Ammo choice - 12g - Geese, please advise

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1bighead

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I'm headed out Goose hunting at the end of the month and its my first time. I'd like some advice on a good load, brand of shell, and choke would be most appropriate for my 12 guage Benelli pump. We'll be hunting in fields, most likely out of blinds.

thanks lads..
 
Winchester Xpert 3.5 inch with 1&3/8 oz of #2's going 1550fps

OR

Remington Sportsman 3.5 inch with 1&3/8 oz of #2's going 1550fps

Both drop geese effectively. And, I use #2's because of my belief that you have to have some pattern density... Lots of guys shoot very heavy shot sizes, like BB & BBB or even T... There just aren't alot of pellets in those shells... I think hitting them with more pellets, even though the 2's are smaller, kills better because you gotta hit em to kill em... Oh ya, I use an Improved Cylinder choke tube.

Cheers
Jay
 
I use 3" steel BB for geese. IMHO 3.5" kills at both ends & is not necessary. #2 steel will kill them also, but I wouldn't go any lighter. I get the best pattern with BB's from a modified choke. I wouldn't recommend a tighter choke for large steel shot. Good luck on your goose hunt.
 
I have a nova as well. Currently I'm using Remington 3.5" BB, it's working great. Seems like I can reach out and make the long shots that the 3" guys can't. Call me crazy but I think the bigger the shot and the more of it you have the better your chances of making clean kills. That's why I'd use 3.5" if you can.

Good luck, there's almost nothing better than watching honkers drop into your spread.
 
3" winchester xpert or Kent through a patternmaster. The 3.5 inch obviously works as well but it kicks substantially more and costs more. Call them closer and remember to lead them more than you think.
 
Remington heavy metal #3's kills like lead out of a mod choke.Second choice for over decoys and pass shooting ducks # Black cloud snow goose loads.....you couldn't give me Kent steel ammo for free after i tried them last year.They have changed their once great factory load to junk.Read on shotgun website they changed to a different powder and wad.Bad idea.....Harold
 
2 3/4 BB Black Cloud. Cylinder choke or Skeet if you have it.

3 BBB Black Cloud. Cylinder choke or Skeet if you have it.

Geese love to fall for this stuff.
 
As with any advice threads you'll get a pretty wide range of suggestions (as seen above 3.5" BBB to #4). In my limited experience, I've found #1 to #2 steel shot to be a good choice for goose hunting over decoys. It offers good pattern density and enough penetration out to 40 yards (a sane shooting distance for most hunters over decoys).

The tungsten/bismuth loads DO kill better than steel at the limits of the effective range of a shotgun. I usually pack a few in case the geese don't decoy nicely, but these shells are extremely expensive.

My favorite load is 3" Federal black cloud #2 20gauge. Thats right, I goose hunt with a 20 gauge and don't seem to have any issues knocking them out of the sky. I use Kent #2s for my first shot and the black cloud for the second (20 gauge O/U).

#1s might be my choice in a 12 gauge, but if I can do it with an ounce of #2s, I don't think a 3.5" shell with BBB is really necessary.
 
Anything steel sucks at range. Cut a good 20 yards off of what lead could take down. I for one am a convert to the loads that are close to the density of lead. I am using ITX #2 shot and it is dropping big Canada's. Not one cripple or wounded goose this year. Compared to a standard year the average is that hunters wound or cripple as many or more than they retrieve.

Steel shot needs to be 2 sizes larger than what would be used in lead. I have butchered several geese this year that had steel shot lodged in the breast meat from years before. Steel does not hit like the more dense loads. You need more grains of shot as well as faster velocities in order to take out waterfowl. Heck, ducks even brush off steel shot.

My new shot will drop Canada's out to 70 yards on the wing. Last season using BB high velocity magnum steel loads would only reach out to about 40 yards on Canada's. Number 2 HV steel would take big ducks at almost 50 yards. Those were 3 1/2" magnum shells.

Of the standard off the shelf loads. Winchester is the WORST. I took apart several shells and they use what looks like welding slag for shot. Federal Black Cloud worked very well. Heavy Shot worked very well also. You get what you pay for so that $10 box of steel Winchester shells is going to be crap. The $50 box of 10 Kent Tungsten matrix shells will drop birds like nothing with only one shot. It all depends on how you shoot and how much you have to spend on shells. I for one can use the more expensive rounds since I do not empty the mag on every bird. One of my hunting buddies with a semi-auto Winchester 12 gauge tends to empty it when shooting. I gave him a box of 25 ITX reloads in 2 3/4". I have over half a box left and he is out. He want me to give him more of the ITX since it is like night and day between it and steel. He can have another box for sure, as long as he pays me for the shot and powder.
 
Today's factory Steel loads from T to No 4 will kill geese but you need the speed and have to pattern your gun to get the right combo for your type of hunting.
If I had to select one round it would be Kent BB in a mod or IM choke
 
I use RIO 3" BB. Mainly because my local outfitter was discontinuing the brand, and I bought a flat of it at $9 a box :D I also use the 3" #2's for duck and they work awesomely!
 
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