12 gauge shells for waterfowl hunting

[VLT79]

I have shot a good number of Canada geese using an old Mossberg bolt 2 3/4" with poly choke. The key is finding the choke that gives you a nice dense pattern. You can use 3 1/2" if you want, but if the pattern has holes in it, it won't work well for you. I have had the best luck on geese with #1 steel shot.

And above is the answer!!! Shell length is a moot point. When it comes to steel...use #1 shot!!! It's hard to find but anyone who has tried it swears by it! I use Federal 2 3/4", 1 1/4 oz loads of #1 shot. About 8 years ago I bought 56 boxes of the stuff from 2 Wal-Mart stores is the Ottawa area when they "red tagged" the stuff for $9.00 a box!!! I'm gonna have to try find more cause I'm down to a little over 4 boxes now! LOL! The velocity is only 1275fps but for ducks and geese out to 50 yards it penetrates and most importantly it produces a tight pattern density with few holes for smaller ducks to "slip" thru. I use this load in everything from my old 2 3/4" Remington 870 to my Browning Gold Stalker 3 1/2".

Buy the gun you like but by all means find yourself some #1 shot and give it an honest try!

 

[Longwalker]

You will likely find that the majority of the shells that you actually shoot in a year from a "do -all" shotgun will be light 2-3/4" target loads. they work well for targets and small upland birds.
A 3-1/2" gun is a specialized waterfowl pass shooting gun, NOT a "do all" gun. There is a reason you will not find any 3-1/2" chambered "target guns" or "upland bird" guns. I believe you would handicap yourself with a too-long, too heavy gun that may not handle light loads, and most shooting situations, very well.
I do a lot of waterfowl hunting each fall, and seldom bother with 3" shells any more. As stated before by Canvasback and others, learn to hunt, and choose the right shell for the job. I like to call geese and ducks in to a good decoy spread, and have not shot much but 2-3/4" 1-1/16 oz Faststeel #1's / modified choke the last few years. The combination works well and doesn't beat you up. I don't find a need for bigger shells or larger shot, even for greater Canadas. However, our shooting is mixed bag ducks and geese. If hunting ducks only, 2's or 3's are likely a better choice.
good luck!

 

[SCHNEIDERSAUTO]

just got remington versa max . i dont intend to shoot 3.5 shells in it . it likes light trap loads . 3in is plenty for me . shot the few ducks i got this season with 2 3/4 in shells . the few geese were shot with 3in heavy shot . cheers hope new gun works out

 

[Fast-talkr]

I have been hunting ducks and geese since the mid 1970's. I own around 20 shotguns. Not one is chambered for anything more than 2 3/4".

Learn to shoot, learn to call, learn to use decoys, learn to hide effectively and learn duck and goose behavior. You won't have any problem killing ducks. It ain't the equipment, it's the hunter.

LOL That may sound contradictory when I say I have 20 shotguns but that is a completely different affliction. When I go duck or goose hunting, 9 times out of 10 it's my 870 Wingmaster chambered for 2 3/4' shells from 1980 that comes along.

^^^^^^^^^^
What he said !!!!!!
I have Browning Maxus and have as of yet to put a 3 1/2 inch shell through it.
A few years back I had a Remington 1100. 2 3/4 only gun and I can tell you that in the one season I had that gun I shot over 100 honkers and a lot of ducks to boot. If you can`t hit them with a 2 3/4 inch shell there`s a good chance that 3 or 3 1/2 inch shells are not going to do it either. Don`t let anyone tell you any different.

 

[Jay]

I recently moved to 3.5 inch shells for waterfowl. I started getting into more & more mixed bag hunts consisting of ducks & geese... I've decided to go with #2 size steel shot and I find it very effective for ducks OR geese. The benefit for the 3.5 shell is capacity, you're throwing alot of pellets from a 3.5 inch shell... The other important thing is SPEED. I shoot shells doing 1550 fps & it works!

Cheers
Jay

 

[mgcolley]

You don't need a 3.5 but if it is a gun you plan on maybe selling down the road a 3.5 camo will hold more of it's resale value and quickly sell over a 3".

Very True, this is why i bought a 870 supermag over a regular 870, not that those have any resale value anyway..

 

[finstr]

Nothing beats Hevi-shot to bring the birds down at stupid long ranges.! It's expensive but man it works sweet! I use #6 Hevi in a 2 3/4" shell and it stones em.

I bought a 3 1/2" Browning Citori last year and LOVE it. It's my 3rd Citori I've owned to date and although I rarely ever use a 3 1/2" shell there's alot to be said about resale value.

 

[gunhark]

Who buys a gun thinking to resell it? Find one that fits, practice, learn the lead for the different birds and conditions, and find the cheapest load that does the job for you. Remember: the best load for grouse is the worst load for geese, even in the hands of a skilled shooter.