Home Forums Birds & Dogs Waterfowl What is your standard duck shotgun/load ?

What do you use as your every day duck shotgun, load and choke? Do you use something different to hunt in different spots (such as flooded woods vs. fields)? Let's hear it.

RS

Puddle ducks over decoys #4 IC or LMod
Puddle ducks jump shooting #4 LMod
Divers #4 first shot #2 after LMod
Sea Ducks #2 LMod

The gun 99% of the time Benelli M1 Super 90.

So if I had to pick one shot size and one choke for all I would go #4 with LMod.

Most always Kent Fasteel #3 out of a Remmy SPR453 with a Kicks Mod

An ounce of #2 Nice Shot for decoyed geese, 7/8 ounce of #4 Nice Shot for decoyed puddle ducks, both at 1250 fps. All out of LC Smith Longrange double, extra full chokes both barrels. (The dense patterns are what allow me to put sufficient pellets into the birds with those light loads.)

Remember, the market gunners of 100 years ago decimated the flyways with an ounce of lead.

1 to 1-1/8 oz is all you need. Anymore specially in Steel is only compromising your pattern.

I didn't add goose loads as he only said ducks. But #2 has always worked for me on them. Besides decoyed geese beg to be shot in the face!

12ga:

Beretta 390/391 w/MC barrels, #3 & #4 Federal Ultra-Shok 1 1/4oz thru a IC/LM/Mod choke

20ga:

Beretta 390 IC/LM & #3 & #4 Federal Ultra-Shok 1oz

My favorite is an 870 12 gauge with an extended modified tube.
Used federal speed shoks this year. 1 1/8 oz at 1550 fps as what is advertised in number 2 shot for ducks and decoying geese, but also use bb's. All 3".

Original 1987 Rem. 1187, 2 3/4", #4 or #2 IC over duck tollers. 3" BBB for pass shooting geese and #1 over goose tollers. MTG

Get my best patterns through a PatternMaster LR tube in a Benelli M2 12 gauge with 3", 1-1/4 oz. steel shot loads running 1500 to 1525 fps. I shoot #3 or #2 shot for ducks (decoy or pass shooting). I use Kent Fasteel or Winchester Super-X Drylok - both offer very similar loads.

90% of the time I'm shooting my SBE I with Briley LM choke with handloads.......1oz of #3's at 1600fps. It's hell on both decoying ducks and geese.

The other 10% I carry either my 20ga or 28ga. The 20ga is a Benelli M1 again with Briley LM choke. I run factory Winchester DryLok 1oz or 7/8oz #3's.

I just got the 28ga. It's a Benelli as well. I was using factory chokes with 3/4oz Hevi-shot 7.5's handloads. I only used it on a couple of hunts this year, but dang did it stone some ducks. Going to try some Trulock chokes in it to open up my pattern a little. Have a feeling I'm going to carry this gun more often after the results I had.

I shoot Black Cloud #4 2 3/4" and occ 3" through a Mod choke in my BPS. I picked up a Full choke recently that I am looking forward to trying out this coming Fall. Most of my shots are fairly close range as I jump shoot over irrigation ditches mostly. Am going give the BC Close Range shells a try as well.

We have had excellent results with Federal "Shok" loads (in the red/orange boxes).

For ducks, #2 steel preferably in 2.75 inch.
For geese, BB steel in 3 inch, but have been going back to 2.75 for less recoil.

We shoot a variety of shotguns, including Ithaca 37, Rem 870, Mossy 835, and Browning Gold, all with Carlsons extended tubes.

Ducks: 3" Kent Fasteel 1 3/8 oz #4, angle port LtMod or IC choke, Super 90.

Beretta extrema II with a light mod. comp-n-choke
Shooting Federal premium 3" #3.

Early season ducks: 3" #3. Patternmaster choke

Late season ducks/divers 3.5". #1. Pattern master

Geese 3.5" BB or BBB. Patternmaster


Guns. Are a Benelli SBEll. And Beretta Extrema2

Over decoys I like 2 3/4 7 1/2's and 6 Hevi-shot, I'm starting to run out of those shells, when I do, Hevi-Metal 3" 2's. For longer shooting I like 3 1/2" Hevi-Metal or Black Cloud 2's.

20 ga O/U (old 101) 3" Fed 1's. Works well for both ducks and geese over dekes.

Dober

Sandman-I'm a bit out of the loop on shotguns but I didn't even know that Benelli is making a 28. Auto I assume?

I love my old M1/90 Benelli with a 24" tube in 12 I have to get to looking to see what they're making for a 28.

Thx
Dober

http://www.benelliusa.com/shotguns/benelli-ultra-light.php

Is this the one?

