best general purpose STEEL shot-size for combo of big & small ducks?

[bigsky_hunter]

3” #3’s over a modified choke. Mallards over decoys to pass shooting teals. Keep it consistent regardless of what you shoot and you’ll figure out leads/distance.

 

[TheGDog]

You'd want to be prepared for, the longest range shot you feel would be likely to happen.

You can always just load up with the beefier shot size, and then if a smaller species presents closer by.... you can do what I sometimes have to do like when shooting doves coming in to perch near my dekes, and that is try to aim more towards head/frt shoulder region specifically. So if you're rolling with Modified Choke, and the shot is a little too up-close-and-personal, it becomes more important to remember to try for headshot-ish placement to avoid too much shredding of the usable meat.

So if there's chance of larger harder to kill species, I'd say go for the bigger shot size just in case, no?

 

[WCB]

Not sure why guys thing a #4 is "too small" for geese. I shoot #4s all the time and see no issue with them. Most guys not killing geese isn't due to shot size it is due to shitty shooting plain and simple.

 

[CorbLand]

I like 4 shot for just ducks. Shoot 2 shot for geese and ducks. Throw in the BB when it is late season geese. Once I have shot through all my 4 shot, I will probably just buy 2 shot for everything.

 

[Jim1187]

When I do use a 12 gauge I shoot mostly 2¾" loads of 1⅛ ounce usually 2 or 3 shot at around 1400-1500fps. If shots aren't going to be beyond 40 yards 3s fill in the pattern.

 

[Kurts86]

#2 and #3 steel is my go to for ducks.

 

[S.Clancy]

It's #2 shot. Enough BBs for a decent pattern and has the penetration to kill reliably out to 50 yds at the velocities of modern steel (you can look this up).

 

[Ucsdryder]

Shot federal 3.5” #1s for everything for a long time, from ducks to specks.

 

[Snowhunter11]

#2 for large ducks
#3 or 4 for smaller ducks
BB in 3.5” for geese


I now shoot #4 bismuth when possible as it kills most flying things “more better” !

 

[flathead#2]

+1 on the Bismuth

 

[steelheadmike]

3" #2 1.25oz Federal Blue box. Been shooting that load for all ducks for over 20yrs. It simply kills ducks. I just wish I could get it for $10/box like I could 20 years ago.

 

[OneGunTex]

Just buy a couple boxes and pattern your gun.
Pick whatever shell/choke combo looks best to you.
You'll probably never use a full choke again.
Personally, my testing made me switch to Boss bismuth #5s. Most cost-effective pellet density, believe it or not.

Still shoot steel 6 for teal and steel B for geese. Never more than Mod choke

 

[Huntin_GI]

Both Kent and Migra are offer stacked loads of 2x4 meaning half 2 shot and half 4 shot in the same round. Haven't shot them yet but seems like best of both worlds.

 

[OneGunTex]

Both Kent and Migra are offer stacked loads of 2x4 meaning half 2 shot and half 4 shot in the same round. Haven't shot them yet but seems like best of both worlds.

Possibly, but I've seen numerous examples where stacked loads pattern poorly. I tried a stacked bismuth/steel load and it patterned worse than all-steel or all-bismuth

 

[Ron.C]

I think it really depends on how far you expect to shoot and how well you actually shoot.

I use cheap Winchester 3", #3 1 1/4oz steel with mod choke. I hunt salt water estuary typically from a layout from early Oct to end Jan. The majority of birds are widgeon, teal and mallard. Get some pintail, spooners and the odd ringneck as the season progresses


I hunt over decoys and keep my shots to 30 yards or less.

 

[OneGunTex]

I use cheap Winchester 3", #3 1 1/4oz steel with mod choke

In my tests, cheap steel was the best density-per-dollar, beating out all the fancy loads with one exception - Only thing that topped it was bismuth because you get to go to a smaller shot size

 

[GRR95]

Surprised I didnt find 7 different threads on the topic. For you guys who waterfowl hunt a lot, what is your favorite 12ga steel shot size for general purpose waterfowl use? This is mostly fairly open marsh, and a 50:50 mixture of small ducks (teal and wood ducks) and bigger ducks (mallards, blacks, etc) and only very rarely geese. While I'd like to think all shots will be close, cupped-wings, floating in the air as they commit to my decoys...the reality is some shots will be less than perfect like that. Not skybusting by any stretch, but with my decoy and calling skills resembling that of a chimpanzee, "getting them close and shooting them in the face" is perhaps more aspiration than reality.... Are steel 2's too big for the small ducks? Are steel 4's too small for the big ducks? Are 3's the perfect answer? Does it actually matter?
Any experience, advice or snide remarks are welcomed. Thanks in advance.

Pic for entertainment.

View attachment 778220

I lived in North Dakota for 5 years and water fowled every day possible. In my experience, Federal 2s for everything from geese to teal. Usually you can buy a case for a bit cheaper than individual boxesand shooting the same shot for everything you never have to worry about bringing different boxes for different birds.

 

[johnnycake]

Both Kent and Migra are offer stacked loads of 2x4 meaning half 2 shot and half 4 shot in the same round. Haven't shot them yet but seems like best of both worlds.

I've used the Migra stacked 2/4 for the last few seasons and have had great results. Everything from bufflehead to cranes.

 

[ELKMO]

#3’s for all duck hunting. Read a lethality study years ago on duck cadavers and #3’s came out on top. Used #2’s for along time prior to that and after the switch to 3’s the results were obvious. I think my 870 with 2’s and the load had gaps in the pattern.

Looking up the birds are closer than most estimate, verified with a rangefinder on flying birds and I was off 20 yards on higher geese. Try it sometime, its a eye opening.

 

[RockAndSage]

OP, it's hard to overstate the importance of patterning - it's like zeroing your rifle. And just like zeroing rifles, you can take "identical" guns in make/model/cartridge, etc, and each of them my do better with a different load. Anything from #1s, #2s, and #3s in steel will work well as an all-around shot size, depending on the type of shooting/hunt scenarios you're doing. If it's fast and close, go smaller size, longer distance and less pass shooting, go with bigger. But they'd all work all-around.

There's two ways you can approach finding a great load for you, with whatever shot size you choose: Either buy the "ideal" ammo in case-lot quantity and then tune your gun by gathering a collection of chokes...or you can buy one box each of ten different loads and just see what shoots best in your gun.

When you pattern, what you're looking for is the densest, most evenly spread pattern of shot within your ideal diameter at your most common or preferred range.