Home Forums Birds & Dogs Waterfowl Loads and choke for 40+ ducks....

I grew up during the lead shot days. Early steel and our hard core thoughts of full choke were not a great combo. Over the years I've shot a bit of everything and for decoying ducks I've found that 3" Win. Supreme #2's (12ga.) and a Briley skeet tube in my Benelli SBE is about as good as it gets.

I spent yesterday watching a dozen people shoot at 40+ yd ducks in a moderate breeze. It is amazing how much shooting for so few ducks collected for the day. Lots of those ducks surely were hit, many probably fatally. My question is what are people using for passing ducks? I don't often shoot ducks that way but I'd like to know what to try if need be.

I hate to see anything shot that is not cleanly killed, I'd like to do my best-I have no doubt it gets done. I have patterened steel #2's and BB's at 40yds and it's not pretty.

This year I used Winchester Blindside, Kent Faststeel, and some Winchester X-Perts all in #2. I also used a Patternmaster long range choke in my Beretta 390. I had very few cripples no matter what the load. The Blindside stuff worked very well. I made several 40+ yard shots this year. I am going to get an extendd range tube next year for the early morning Wood Duck flight where they sometimes fly very high.

I was shooting #3 steel at 1,550 through a MOD choke, and hitting them hard, at about 50 yards.

I do mostly pass shooting with 1550 fps #2 steel through a Patternmaster Extra Long Range tube.....and same in T shot for high cranes. I had quit waterfowl hunting until I came across this combo and surprised myself how far I can kill a bird.

Kent Faststeel.. I like feet down.. I will rarely shoot at 40 yards....

Kent Faststeel #4 2-3/4" Love them feet down and bellies up!

I still shoot the same 1450fps loads, I just switch to a Briley EXR choke

We all like em feet down... we don't always get em that way...

3.5 inch 1s in either my 12 or my 10 for the bluebird days.

Not being able to choose what will happen on a given day, its also why I typically have multiple boxes with me.. from 6s to Ts at times just depending...

Pass shooting for me, 4s wont' get it done, 3s will, 2s seem a bit more impact as do 1s. I don't like BBS or larger for ducks....

Lead #4's......loaded in Bismuth marked hulls.

Now thats good. I liked lead 5s just a bit better than 4s and wasn't averse to good 6s either, having killed more than a few turkeys with 6s out to 60 steps.

I shoot Hevi Metal and Kent Fast Steel (both #2's) out of Rhino Mod choke.
I use a Rhino IC choke with Hevi Metal #4's for shooting the feet down decoying ducks (which is what I would rather shoot).
I am shooting 3" shells out of a Beretta Extrema II

3 inch. Winchester x-pert number 2's with a modified extended tube, out of a 26" barreled 870.

40-60yds, 1 3/8oz BB's @ 1300fps Briley Imp. Mod. Chokes to xtra full pattern.

I use #3's to about 40-45 yards, after that I switch to #1's.

I have tried lots of factory and handloaded #2's and just can't get a good pattern.

I used a long-range 12 gauge Pattern Master tube and 3" WIN Drylok #3's and #4's in Arkansas last week - much better performance by the #3's - next year going to emulate the local's and go to #2's (after doing some patterning).

Thanks for all the great advice. I like to shoot them with their feet down also, seldom pass shoot but I like to know what works. It looks like, as with turkey hunting, aftermarket chokes are a big plus.

Kent Fasteel 3 1/2" #2's out of a Kick's full .705 choke

Factory chokes work just fine.

Factory work fine, but they often do not give the very best.

Kind of like saying you can use a factory 308 heavy barrel for 1000 yard shooting, and sometimes you find a hummer, but typically if you want the best you have to go non factory.

Patterning is the big key, factory or aftermarket if you don't pattern you have no clue. YOu have to test ammo and or tweak reloads to get to the best and it never hurts a shot charge to run though a longer choke tube vs a shorter one.

Of course if they are all within 20 to 30 yards you could just do it all with 2.75 inch 6s and probably just leave the choke tube out...

loads and chokes go hand in hand. Not ever hand fits every glove, just like not every choke work well with every shell. Rost495 is right you have to pattern some to see what does and does not work.