Most versatile size of shot for game?

I just noticed that few people answered the other part of the question - NO it doesn't matter what shot I'd recommend if 2-3/4" or 3" chamber, in fact I almost never use 3" shells anymore. 3" shells are an "advantage" that 95% of shooters cannot take advantage of at long range. They cost more, kick more, and make it more difficult to hit the target when you're dealing with too much recoil. The long shells might be a help for pass shooting big geese or cranes with big pellets, or coyotes, maybe, but for the majority of shotgunning 2-3/4" shells are fully adequate. If you can hit the birds. I kill on average just a bit better than 1 bird for 2 shells in all my waterfowling, including shots to finish cripples. I have never noticed any improvement in my shots-to-kills ratio when using 3" shells. (I normally shoot between 50 and 100 ducks and geese per season.) I certainly would never use 3" shells in the uplands.
 
One shot size? Nope, I can't do it that way and feel comfortable with it. I use a 20ga for everything but ducks, geese and turkeys. As far as that goes, I could use the 20ga for turkeys also. Ducks and geese also if I bought a gun that would shoot steel.
For ruffies in the bush, i use 20ga 2-3/4, 7/8 oz 7-1/2 or 8. For pheasants and chukars and huns I use 3" #6, for the turkeys I'd use 3" #6. I used to use 3" #4 & #2 for ducks and geese.
For turkeys I like 12ga 3" buffered #6. Nowadays for ducks, depending what gun I take, 12ga 3" #2's, 3-1/2" #2's. For geese I use 3-1/2" BB's.
Too many variables in there to really do it all with 1 shell, 1 shot size.
:)
 
I buy shells by the box in various sizes as needed. When I buy no. 6 shot though I get it by the case. except for trap loads of course that I buy by as much as I can afford. By my shot size you can tell I hunt upland birds more than waterfowl.

regards
Dan
 
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