Good morning. I tried the search function and Google to look for previous threads. Please don't shoot me if I missed this discussion already...

Go duck hunting with buddies one or two times per year. Good folks and good time generally had by all. This year, one of the guys in the blind had picked up several boxes of Rio Blue Steel 12ga with 1-3/8oz of #4's. Solely because of price. I understand that Rio is supposed to be one of the lower cost brands. However, he was knocking down ducks pretty regularly. I tried one shell and promptly knocked a duck down as well.

Currently shooting Federal blue box 12ga with 1-1/8oz of #3's. Picked up a box Fed 1-3/8oz #4's as well as a box each Rio #4's in both 1-3/8oz and 1-9/16oz to pattern in my LH SBE. Any first hand experience good or bad with Rio steel shot cartridges for duck hunting ?

I bought a couple flats each of 3" #2 and BB a few years ago for a song. I've used them the last couple years and killed ducks and geese just fine if I used an appropriate shot size and put the pattern on the front half of the bird. Personal ability trumps shell choice as no shell or pellet type will make up for not putting the pattern in the right place.

The "cheap" shells may even prove to be superior at closer ranges as less time and effort is put into polishing them to make them round. This tends to open patterns which may help some hit more birds. This same or similar concept/practice is used with many of the more expensive lines of shells except there is an advertising campaign to promote the expensive shells as being "special".

The only issues I have had, 3 cases of varying loads, 2 3/4" and 3", was improperly slit wads. These were lots loaded prior to their move to Texas and loaded in Europe.

They replaced every round with current lots and they kill ducks cleanly and efficiently.

It's what I used first time going for Woodies and got two!

Big fan of the federal red box (ultrashock). So, I compare my duckloads to those.

I shot a case of Rio's several seasons ago. They were clean burning and hit hard. Seemed to have good patterns.

I have no complaints and would shoot them again.

I don't know that they are any cheaper than Winchester experts or federal blue box? Maybe so.