This is exactly the same setup I used last season as it was first time out with my buddy who is into waterfowl hunting.
Waterfowl loads
- Thread starter Grandpamike
- Start date
This is exactly the same setup I used last season as it was first time out with my buddy who is into waterfowl hunting.
bluegrizz77
CGN Regular
- Location
- Fort Mcmurray T9K2K7
I have used everything for Alberta geese and ducks, I prefer 3” #1 steel, I will use 3”, 2 3/4 #2 for either as well depends on the cheapest and availability, never had issues with either loads, manufacturers will vary.
prairie lover
CGN Regular
- Location
- southern MB
Patterning is time well spent. Definatly pattern the bigger shot it can vary tremendously barrel to barrel. I find 2 and smaller almost always patterns well or at least acceptable. Bb not so much and bigger than bb like bbb and t shot you really gotta work at it to find some thing that works. Really hard to beat federal blue box in bb and up. Smaller than that they all do well, generally.
Bore sizes vary. Most Italian guns have smaller bore sizes than American 12 ga. Then there's browning and winchester with there overbore guns. The versamax is overbore. The small bores are notorious for liking the Kent wad, the larger bores i find really like the Federal wad in bigger shot sizes.
Don't be afraid to back off the choke with the bigger sizes. Bbb and t shot pattern best for me with an improved cylender. Federal blue box is the only bbb and t I've ever found to pattern well. Bb most or it can be made to pattern acceptable with the right choke.
Don't get caught up with speed. My favorite load for geese is 3 inch fed blue box 1.25 ounce at 1450 fps. In bb or bbb. Smaller geese 2s. 1s are great if you can get them also. These shells typically pattern very well out of my overbore guns, but these days you gotta take what you can get, without paying 2 bucks a shot.
For ducks i prefer 3s if you can find them. Really fills in the holes in the pattern vs 2s.
Bore sizes vary. Most Italian guns have smaller bore sizes than American 12 ga. Then there's browning and winchester with there overbore guns. The versamax is overbore. The small bores are notorious for liking the Kent wad, the larger bores i find really like the Federal wad in bigger shot sizes.
Don't be afraid to back off the choke with the bigger sizes. Bbb and t shot pattern best for me with an improved cylender. Federal blue box is the only bbb and t I've ever found to pattern well. Bb most or it can be made to pattern acceptable with the right choke.
Don't get caught up with speed. My favorite load for geese is 3 inch fed blue box 1.25 ounce at 1450 fps. In bb or bbb. Smaller geese 2s. 1s are great if you can get them also. These shells typically pattern very well out of my overbore guns, but these days you gotta take what you can get, without paying 2 bucks a shot.
For ducks i prefer 3s if you can find them. Really fills in the holes in the pattern vs 2s.
prairie lover
CGN Regular
- Location
- southern MB
Another thing. The Federal loads I mentioned in my guns i have never seen a 3.5 inch shell out pattern them. So whats the point to the 3.5?
I have shot lots of score and challenger 2.75 inch shells that pattern well, put just as many hits in the 30 inch circle as a typical 3 inch shell. The speed is there. Why does one need more?
I have shot lots of score and challenger 2.75 inch shells that pattern well, put just as many hits in the 30 inch circle as a typical 3 inch shell. The speed is there. Why does one need more?
Used to shoot 3.5" goose and turkey loads up until a few years ago. Made the switch to 3" for everything and never looked back. The 3" shells patterned better most of the time, with exception to the odd pattern in which 3.5 had a handful extra pellets. Not worth it for me.
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
Love the T shot in my Browning Gold 10g. Folded a handful of geese this weekend and not a single pellet to be found in any of the meat either!
My Mossberg 935 patterns T shot really good as well. That is likely due to the 10g overbore barrel.
the shock and the air is well known to kill birds without hit ... sometimes we can not explain why there is nothing in the birds ...
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
Haha. I remember the first time I shot a pigeon when I was young. I was using my father's 16g Beretta sxs. A group of birds flew by and I let off a shot. I never let off the second shot as the gun has two triggers and I forgot to switch my finger on to the second tigger. Two birds ended up dropping dead and I thought that was coolest thing. When my father cleaned the birds, he found one pellet wound in one bird and not a single thing in the second bird. He joked that the bird must have died of a heart attack.
This year I picked up a pattern master code black duck, i patterned the gun and I’m finding the 3” #3 challengers are shooting the best, next to the black clouds, with the challengers being half the price and available that’s what I will be running. But so far on paper I am very impressed with the this set up. Duck season opens here tomorrow and I’m excited to see what happens tomorrow morning. Hopefully with this set up I will see less cripples.
Weird was it a really far shot? Probably the wad hit the bird in the head.
Bluebulldog
Regular
- Location
- Constance Bay ON
I tend to do the same for geese. Only I have a set of mid, and extended range Carlson's Chokes. Later season, I may switch to BB. Otherwise it's #2 Fasteel 3"
Ducks, 3" #4 Fasteel
1963beretta
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Vaughan, Ontario
Definitely a possibility. This was a few decades ago so I cant say with certainty, but I would guess that it was about a 15-20 yard shot. I do vividly remember two birds dropping stone cold dead. It was very bizarre. My father spent the rest of his life ribbing me that birds would die of heart attacks before they would die because I shot them. I always insisted it was my accurate head shots that killed the bird and that he must have not noticed the pellet wound in the eye ball…..
Bluebulldog
Regular
- Location
- Constance Bay ON
Of course. Had a guy come into the shop last week with 3 semis...
Berretta, Benelli, and a Turknelli. All had extended long range chokes in them. ( Two were kicks, one was a trulock)......dude wanted to buy the most long range chokes we had....
( Full disclosure, I didn't make a sale, because the only "extended range" choke Carlson's makes doesn't get manufactured for Optima HP barrels. and we didn't have any chokes that would reach past where his current set up was going to pattern regardless).
However, pattern your guns folks, bust some clays in the off season...and you won't be "that guy". ...
Berretta, Benelli, and a Turknelli. All had extended long range chokes in them. ( Two were kicks, one was a trulock)......dude wanted to buy the most long range chokes we had....
( Full disclosure, I didn't make a sale, because the only "extended range" choke Carlson's makes doesn't get manufactured for Optima HP barrels. and we didn't have any chokes that would reach past where his current set up was going to pattern regardless).
However, pattern your guns folks, bust some clays in the off season...and you won't be "that guy". ...
I didn't get out for early season but I sure killed some patterning boards really well lol
Planning to pattern a bunch of steel loads in my newest sxs 12ga
I was "that guy" a few years ago until I started patterning my Kicks extended range choke and realized that it was no better than my factory mod Beretta choke. I also realized that the best patters in fast steel loads where to be had with an IC choke. I now use a Carlson IC sporting clays choke for all my goose hunting. I have also ran the gauntlet of buying expensive odd shaped shot etc. I now shoot mostly Score 3" #2 and BB. All my hunting ammo was purchased for under $20/box. To sum it up. Less is more when shooting steel and killing geese.
