Which one?

C

Chevyman2018

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Ok so new to hunting in SW ON
I've found ammo by the case for what I think is a decent price but not sure which to buy. It would be for geese and duck

I'm looking at

Challenger Super Magnum 12 Gauge 1-3/8oz. 3 inch #2 Shot 250rd​

$260
Or

Challenger Super Magnum 12 Gauge 1-1/4oz. 3 inch #2 Shot 250rd​

$240

They are $20 difference with the 1-3/8oz being more. Which one am I better off buying as a first time waterfowl/goose hunter? Will that extra weight in the load make that much difference?
 
You'd be better served buying a box from several makers in various sizes and pattern them in your gun. Blindly buying a flat of shells that may or may not pattern well is the first step to wasted money
The weight difference isn't much to be worried about its pattern density that matters. Inside 30 yards almost any steel #4 or larger will work even for geese.
Challenger makes some very accurate slugs but I've never found their steel water fowl loads to pattern particularly well in any of my guns.

For the record most of my waterfowling with steel shot is 2.75" loads in 12ga.
3" I use in my 20ga cuz there's alot less choice of loads locally.
 
Brybenn is correct, pattern density matters.
I may be going against the grain here but I'd recommend going with the 3". No doubt 2 3/4" will kill geese that are close enough but as a new hunter, accurately judging that distance and getting geese in close takes time and experience.
I've never really felt a big difference in recoil and unless you are shooting a significant volume (which again, as a new hunter, is unlikely) I don't think your shoulder will know the difference at the end of the day.
 
12g 3" 1 1/8 oz 1s or 2s were my preferred goose load.
3s for big ducks and 4s for early season teal/wood ducks.
I think I would use 2s for a mixed bag hunt.
 
You’re good to go. What you have mentioned is exactly what I use. The 3” 1 1/4 oz. #2 is my main shell for geese.
 
So what type of shotgun do you plan on using ? This could make a differences on the recoil.
As for 2-3/4" shells, I have been very successful for geese and ducks. Just have to know your distance.
 
DFarmer said:
Something you should also consider, is the speed of the shell.
The 1550 feet per second shells will provide more punch than the 1300 fps shells .
Click to expand...
With steel shot not as much as you'd think. The faster steel looses more velocity faster. By 40 yards both loads are much closer in velocity. Using wet magazines as a medium the faster shot didn't really out penetrate the slower shot. I've found slightly better patterns with the Kent fast steel 1300fps over the 1550fps fast steel in a large number of guns. Both loads work and I use both depending on what's available and cheaper locally. Often harder to find the slower stuff but it is generally cheaper
With heavier non toxic metals the speed does slow noticable advantages on impact. Much more so over steel. I generally shoot bismuth now as I use older sxs guns often
 
OP is perhaps presuming that the entire 1 1/4 ounce or 1 3/8 load of shot is entering into the target bird - not so - I think in old days patterning - 70% of the shot fired went into a 30" diameter circle at 40 yards - that was considered "full" choke. Then, as mentioned above - pattern density - is that shot spread evenly across the 30" diameter? So, depending on your gun - you would have to pattern to know - not anywhere near all the shot cloud is going to land in that 30" diameter zone - then your target bird - from looking at a number of dead ones over the years - not uncommon to see they were hit by 5 or 6 pellets, out of the hundreds that were sent. Imagine that your shot is flying like a cloud - maybe 10 feet from front to back pellets - spreading out as distance increases - and then you will place that cloud so that the bird can fly in it - resulting in a dead bird - a REALLY close shot - 10 yards - might end up with 40 or 50 pellets into the bird - but is not a "normal" result of a shot - is not "normally" what dead birds look like.
 
As Brybenn has stated. I don’t think you can go wrong with the Kent fast steel but like he advised the slower load patterned better in my gun as well. When I guided I used three inch number 1s in my Wiin SX3
 
Potashminer said:
OP is perhaps presuming that the entire 1 1/4 ounce or 1 3/8 load of shot is entering into the target bird - not so - I think in old days patterning - 70% of the shot fired went into a 30" diameter circle at 40 yards - that was considered "full" choke. Then, as mentioned above - pattern density - is that shot spread evenly across the 30" diameter? So, depending on your gun - you would have to pattern to know - not anywhere near all the shot cloud is going to land in that 30" diameter zone - then your target bird - from looking at a number of dead ones over the years - not uncommon to see they were hit by 5 or 6 pellets, out of the hundreds that were sent. Imagine that your shot is flying like a cloud - maybe 10 feet from front to back pellets - spreading out as distance increases - and then you will place that cloud so that the bird can fly in it - resulting in a dead bird - a REALLY close shot - 10 yards - might end up with 40 or 50 pellets into the bird - but is not a "normal" result of a shot - is not "normally" what dead birds look like.
Click to expand...
oh im not expecting the entire load to enter the target bird. I know they spread out. It was more a whats a better choice for the application I am going for. Like is there going to be a major difference in recoil or effectiveness between the two. As for patterning to see the best for my shotgun the previous owner had said he liked the challenger for pattern. I have yet to be able to get out and pattern them. I now have a few different boxes that I picked up on sale to hopefully hit a range to see which ones pattern better.
 
I use Federall 3" steel T shot on geese and Challenger #1 3" steel shot on ducks. These in a layout blind in a grain field. 1 of 14 opinions.
 
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