duck/goose hunting shotgun

J

jogforfun

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Langley BC
I am about to do my first year of water fowl hunting this year, I am thinking of trading in my pump for a o/u maybe a stoeger condor 20g? Is this a good move? should I use a different gun maybe semi?
 
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I think if this is your first year for waterfowl it would be wise to stick with a 12 gauge, especially if your pump is a 12 gauge. You can always move to a subgauge later on when you have a little more "experience" under your belt.
 
I switched from a pump to a Benneli Super Vinci 2 years ago. What a difference! This year I also sprang for a new A400 in 28g. I love both. The 28g has a tighter pattern and you can shoot it all day. The 12g (For me) has the power for in flight geese that I am not sure the A400 could come close to. Having said all of this, I am not familiar with the OU SGs,…

The most fun you will have is shopping,…and then patterning the new SG!

I would stick to the upper end brands though from experience. Benneli and Berreta have always been good to me.
 
jogforfun said:
.ok so don't go to o/u, stick to 12g. what kind of choke should I use? if i'm going for wing shots should I used a tighter choke?
Click to expand...


You must use steel shot for waterfowl. Most often, a modified choke will work best...but not always. You need to pattern your gun.


Here, easier for me to post a link because I'm too lazy to type :)

h ttp://www.chuckhawks.com/pattern_shotgun.htm
 
The trick is to get out there and practice at moving targets - ie shoot trap or skeet. I have a friend who is a waterfowling outfitter - he has got to the point where he screens his clients. From his perspective, its very discouraging to work hard at getting the birds to present to his clients, only to have them go through three boxes of shells without hitting anything.
 
Get a good 12 gauge semi auto and practice with it. Shoot some trap and skeet with it before season.

Cosmic is right about lousy shots and outfitters. I remember 1 guy that fired 150 rounds 1 morning and shot 7 ducks. No body wanted to take him out later to shoot that 8th duck in the afternoon.
 
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For a waterfowl gun:

10 or 12 gauge
3 or 3.5 inch chamber (10 only comes in 3.5)
pump or semi. (dual barrel guns are inconvenient to reload out of a blind)
synthetic stock (you will get it wet and/or muddy)
choke tubes or fixed chokes (Mod or more open)
Make sure the fit s correct.
Practice a lot at shooting moving targets, with all kinds of presentations and distances. Skeet or SC are good games for that. Trap less so.
 
As appealing as o/u's are, they are awkward in a blind ie. difficult to load in tight place . Also a waterfowl gun is going to get banged up as well. A semi wearing synthetic is the ticket imho
 
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