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You are shooting over decoys and using standard steel shot. What is your preferred shot size for
1. large ducks
2. geese
3. sandhill cranes

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As a general rule, I use #2s on ducks. I will switch to #3s if the wood ducks are flying good.

I use BB on geese.

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#2 and #3


Originally Posted by Bricktop
Then STFU. The rest of your statement is superflous bullshit with no real bearing on this discussion other than to massage your own ego.

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“Over decoys” means various things to different people, I’ve learned. For this discussion, my response assumes 40 yards and less.
1) #3
2) Light or dark? Light- #1or #2; dark - #1 or BB; BBB if giants.
3) BBB or T. Much prefer heavier alternatives (Tungsten) and smaller sizes on cranes (all waterfowl actually, but especially cranes.)

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Originally Posted by AKwolverine
“Over decoys” means various things to different people, I’ve learned. For this discussion, my response assumes 40 yards and less.
1) #3
2) Light or dark? Light- #1or #2; dark - #1 or BB; BBB if giants.
3) BBB or T. Much prefer heavier alternatives (Tungsten) and smaller sizes on cranes (all waterfowl actually, but especially cranes.)


I’m more of an F kind of guy with a turkey choke


Originally Posted by Bricktop
Then STFU. The rest of your statement is superflous bullshit with no real bearing on this discussion other than to massage your own ego.

Suckin' on my titties like you wanted me.
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2s for almost everything, 1s for sea ducks. Never hunted cranes but probably would start with 2s


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Lead 4s

Seriously though
Ducks bismuth 4s
Geese 2s, BB, or BBB
Cranes I've never recovered one though I’ve knocked feathers out of a couple. If I can’t have a rifle I guess same as I use for geese.

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Originally Posted by vapodog
You are shooting over decoys and using standard steel shot. What is your preferred shot size for
1. large ducks #2 steel
2. geese BB (if truly over decoys and no pass shooting or sky bustin")
3. sandhill Never hunted them but would probably go BBB and might use a 10 ga.

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I'm a baited net weir sort of guy. Doesn't wake the neighbors. saves money on ammo, dont have to pick pellets out of the meat. Ive taken a lot more ducks and geese on the sit with a .22lr pistol or rifle than I ever shot at with a shotgun. On the water, they bleed out and drown really fast from a .22 hit. 10 seconds or less, sometimes 5 seconds or less.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFY0rsfDbfE

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Originally Posted by TheKid
Lead 4s

Seriously though
Ducks bismuth 4s
Geese 2s, BB, or BBB
Cranes I've never recovered one though I’ve knocked feathers out of a couple. If I can’t have a rifle I guess same as I use for geese.


^^^^ this.

But I much prefer jumping ponds. Been doing that since I was six, it works for me. Have hunted over decoys some, too, and killed quite a few that way, but there is nothing like sneaking up on a pond and dropping a limit as they scramble to get out of there. You have to know where they are, and be able to get there without them being alerted. It’s a blast.

Last edited by OldGrayWolf; 09/26/20.
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Originally Posted by lonee
I'm a baited net weir sort of guy. Doesn't wake the neighbors. saves money on ammo, dont have to pick pellets out of the meat. Ive taken a lot more ducks and geese on the sit with a .22lr pistol or rifle than I ever shot at with a shotgun. On the water, they bleed out and drown really fast from a .22 hit. 10 seconds or less, sometimes 5 seconds or less.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFY0rsfDbfE


Ok, it's confirmed. You're a moron.

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We kill a lot of ducks in the marsh in Southwest Louisiana. Shoot mostly 12 ga 2 3/4" steel 4s and sometimes 6s on decoying ducks with improved cylinder chokes. The location we hunt has had a blind for 60 years, it's in a place ducks want to be in. Don't get to hunt geese or cranes.


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Seems just as many ducks and geese fly off using #2's or BB's.

Don't matter what you use, you gotta hit 'em good. Though I generally use #2's.

I do miss the #4 lead though. Those were awesome.


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Ducks over decoys #2s or 3s. Geese BBs. Never had a chance at sandhill cranes but we shoot tundra swans over field or floating decoys with BBs. Main thing with geese and swans especially is try to shoot to break their neck, i.e. make sure you lead them. A crane or swan can kill a dog and if you wing one they can cover a lot of distance before you catch up to them on foot or by boat. If I were shooting sandhills I would not send a dog until it was stone dead....those beaks are weapons.



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Originally Posted by prplbkrr
Seems just as many ducks and geese fly off using #2's or BB's.

Pattern density is key. As the shot size increases, the payload needs to (in general) as well (+\- a tighter choke, necessitating better shooting.)
This is why the 10 gauge saw a resurgence among waterfowlers back in the ‘80s and ‘90s with the transition to steel shot - and before the 3.5” 12 became readily available. The 10s capacity allowed for enough of the BBB and T pellets to maintain pattern density (if choked correctly) for cleanly taking big geese out to 60+ yards.

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The only bird my Lab ever dropped in the middle of a retrieve was a crippled goose that hit him across the nose with a wing. That's when force fetch training came in and on command he picked it back up and brought it to hand. Geese are hard to kill outright. I can't estimate how many of their necks I had to wring.

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I shot 3.5” 12’s at em’ usin’ steel shot for a long time and it did OK. Then I started shootin’ 3.5” 10’s at em’ usin’ steel shot...no comparison. The 10 gauge flat-out killed way better, to me, than the 12 gauge did. Especially usin’ BBB’s and T’s.


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No idea, never tried. But I'd prob use 2's

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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.

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Last edited by Oklahomahunter; 09/26/20.
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Originally Posted by antlers
I shot 3.5” 12’s at em’ usin’ steel shot for a long time and it did OK. Then I started shootin’ 3.5” 10’s at em’ usin’ steel shot...no comparison. The 10 gauge flat-out killed way better, to me, than the 12 gauge did. Especially usin’ BBB’s and T’s.


I bought a SP-10 and hunted with it for a couple seasons. I shot BBB in it. It killed them well enough but it was too heavy and handled poorly. I went back to the 12 ga and switched to Kent Tungsten Matrix loads with #1 shot. They killed them pretty well at the ranges we would shoot them. We didn't shoot until they were cupped up with feet down, coming into our set at about 25 yrds. My 12 ga handled much better than the 10 ga. I used a Franchi Alcione O/U for much of my waterfowling. It was a pain to load while in a tight blind with 3 other guys but I managed.

I remember one time when we called in a small flock of 8 birds and we put them all on the ground. Everyone picked different birds and we all got doubles. Ah, memories.

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