Thx
Dober

1 1/4 oz Federal Blue Box #4s (hard to beat $100/case shipped) through a Carlsons mod in both of my duck guns

I shoot an old Model 12 Win 12 ga. with a Hastings VR barrel and mod screw-in choke. Faststeel 2-3/4" 1-1/16 oz. #3 if only shooting ducks, and the same loads in 2's or 1's if as usual we are field shooting over decoys for mixed ducks and snows, specs, and Canadas and even cranes.

#4 Black Cloud in 12 BPS with a Mod Choke. Have tried some of the others but for some reason this is the stuff my gun likes.
Occ I'll shoot Hevi Shot, it patterns just as well as BC but price wise......I save the HS for really special hunts.

I don't have a "standard" load....a lot depends on where/what I'm hunting, and what shotgun I'm hunting it with.
My main gun is a Remington 870 express, and if the quarry is ducks over decoys, then my "standard" load is 1 oz of #3 steel at 1450-1500fps (handload). I've dropped a lot of ducks with this load since I've started using it, and I use it probably 85-90% of the time.
If I am using my older shotguns (Mossberg 500, Remington 1100) or my Remington O/U, then I'm usually shooting 1 1/8-1 1/4oz of #5 bismuth (ducks) or 1 3/8-1 1/2oz of #2-BB bismuth handloads (geese).
If I'm hunting geese exclusively, I'll use either factory Federal tungsten iron (3") or handloads of 1 3/8oz #2 hevishot handloads.
In my 16 gauge shotguns (Remington model 11, Ithica M37), then it's 1 oz t0 1 1/8 oz bismuth #5 or #6 shot (handloads).

in my 20 I've used either Federal Premium 2 3/4" 4's or Fassteel3" #2's. If I'm using hand loads I like a 2 3/4" Cheddite hull, a BPI-TC20 wad and 22 grains of Longshot behind a 1oz load of Nice Shot
In my Westley Richards it's 85-90 grains of FFG and 1oz of Nice Shot, which is my favourite waterfowl load.
I also use 7/8oz of lead and 30 grains of H110 in my 28 gauge .
Cat

Lefthand Benelli and Kent Steel #3 or #4.

CastnBlast, I had forgotten about those Hastings barrels for Model 12s. Going to keep my eye out for one of those. Love using that rig as much as I can.

No love for Estates??

That's all I use unless I have some randoms that get brought along.

#3 - 3"
#2 -2-3/4 or 3"

IC - Benelli M1S90

hevi shot long range and boss shot shells 20 gauge 3” 1.25 #4

An Auto 5 Mag 12 Stalker and any fast steel load of 1s to 4s does everything to any range I need. Sometimes my Sweet 16 with 3s/4s, and a BGH 20ga with 3/4 steel or #4 bismuth. Other than being lighter, most newer shotguns only offer me drawbacks....for all around waterfowling. Any old auto 5 has outperformed every iteration of spaghetti gun I’ve owned, used, or been near....for the last 40 years. Not likely to change now.

Model 37, 12 ga., fixed modified, 2-3/4" #2 or 3 Fasteel.

Been shooting my M2 with 3" Fiocchi High Velocity (Warlocks) 1 1/5oz #1s for everything. We shoot a mixed bag of puddlers, divers and Canada geese. I hate guessing or swapping shells. That load patterns great for me and works like a champ for everything.

Benelli M1 Super 90 28" barrel, 3" 1-1/8 #2's Kills ducks and geese just fine.

Benelli M2 20 Ga 3” 1oz Kent bismuth 3’s and 4’s IM choke this year. Mostly 3’s and 4’s steel in a modified or IC choke prior to this year.

SBE 1 LH and Pure Gold Mod choke. Winchester Xperts 1 1/8 oz #3's. Worked for many many years........

Benelli Super Vinci with blindside 3" shells, #3 shot.

Hey!!!! See someone has tacked on another year...You are catching up

Happy B-Day!!!!

16 gauge model 97 with 1 ounce nice shot when puddle jumping.

Yeah the big 5 0! Thanks buddy

happy birthday MCH hope you have a lot more of them

Thank you

Damn!!!

Haha thank you

Decoyed Ducks:

3-inch Mag HEVI-Shot #3s (1-1/4 load) at 1,500 fps.
Choke: PatternMaster Anaconda Midrange.
Gun: Mossberg Ulti-Mag backbored w/28-inch barrel.

Old Remington 11-87 in Mossy oak bottomland pattern shooting federal speed shok 3" 1500 fps 1 1/8 oz 2's for most everything, until late December and January, then I switch to BB's for Geese. Factory extended modified tube, blue loctited in.

Ducks in the decoys. Kent steel #3 with a skeet 2 choke.

