Shot size for large ducks - geese & Choke used.

[12-34hom]

For those here who hunt waterfowl; What is your prefered shot size on large ducks such as mallards, and or geese, snows - blues - canadian.

Most of my shooting consists of pass shooting - i have shot over decoys but not very often as of late.

My gun of choice is a 12 guage Berreta AL 390 "Silver Mallard". One of the finest scatterguns i've ever had the pleasure to shoot and own.

I've boiled my choice down too 3 inch mag # 2 steel - out of an Improved cylinder for all ducks and geese.

Thanks for any replies or input you might have.

12-34hom.

 

[HSMITH]

IF you are using high velocity loadings you have a good solid 30-35 yard gun.

PLEASE don't pick a choke out of the case and go use it! You owe it to yourself and also the birds to go shoot some patterns with ALL of the chokes you own and see which one works the best with the ammo you bought. Buy a couple loads too to see what works best. The results on a pattern board are not going to lie, and they will probably surprise you. At least make sure you are not going out with a wounding patchy pattern.

I shot a lot of ducks and BIG canada geese with 3" #2's in a HV loading with a Full choke, and that got me a real hot pattern center and a good solid 40 yard gun on ducks. #2 is too small to shoot geese beyond 35 yards for sure though.

Now I shoot 3.5" high velocity #2's on ducks and BBB on geese with a Full choke. The patterns are NASTY hot in the center 20" at 40 yards and birds are killed GYD at 50 easily.

I learned the truth about steel through a lot of hard earned experience: it takes BIG pellets to kill birds efficiently, and it takes SEVERAL of them. Figure that you are going to NEED three #2 pellets on a mallard to bring it down, and that is the bare minimum. You need 6 to assure a clean fast kill. Geese are a lot tougher and bigger than ducks.....

 

[SteelyDan]

I agree that patterning is important, and easy too, but it won't tell you the whole story; namely, how long a "string" you're shooting. You need to think three-dimensionally, and the only way to learn how well a given combination works is to try it out in the field.

As for ducks vs. geese, well, it's like they're different species or something. The geese really do call for bigger shot, especially now that (I think) we all can't use lead anymore. Assuming you're shooting steel shot, I really wouldn't recommend anything less than BB for geese, for the kind of shooting you're describing. If you want to pay for the tungsten or bismuth rounds, the 2-shot might be acceptable but I'd still prefer the BBs.

For ducks, I'll use 2- or 4- shot, even with steel.

 

[dakotasin]

if i am going after geese, i use 3.5" 12 ga, bbb thru a mod choke.

if it is a mixed-bag hunt for ducks and geese, 3.5" bb thru a mod choke.

if it is mostly duck, and maybe a goose, then it is 3.5" dueces thru a mod choke.

i've tried other choke sizes w/ all the above loads, but can't beat mod thru my gun... a little irritating as i must have a couple hundred bucks into choke tubes - between all the tubes remington offers, and some of the custom tubes... oh well... at least i need not be concerned about changing 'em out...

 

[Kingcreek]

I have gone to almost all hevishot for waterfowl.
3" #2 for geese
3" #4 for ducks, #6 if the decoys are sucking them in
usually in a mod choke

 

[rock jock]

#2 for large ducks
#BBB for geese

Choke - modified