12Ga. shot size/velocity for ducks/geese qeustion

[ciphery]

Ok so I m new to the water fowling side of hunting. I bought a Rem 870 this spring and have been trap and skeet shooting all summer. I want to go fowling and would like to know the recommended shot loads for this purpose. I'm told that mallard,black ducks and Canada geese are the main visitors to the spot I am headed to.
I have a 3" chamber,26'' barrel and full/mod/skeet chokes.

 

[sjemac]

Oh ####. You'll get a wide variety of answers and most of it will be bad advice. Pattern your gun with different loads at different ranges. Find the range and load that best suits your gun and shoot that.

For ME, I shoot an xtra full after market choke in a Benelli SBE. Early season, I shoot #6 and #4 steel at ducks and 3.5 inch #4 and #2 at geese. I went 8 for 10 on ducks today but I do pick my shots and leave anything that's marginal. If you shoot bigger shot keep a very close eye on anything you shoot at for at least a couple hundred yards -- they have a tendency to get hit but not die until they are a ways away. Watch for birds that lock the wings and go into a hard glide down to the water/field. I had one mallard do that today and he landed 400 yds up the lake. I put the boat in and picked him up.

 

[thebaron]

I shoot 3" Kent BB out of a mod choke. One of the lads shoots 2 3/4 Kent BB out of his wingmaster. He dropped 2 birds with ease this morning. Don't listen to the guys that say 3 1/2" is a MUST.

Edit: forgot to say, this is for geese.

 

[Dogleg]

I usually use an over/under with IC in the first barrel and modified in the top.

You have to start somewhere, so modified and Kent 3" #2s is about as good a guess as any. Betcha never switch.

My 10 gauge in choked mod and mod and is feed 2s and BBs.

 

[IMagius]

Won't tell you what you should use, but for my gun, and where I hunt, I use:

2 3/4" or 3" shells in an old Maverick 88 with a Modifed Choke.

Lead Shot - #4 for Ducks, #2 for Geese
Steel Shot - #2 for Ducks, BB for Geese

I prefer 3" for Geese, and 2 3/4 for Duck - mostly due to distances being shot ... we "puddle jump" the river in a canoe for ducks, so most shots are 20 yards or less, and Geese tend to be in the bigger water or fields, so the ranges are a bit further (up to 50 yards) and need that little "extra" to be efficient.

Somethig you may want to think about if you will be hunting from a canoe instead of a fixed blind ... grab the heaviest load you expect to use, put your canoe in soem water, and take a half dozen "practice" shots to get the feel of shooting at various angles and positions ... While shotgun recoil is fairly negligable most of the time, there is an added degree of difficulty when you are twisting your body around to track a bird in the air while sittin in a narrow boat. Between being in an uncomfortable shooting position and the recoil ... well ... it's an experience best learned when your prospective dinner isn't laughing at you as it flies away

 

[Turkeyslayer 1300]

1 1/8th ounce of 1's or 3's at 1625 fps.

 

[Pudelpointer]

Won't tell you what you should use, but for my gun, and where I hunt, I use:

2 3/4" or 3" shells in an old Maverick 88 with a Modifed Choke.

Lead Shot - #4 for Ducks, #2 for Geese
Steel Shot - #2 for Ducks, BB for Geese

Why would you post this? Unless you are hunting in Venzuela, and even then....

 

[Turkeyslayer 1300]

Lead Shot - #4 for Ducks, #2 for Geese

We shoot steel for Waterfowl in the 21st century.

 

[ben hunchak]

If your using steel, I like 3" or 3 1/2" BBB for Geese and 2 3/4" or 3" #2 for ducks....

 

[IMagius]

Why would you post this? Unless you are hunting in Venzuela, and even then....

'cause I'm an old fart that grew up with lead shot, and I still reference back to it as my "baseline" in my head all the time ...