That will kill em all day everyday! Provided we do our part.

Super Black Eagle 1 and #3 expert Winchester 1 1/8 oz!

a 400

that was fun ll bet

Fed blue box 4's +90% of the time. I will switch to 6's for teal specific hunts over decoys and nudge up to 3's or 2's chasing divers out of the sculler.

Old rossi side by side mod an full. 3 in copper coated 6is for everything

I always find these discussions interesting. I shot ducks in CA for 49 seasons, and over the last 30 years, pretty much all I shot were 2 3/4” 4’s. I sold my duck club 3 years ago and started duck hunting in Idaho on a club that only allows small gauge guns. Now, when shooting 20 gauges we mostly shoot 2 3/4” Federal blue box 4’s. When shooting 28 gauges (which is mostly what we hunt with) Hevi X 4’s. Hevi X is a great waterfowl shell.

After doing all my duck hunting with 28 & 20 gauges the last 3 years, I don’t really care to use a 12 gauge any longer.

I just got a couple of cases of the light 2 3/4" load from boss. Cant wait to give them a try on waterfowl and pheasant this fall. I prefer old double guns but i bought 3 model 12 featherweights im going to set up for different scenarios from quail to geese.

Husqvarna 51 7/8oz ITX 6's and 1oz Bismuth 5's

Beretta 390 (Walmart version) 12 gauge, shooting 3” #2 Winchester Blindsides. I switch to #3s or 4s if the birds are decoying well. Choke is a Patternmaster short range or long range, depending upon conditions.

SBE2 with factory mod choke (I tried some premium chokes and the factory choke worked best)
Boss 2 3/4” #4 ducks
Boss 3” #2 for geese

Great pictures

Beretta Extrema 2 with 3" Hevi Metal #2 or Black Cloud #2. Can't do the 3.5" after two shoulder surgeries

With age came the returns to 20ga more often than 12 ga. Have some nice older sxs's or an older wingmaster.

Even with good shoulders there is ZERO need for 3.5"! But I have to say the gun company's have done well with it. After all you need to sell guns to stay in business.

I have thought that 3.5" were not needed for a long time. Back in the day when you could shoot lead, I killed more than a few ducks with 2 3/4" lead #5 Baby Mags. I tried 3.5" one time and said no thank you. If you can't work the ducks into a decent range, let them go.

TRUTH

In the old days early season it was allways 1330 fps 1 1/4oz of 5's with a 2 3/4" 1 1/2 oz of 4's in the end of the mag. After the northern mallards showed up I'd use 1 3/8 oz of copper plated 4's at 1375. Big learning curve on steel but it works. Mostly Kent Fasteel 1 1/16 oz #3's for ducks and 1 1/4 oz 3" 1-BB's on geese. Shot hevi, tungsten polymer and bismuth but they are spendy. Mb

I've gone boss 2 3/4" 5's copper plated bismuth out of the 20 GA.

I might sell all them 12 ga's. 😀

Remington or Federal 3.5” #2 out of a Briley Improved Modified choke.

Belgium Browning A5 magnum with bismuth 2's. This is the shotgun I grew up using for for everything, ducks geese,doves,quail,rabbits etc. Shoots where I point it and Kills well

Browning BSS 30in bbls opened to IC/MOD. Favorite load is bismuth 2 3/4in with 1 1/4oz #4 at 1220. They called this a Sporting Game load but ducks just hate it. Running low on these now so I’ll soon shift to #5 in the same load. Got lots of those. Bismuth #2 is deadly for me on geese These are hard to find loads as most guys want higher velocities, so that’s what gets produced. I may have to load my own one day. To be fair, I ‘d do as well with steel 2’s in an auto, but these are fine for me.

Duck hunting 60 day season in Iowa first 20 days 4 shot second 20 days 3 shot last 20 days of season 2 shot.
Why early season most ducks are smaller teal,woodducks, middle season Gadwalls Widgen Bluebill, late season mostly Mallards.
Match the shot size for the majority of the Ducks you are shooting.

I bought my 2 3/4" Browning A5 new back in 1978 and on ducks it / I have always liked #3 steel fired through a Carlson's LM stainless extended choke.

On the two hunts we've been on so far this season my buddy and I did pretty good......we're going again this coming Thurs. or Friday morning.

Gun: something in 12 ga 95% of the time, 10 ga 4%, 16 or 20 the remainder.

12 ga: over water- Modified. Field IC and/or Light Mod as birds are close and these chokes pattern larger goose shot well.

10 ga: Mod. Gives the best long range patterns in my gun.

16 & 20: Mod. It's the choke I have found to work best in these two.

