances you are good at shooting. 20-30 yards and closer.

Sounds like #2 is good for you. That will get the job done.



My gun shoots #3 really well, I use that for ducks all season.

I use BB for geese, especially late season but the #3’s do great early. I’m not shooting long distance though. I also use an IC choke.

Don’t skybust and you’ll do fine with what you have.

I liked 3" steel 3's for ducks, and bb's always worked fine for decoying canadas. Never spent the money on hevishot, and didn't like the performance of steel 4's, maybe ok for light ducks...usually IC, for ducks, light modified or modified for geese....light modified, which is skeet 2 I believe, for late season big ducks.

As for the gun, whatever fits you best, with all your stuff on.... Gas autos tame recoil better, but it's got to fit.

Like others said, pattern various loads through your gun. I shoot a Beretta AL390 12 gauge and shoot 3" Black Cloud #2 and 3" Federal Speed-Shok #3 out of an IC choke well.

How far do you guys pattern your ammo/choke combo? I shot mine at 40, that just where my pattern board is from the bench.

I believe 40 yds is the standard...I have to confess I never did much patterning, a couple shots to get a rough idea and that was it,,,, Killed a lot of ducks and geese though...

Patterning is good though to fine tune your load/choke combinations but at 30 yards or under not that important frankly. I like em close, lol

40 yards is good. Remember when using steel shot to use a more open choke since steel doesn't compress like lead or bismuth. The bigger the shot size you need more open choke. There's charts on the inter web showing the shot size to choke. I like #3 for wood ducks, 2-bb for bigger ducks depending on season, bigger later on. Geese I use 2-T shot same concept as ducks.

Modified 3 1/2 inch. 28 inch barrel. #4 or #6 shot. 40 yards max for me. Remember steel shoots fast follow thru come behind the bird on flight. Once you see the tip of the beak. Pull the trigger and keep following thru.
I shot a Mossburg pump. I also had a double bead. Help me keep the gun level. Really improved my hunting.

Good Luck. Enjoy the hunt.

Xtrema I, 12ga cyl or Beretta 20ga cyl, 2 3/4" # 2 for geese, #4 for ducks 40 yds max. :-)

I have shot 3" #2 Kent Fasteel out of my Stoeger M3000 for just about everything waterfowl, both decoying and pass-shooting. Gun likes it, I like it, ducks and geese do not.

26" barrel with Modified choke.

Moosetrot

Yep, Kent 3" #2 or 3 Fasteel with a mod choke

One thing I believe helps is if you find a load you shoot well with. Stay with that load as much as you can. If you have to buy different brand of ammo for availability reasons. Try to stay with a load that is the same speed as ones that you shoot good. Even switching different shot sizes or shell lenght try to stay with the same speed load or close as you can.

Mac

Anything that killa ducks cheap. I shoot a carlson mid range cremator, winchester sx4 12 guage.

Stoger m3500 with black cloud 3" #2s was my go to for years and I still love it but don't love the price of the ammo. I just ordered some 3" Remington number 1s from Scheels because they had them for 15 a box. Hope they don't suck!

Beretta Outlander , 3” Fiocci #3 for ducks, Carlson’s mid range tube. I’ll switch to long range late season for ducks on the bayfront. Kills great, but every gun is different, just find what works for you.

I use #4 for ducks. Improved cylinder or modified works in my gun if I do my part.

Kent Fast steel 3 1/2" 2 shot or Remington 3" 2 or 3 shot for my Benelli Nova shotgun has been the demise of many a duck and goose over the years !

size shot and gun aside, cook your waterfowl like venison DONT overcook!

Facts! Never overcook it.

#5 or #6 shot for me with my 870 12 ga.

Yes RdFx that is another often over looked item.. also steel and other heavy waterfowl shot. So much harder on your teeth thst old lead shot.

Mac

I use a Franchi Affinity 3.5, shoot Kent Fast Steel 12 Ga, 3", shot size #2, and I believe I have a modified choke on currently.

I've tried a few ammo brands and pellet sizes over the years before settling on Kent Fast Steel. That said, I've been looking at Boss shells with great interest. I was thinking of picking up a box or two to try next season.

Oh man.......how long do you have to talk?

I have been sending loads off for testing every week for the last 6 years or so. I've got quite a library of waterfowl loads and plan to start my own little side business loading custom shells. It is a rabbit hole that I went down when shells were impossible to get and I haven't found the end of it yet. I haven't bought a shotgun shell in quite some time.

My first piece of advice is never waste your money on an aftermarket $100 choke tube. There is not a choke tube produced that can change shotshell ballistics.

My second piece of advice is to not buy any ammo produced by Remington, Federal, or Hevi Shot. They are all owned by an overseas Czech conglomerate company that has little regard for quality and loves to clamp down and control our ammunition supply. Support the companies that haven't sold out, like Winchester.

Lastly, there are two variables to killing a duck. Pattern Density and Penetration. You have to have both of them. You need to be shooting shot small enough that you have proper pellet count, but shot big enough that you achieve enough penetration.

Steel 3's are a good middle of the road. Effective penetration on ducks to 38 yards or so and 178 pellets in a 1-1/8oz load. If you can put 70% of those pellets on target at 35-40 yards you have sufficient pattern density for large ducks and medium ducks. Not enough pattern density for small ducks like teal. If you are shooting smaller ducks step down to #4's, or if you mainly shoot large ducks like mallards step up to #2's.

Your factory modified is going to be more than sufficient with most shells. Stepping down to a Light Modified or an Improved Cylinder choke may give you a little more flexibility.

Whats your opinion on bismuth coondagger. I tried to find some for an old double gun. Checked every shop in town and none carried any. One guy told me our china relations were the reason, but I just bought 10# from Ballistic Products for a flintlock and it seemed reasonably priced. Makes me wonder if I shouldn’t have let my shot shell reloader go…..

Bismuth has it's place, and it definitely works great in the older guns, especially those with fixed full chokes. It's really soft and needs to have a tight choke like lead shot.

China has banned the export of Tungsten and Bismuth to the USA which has severely hurt shotshell reloaders and manufacturers. You can still get it but costs have increased as there is now a middleman in shipping and export.

Boss Shotshells built their company on bismuth and they have now abandoned it for pure copper shot, which has a lesser density than Bismuth. It's sort of in between bismuth and steel.

You can still buy bismuth shells online, doubtful you will find them locally. Rogers has a couple varieties but there are more out there if you look around: https://rogerssportinggoods.com/kent-12gauge-3inch-138oz-1450fps-bismuth-waterfowl-shells/

Thanks to all the commented. I knew you guys would know what I needed.