What shot size, speed and weight loads for ducks?

MD

MD

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I went to my local sporting goods store and bought two boxes of the Winchester 1 1/16 #2 loads that go 1550 fps on the recomendation of the guy there who is an experienced waterfowler.

I shoot a 2 3/4 inch shotgun.

I still had in my locker two boxes of Federal with one ounce loads at go 1225 fps.

I also have some Kent Fastseel 1 1/8 loads at 1440 fps in BB that I bought for snow goose .

We were out decoying widgeons in pretty stiff winds on Saturday and Sunday and even though the birds came in close, I wasn't hitting them or killing them well when I did hit 'em.

I tried both the Winchester and Federal loads. Thinking back I think the Winchester loads hit more birds.

Now I am a new waterfowler and my partners have years of experience and shoot three-inch guns using 1 1/4 ounce loads, but do you think maybe my choice of loads was poor?

My gut feeling is to not use slow one ounce loads any more. I wonder why Federal even made them.

Should I try the BB loads on ducks?

How many pellets are there in a one ounce load of #2 shot in a 2 3/4 steel shotshell .

A 1 1/16?

A 1 1/8?

Or 1 1/4?

Does it make a heckuva lot of difference?
 
My gut tells me you never patterned your shotgun.
I get awesome results sometimes too awesome (wasted meat) with 1-1/8oz reloads with steel #2's doing 1475fps. I went to some 1-1/16oz. Winchester #3's for closer decoyed birds, I had to switch from my modified tube which works great with the #2's to my somewhat on the tight side improved modified tube for the factory #3's. I also remember finding out that to get a full choke pattern at 40 yds(75%) from steel BB's I had to go to my improved cylinder choke tube.
If you have a hogged out fixed choke you will have to tough it out, finding out what your gun will pattern well, and stick to a specific load. If you have interchangable chokes you can possibley give yourelf more flexability, but who wants to changing tubes in the middle of a shoot.
But if you dont pattern you will have results like you posted.
Your hunting buddies should have shared this with you but they may also have got lucky and their guns are not too fussy either.
Good luck
 
Thanks Lefty.

I patterned the Remington 870 (yes, with a fixed modified choke) when I first got it, but with different shells than I am using now (well maybe they were the Federal one-ounce loads) and I totally agree that is what I should do with the Winchesters I think I'll be using for ducks and Faststeels for goose season when the Feb. opening comes on.

One thing I know is that the Winchester BB loads I got earlier in the season worked on snow geese and the ducks I shot with that load too.
 
If your gun is shooting a good even pattern and you are hitting the birds solidly, any of the loads you have mentioned will kill ducks that are within 40 yards.
 
I'd go with something fast when shooting steel, and just make sure to keep shots within reasonable range.
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Loads for 2 3/4

M D I have shot a fair amount of 2 3/4 inch steel ammo, and I always used number 2's Kents of course, and the gun I was shooting them out of was an Ithaca with a fixed mod barrel. I surprised myself a number of times at how well this older gun killed ducks. I have always been a firm believer that I would rather ruin some meat with larger shot than cripple birds with smaller sizes of shot. Plenty of folks out west shoot BB at late season ducks. If you can afford it you could try some Tungsten Matrix as its a real killer on ducks esp. with number 5 shot. If you are hitting but not killing them with your Win. ammo add another foot of lead when you swing on your next widgeon, cheers FS
 
Hello Faststeel.

Thanks.

I've got four boxes of Kent Faststeel in BB to shoot first
 
Shot size

I actaually spent a lot of time 15 years ago patterning my shotguns with steel shot. I counted holes till I was blue in the face and also looked carefully at distribution of holes within a 30 " circles. I did all may patterning at 30 yards as that is a good compromise for the ranges I normally shoot ducks and geese at. Sometimes longer, sometimes shorter.

After all was said and done I shoot improved cylinder in my autoloader ( gives full choke patterns with steel) and skeet/improved cylinder in my over unders (gives modified /full patterns).

I shoot 1 1/8 oz #2's for mallards. I could live with 3's when they are available.

Most important I think is that I also shoot steel for upland birds and I always try to shoot loads that are the same speed for either. When I shot lead for upland and steel for migratory my lead was always mixed up a bit as a result of different initial velocity aand varying down range velocity. Get heavy enough steel shot centered on the bird and it will work consistently and kill your birds. If I still shot trap or skeet I would use steel shot at the velocity I shoot for hunting loads.

Why make it tough for yourself?
 
listen to stocker sounds like wisdom to me
i shoot nothing but kent or federal 3" #2 in steel for all ducks with a mod choke and i smash them. i wouldn't give you much for winchester ammo my advice never buy your ammo out of the bargain bin and that is where you find winchester ammo or at least you should
 
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