12 ga :

1 1/4 oz of #2 steel. No particular brand though generally stay away from the lowest quality. This is my over water preference.

Field hunting: 1 oz #3 steel handloads ( 2 3/4") or whatever #4, 3, or 2 factory loads I won't use over water.

10 ga:

Factory #1 steel, 1 5/8 factory. Really reaches out and touches ducks. Good goose load too.

20 & 16 gas:

Prefer something other than steel but get by with factory #2 for the 16 ga and 3" # 2 or 3 in the 20. Have shot a lot of #5 tungsten/poly in the 16 and a fair bit of #4 bismuth in both.

Velocity in the 12 and 10 ga loads run in the 1350-1450 fps range whether factory or handload. 16 and 20 factory steel ~1300 fps, factory bismuth and tungsten/poly ~1250 fps.

Kent fasteel 2 3/4” # 2 shot. Occasionally will load a 3” BB first if there are geese mixed in.
Winchester SX3 3 1/2” chamber for all steel, just in case you run out of shells and gotta borrow your friends.
Always be prepared to shoot your buddies shells!

Hevi metal 12ga 3” #3 for early season does great work on anything from green wings to mallards , I switch to #2 for later season birds plus its a great option for when you can shoot ducks or Canadas

2/3/4 steel at decent velocity will kill any duck that 98% of folks have any business shooting at….,in a 2-3/4” or 3”, 12/16/20ga.
Unlike rifles, patterns mean far more than pellet size/shell length, when coming to the pill in the vitals component. I’ve found I’m no better or worse, using any combo just mentioned, when choked/patterned properly, and I do my part.

#2s will also kill geese just fine to 40 yards and more. It’s all the guides provide when I go to Saskatchewan. The geese get piled up.

For 90% of my hunting, I prefer 3s or even 4s, and I often pick 1s over 2s, just because they seem to pattern better in my 12s….not because the size is any benefit. 3.5” ruins a LOT of good duck holes. JMO

12 ga. #2 steel, don't mess with 3.5", I can get teal and Canadas in the same place at the same time.

You guys are killing me. All I shot last season was a 28 gauge Beretta A400 with Hevi-X 4’s. That’s pretty much all we shoot, and nearly all our ducks are mallards. Heck, I even used the 28 while hunting honkers and doubled with it from a decent sized flock. Haven’t hunted ducks with a 12 gauge in 5 seasons and haven’t missed it a bit.

Too many shotguns to list. Last year did well on Mallards with 12 gauge Federal 3" #1 shot @ 1550 FPS.

Realistically? Any good, decent speed #1-4 steel and up to #5 or 6 bismuth, if I have it handy. 12, 16, 20ga…. Doesn’t really matter. If you hit them, they die. It’s far more about more pellets in the duck, than which pellet in the duck. I used to obsess more.

Using boss shells good stuff.

All in marsh over open water:

12 gauge beretta 391 with factory modified choke -3” 1-1/4oz #2 steel

12 gauge beretta 690 field o/u with factory imp and mod chokes - 2-3/4” 1-1/8oz #3 steel

10 gauge browning bps with factory improved cylinder - 3-1/2” 1-3/4oz #4 bismuth

1977 Remington 870, 28" Imp Mod with 2-3/4" 1-1/8 oz #3 @ 1479fps.

Not much of a duck hunter but i get after them a few times a year. Might try out the 1959 Winchester model 12 heavy duck i just bought

I don't really have a standard I could be shooting a 28ga one day and the next 12ga 3 1/2" it just depends. But I do have a favorite general purpose duck load. That being Kent 12ga 3" 1 1/8 oz #6 steel at 1560 fps. From doves to mallards it has worked fine as far as I can tell.

I have 5 870 wingmasters, 12ga and 20ga. In timber I use the 20s with modified choke and usually Winchester 3inch number 2s. For hunting fields I usually use a 12ga with modified choke and number 2s. I've owned every type benelli, Winchester sx2,3,4 and several others but always return to an 870. They always work for me.

Versamax, 3" #3s

LH SBE1. Carlson 0.705" flush mount choke. Rio #4's. Nothing fancy. Works for me...

For the last 20 years I’ve shot 2 3/4” 12 ga, 1-1/8 or 1-1/4oz bismuth. I only shoot at geese if they happen to fly low over me while I’m duck hunting.

90% of the time I either use a 1911 AH Fox Pin gun or a 1924 Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga.

Obviously a man of good taste. 😁 My Fox 12 is a 1911 A Grade. My Sterlingworth is a 1922 16ga. Both are short chambered so I use 2 1/2 in shells,usually with 7/8 to 1oz. I’ve shot a few limits of mallards and one unlucky goose with an ounce of Nice Shot in the 12.