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Most waterfowlers eschew 2 ¾-inch shells simply because of the limited amount of shot and charge. Three-inch shells are most common, while 3½-inch shells hold the most shot, but also generate more recoil for the hunter. Both of the larger loads deliver the best patterns when fired from a 12-gauge or 10-gauge.
What shells are best for duck hunting?
Here’s a list of 10 duck and goose loads that won’t fail you. HeviX. HeviShot HeviX. Black Cloud TSS. Federal Black Cloud TSS. Federal Speed Shok. Federal Speed Shok. Boss Bismuth. Boss Bismuth. Remington Wingmaster HD. Remington Wingmaster HD. Winchester DryLok. Winchester DryLok. Kent Tungsten-Matrix. Backridge ITX.
What size shot should I use for duck hunting?
Ideally, you want 60 or more pellets in a 30-inch circle at the range you expect to be shooting geese, and these pellets need to be large ones that carry more energy. When it comes to ducks, a good rule of thumb is 85 to 135 pellets in a 30-inch circle.
What shells do ducks use?
How to Choose the Best Duck Loads Kent TealSteel 12 ga., 3-in., 1,350 fps, 1¼ oz., No. 5 & 6 steel. Federal Black Cloud 12 ga., 3-in., 1,450 fps, 1¼ oz., No. Remington HyperSonic Steel 12 ga., 3-in., 1,700 fps, 1¼ oz., No. Hevi-Shot Speed Ball 12 ga., 3-in., 1,635 fps, 1¼ oz., No.
Is 2 or 4 shot better for duck hunting?
4 shot sizes for ducks. The general rule of thumb is to go two shot sizes smaller (meaning pellets are bigger) for waterfowl.
Can you duck hunt with 3 inch shells?
If you are only shooting ducks over decoys, you can do just fine with 3-inch loads, and probably even 2 3/4-inch. But if the ducks aren’t decoying very well, or you’re hunting geese, it’s hard to beat the added performance of super magnums, as long as you can handle the recoil. The same is true with turkey hunting.
Is 2 shot too big for ducks?
Common shot sizes used for waterfowl (from smallest to largest) are No. 4, 3, 2, 1, BB, BBB and T shot. Naturally, smaller shot sizes are best suited for ducks, while the larger shot is better for geese and swans.
How many shells should I take duck hunting?
For a pump or an automatic, that means that you can have one shell in the chamber and two in the magazine. You can have more than you can carry if you want, but most states limit the capacity of the gun to 3 or 5 shots. It is up to the state to decide their hunting laws.
Is 5 shot good for ducks?
5 steel shot pellets showed weaker penetration and made small wound channels at 35 yards, but the load still proved effective on decoying ducks. Ballistics data indicated that at about 35 yards, this load loses effective killing power on ducks. At 30 yards, a No.
Is 7 shot good for ducks?
410 — well, people are shooting turkeys at 40 yards, so you should be able to kill ducks fairly easily with 9 or 7 shot,” Compton said. If your gun patterns it well, you can expect to stretch ranges out to 45 yards.
Is 8 shot good for ducks?
If your questioning the lethality of #8 shot (or even #9) I can assure you it is quite effective on ducks. I shot it quite a bit back in the old days with great results.
Is 6 shot good for ducks?
The #6 steel with an open choke will work GREAT if you dont push then past 30-35 yards. The CONSEP study found #6 steel “lethal on all ducks to 35 yards” and you need 85-90 pellets in the 30″ circle to kill mallard size ducks. Both of my “target” loads of #6 shot meet this requirement.
Do you have to use steel shot for ducks?
With the advent of the 1991-92 season, steel shot will be required for goose and duck hunting throughout the nation. The switch to steel is being made because spent lead pellets accidentally ingested kill millions of waterfowl annually. Sometimes steel shot shells were unavailable.
What is 12-gauge BB shot?
BB Shot: 12-Gauge Ammo Shot Patterns 18 inches. It is an effective hunting load. It is primarily used for geese and large ducks. Shotgun shells loaded with BB are popular for larger game at greater distances.
Where do you aim to shoot a duck?
Aim slightly below the bird, raise the gun up into its flight path, and pull the trigger when the gun barrel blots out the bird. Or, if the duck is descending to land, aim at its feet and shoot. By the time the shot charge gets on target, the duck will have dropped into the middle of the pattern.
What size shot would you use for turkey?
Many hunters favor size 6 shot. If your gun does not pattern tightly, using 6 makes sense out to 35, maybe 40 yards. I patterned both lead 6s and heavy-shot 6s to see what really was taking place. Out to 40 yards, the 6s really threw a great pattern, providing many vital head and neck hits.
