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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,115
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,115 |
I use a 10 gauge for shooting greaters, or late season hunts where they’re a little farther out. It folds them up nice.
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 18,464
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 18,464 |
We didn't shoot until they were cupped up with feet down, coming into our set at about 25 yrds. That is always an awesome experience and never gets old. Love it. I went straight to a Browning Gold when I went to the 10. It handled very well for me, whether I was in a blind hunting a flooded rice field or layin’ in a field flat on my back camo’d up. I use a 10 gauge for shooting greaters, or late season hunts where they’re a little farther out. It folds them up nice. I concur.
Every day on this side of the ground is a win.
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 10,776
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 10,776 |
Never shot cranes. For ducks and geese I shoot 3" 12 gauge steel in the swamps and 3 1/2" 12 gauge over the big water. Always 2 shot.
Mathew 22: 37-39
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Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 4,826
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 4,826 |
12ga 3" #2 Steel for ducks, 3.5" #2s for later in the season.
12ga BB-#2 3 or 3.5" for geese.
BPS 10ga BBB for late season geese, but not so much anymore. Don't need the shoulder abuse.
Everything changes with Tungsten and/or Bismuth. 2s or 4s for geese and 4 or 5s for ducks. If you haven't looked at BOSS shotshells, I highly encourage you watch some of their vids. Killing big birds with 6s. Good stuff.
"A Republic, if you can keep it." ~ B. Franklin
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,282
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 2,282 |
Depending on early or late season, but my standard:
1.) #2
2.) BB
3.) BB - but honestly they’re fragile and don’t take much
We kill a lot of birds every year, and these are pretty standard. I’d add more pictures but the file size is too big. Ribeyes of the sky! Are they are good eating as they claim? We never got any good shots at them in our trips to ND. It always sounded like they were right on top of you, only to look up and see them 200' in the air. Kinda like swans in that regard.
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Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 9,026
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 9,026 |
Ducks, 3" 2's or 3's.
Geese, 2's. If just targeting geese, which is rare, maybe BB.
Only Sandhill I killed was with a 3" 2 shot.
I patterned some 20 GA 2 3/4 boss #5 today. Great pattern with a full choke. We'll see how they do this year.
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,947
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,947 |
#2 or #4Black Cloud or Kent Fasteel BB .
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 8,152
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 8,152 |
I became a 10ga man after a morning of duck hunting in the salt marshes with a couple of Fire members when we all lived in AK. I was shooting ducks with my SKB 100 using 2 3/4” steel 4s and doing okay. All the sudden a pair of cranes came over low and right on top of me. I gave the lead bird both barrels and knocked feathers off him both times. Last time I saw him he was gliding out over Cook Inlet never to be seen again.
I went to a buddy’s gun shop two days later and swapped a 444 Marlin for an SP10 and a half case of shells. Next trip it was a whole different game. It will reliably crush birds out at 50-60 yards if you can figure the lead. The results on decoyed ducks with huge charges of bismuth are amazing to someone who missed the lead era of waterfowling.
I still have it and probably a case of shells, about half of which are Bismuth 4s. Don’t shoot many ducks and geese anymore but it’s hell on turkeys. Was thinking yesterday I may have to dust it off and kill some sky carp this winter. It’d probably make a heck of a blocking gun for SD roosters come December too with some of those 4’s.
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,115
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,115 |
Depending on early or late season, but my standard:
1.) #2
2.) BB
3.) BB - but honestly they’re fragile and don’t take much
We kill a lot of birds every year, and these are pretty standard. I’d add more pictures but the file size is too big. Ribeyes of the sky! Are they are good eating as they claim? We never got any good shots at them in our trips to ND. It always sounded like they were right on top of you, only to look up and see them 200' in the air. Kinda like swans in that regard. I questioned it, but they really are good. Not exactly like steak, but the texture was actually quite close. They’re odd to hunt and decoy. Where we are they’re more difficult than ducks and geese. The decoys are actual taxidermied birds. They’re a blast to hunt, though.
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,115
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,115 |
I became a 10ga man after a morning of duck hunting in the salt marshes with a couple of Fire members when we all lived in AK. I was shooting ducks with my SKB 100 using 2 3/4” steel 4s and doing okay. All the sudden a pair of cranes came over low and right on top of me. I gave the lead bird both barrels and knocked feathers off him both times. Last time I saw him he was gliding out over Cook Inlet never to be seen again.
I went to a buddy’s gun shop two days later and swapped a 444 Marlin for an SP10 and a half case of shells. Next trip it was a whole different game. It will reliably crush birds out at 50-60 yards if you can figure the lead. The results on decoyed ducks with huge charges of bismuth are amazing to someone who missed the lead era of waterfowling.
I still have it and probably a case of shells, about half of which are Bismuth 4s. Don’t shoot many ducks and geese anymore but it’s hell on turkeys. Was thinking yesterday I may have to dust it off and kill some sky carp this winter. It’d probably make a heck of a blocking gun for SD roosters come December too with some of those 4’s. Mine isn’t exactly the same as your experience, but it’s pretty close. Hunting greaters one year I shot my 12 with 3.5” BB’s and had a lot of birds sailing. My wife’s uncle collected 10 gauges and let me buy one from him. I shout it the next year and absolutely folded up the birds. No comparison. I’ve let a few others shoot it while we’ve been out hunting and they all leave saying they’re going to buy one.
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,448
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,448 |
I became a 10ga man after a morning of duck hunting in the salt marshes with a couple of Fire members when we all lived in AK. I was shooting ducks with my SKB 100 using 2 3/4” steel 4s and doing okay. All the sudden a pair of cranes came over low and right on top of me. I gave the lead bird both barrels and knocked feathers off him both times. Last time I saw him he was gliding out over Cook Inlet never to be seen again.
I went to a buddy’s gun shop two days later and swapped a 444 Marlin for an SP10 and a half case of shells. Next trip it was a whole different game. It will reliably crush birds out at 50-60 yards if you can figure the lead. The results on decoyed ducks with huge charges of bismuth are amazing to someone who missed the lead era of waterfowling.
I still have it and probably a case of shells, about half of which are Bismuth 4s. Don’t shoot many ducks and geese anymore but it’s hell on turkeys. Was thinking yesterday I may have to dust it off and kill some sky carp this winter. It’d probably make a heck of a blocking gun for SD roosters come December too with some of those 4’s. I remember another morning with a side by side 16ga followed by you using my 12ga with 3.5” shells after my limit was done. That was pure comedy. To the OP: #1 - 3.5” 2’s #2 - 3.5” BB’s #3 - 3.5” BB’s if it’s a dedicated crane hunt. Usually opportunistic when I’m hunting and have killed them with everything from 4’s to BB.
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