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View Full Version : What size shot for Duck Hunting



o2fish2day
10-14-2007, 09:08 PM
Well I am now trying duck hunting however it seems I can't hit anything. I am using #2 size steel shot in 2/34 shells. Can you tell me if this is the right stuff. The shot doesn't even seem to phase the ducks - even at close range.

Also tips on leading the shot would help.

fuzzwilkens
10-15-2007, 12:03 AM
you might want to post in the waterfowling section at http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=43

your question requires more info and the answer is complex. search for Ian's tips on duck hunting in the waterfowling section - he and Dano are great resources.

todbartell
10-15-2007, 12:10 AM
assuming you can put the pellets where they should be, a #2 load of 1 1/8 oz will work fine for ducks out to 30 yards

KodiakHntr
10-15-2007, 08:15 PM
Try a load of 4's. Get a whack more pellets in the air, and kill's 'em pretty dead still if they are coming to the deke's. (Not recommended for pass shooting though)

Dano
10-15-2007, 08:35 PM
If you are hitting the birds with #2 steel shot, they will drop most of the time.
Quote" The shot doesn't even seem to phase the ducks - even at close range. " I would guess you are missing them.... I had a new hunter out a few weeks ago and the kid fired over a box of shells, most at less than 30 yards. He dropped one bird all morning and that one dropped hard. Have you shot any trap or skeet?
Tips on lead?.... On crossing shots, point the gun at the bird, follow it and then move the gun ahead of it. When you pull the trigger, keep swinging the gun or else you will stop and shoot behind the bird. On birds coming right over me, I start with the gun behind the bird and move past it and fire. Angle and height effect the amount of lead you use, the lower and closer a bird the smaller the amount of lead.
Hope this helps,
Dan
P.S. Two other tips, if a flock comes in, pick out one bird and stay on it. You'll get more birds too if you cut down on long "hail Mary" shots. You get better hits and downed birds if shots are under 35 yards.

BCrams
10-15-2007, 08:48 PM
I shoot #2's or #3 in 2 3/4 inch for all my duck hunting and do really well.

Put the lead on the bird and shoot well and they go down.

todbartell
10-15-2007, 09:08 PM
lead? or lead? :mrgreen:

NitwiT
10-18-2010, 08:02 PM
i'd hope he's not putting lead on the bird :S

kyleklassen
10-18-2010, 08:06 PM
Well I am now trying duck hunting however it seems I can't hit anything. I am using #2 size steel shot in 2/34 shells. Can you tell me if this is the right stuff. The shot doesn't even seem to phase the ducks - even at close range.

Also tips on leading the shot would help.if your not hitting them size doesn't matter. if you are hitting them 2 3/4 2's are plenty.

bforce750
10-18-2010, 08:14 PM
I find leads shoots so much better :biggrin:

16ga
10-18-2010, 09:04 PM
Lots of good answers, as you might guess I use a 16 ga, it's an old single shot, don't have much of a problem with #2 shot (steel) on ducks, (geese maybe not so much), so I would imagine a 12 ga should work a bit better.

nano
10-18-2010, 09:20 PM
I use #3 and 4's and they worked well but I have notice that with winchester ammo it seams that the dont kill them on the spot. Had this problem this weekend, I would hit the Bird and it would spin and fly away. All the shots were 15 yards and under. So what the hell is going on:???:

noahs ark
10-18-2010, 09:20 PM
Check your choke tube maybe too full a choke. remember most chokes bump up a size with steel. I use 3 inch #2 feds for everything modified choke. If a duck looks a little high let it go u'll just miss him and scare them away. Just focus on one duck

Crazy_Farmer
10-18-2010, 09:32 PM
I use #3 and 4's and they worked well but I have notice that with winchester ammo it seams that the dont kill them on the spot. Had this problem this weekend, I would hit the Bird and it would spin and fly away. All the shots were 15 yards and under. So what the hell is going on:???:


If you're "hitting" the bird and it turns and flies away you ain't hitting it. At 15 yards like you say a #3 pellet going 1550fps will go straight through a duck no if ands or buts...enter and exit hole. Massive bleeding the shock alone if not a head/spine/wing shot could bring the duck down.

Sometimes you gotta face the music and realize a miss is a miss. It happens. Maybe it's a gun/choke/ammo problem. Pattern it to see what its doing on paper at 15 yards. It would take alot of missed shots before I started blaming my ammo.

Kyle84
10-18-2010, 09:40 PM
i use kent farsteel #4 in 3inch for ducks, seems to get them most times.

870
10-18-2010, 10:02 PM
kent 3" #2's for ducks and kent 3" bb's for geese.

f350ps
10-18-2010, 10:14 PM
My guess is you've not patterned your gun with the load your using or your not following through on your swing. Make sure that when you swing on a bird that you keep the gun moving when you pull the trigger, Good luck, K

Kevin So
10-18-2010, 10:22 PM
I found 12 ga 3" #2 (IC) over decoys within 30 yards almost too much, it kill them on the spot which is great(if you hit them), but it mess up a bit more of the meat. (All shots went through the ducks I got this pass weekend).

15 yards... you should see a pretty big "poofffuu" of feather ....if you hit it with even 2-3/4 #2's.

303Brit
10-18-2010, 11:17 PM
My shooting hasn't been that great this year (just getting warmed up ;) ) but everything Lorne and I have hit has been with No 4's with the odd No2, depending on how many shots we take ;)

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Marc
10-19-2010, 12:39 AM
The closer the shot the tighter the pattern, I sometimes shoot better in the 25-30 yard distance then I do in the 10-20.

I'm using the Kents fast steel #3's and it's doing a great job. I'm going to say that it's more your shooting, choke, pattern or all of the above combined that's causin you grief. Federal, Winchester , Kents , they'll all kill ducks dead, you just have to put it on target.

Get some time behind the gun, shoot some clays and learn what your gun is doing.

field marshal
10-19-2010, 07:56 AM
Wrap and box all your Winchester shells then ship them to me:confused:
Many thanks!!!
Cheers, Field Marshal.

Crazy_Farmer
10-19-2010, 08:35 AM
Wrap and box all your Winchester shells then ship them to me:confused:
Many thanks!!!
Cheers, Field Marshal.

Hell I'll go 50 cents on the dollar for them. :mrgreen:

Piledriver
10-19-2010, 08:59 AM
On the economic side and also from my school of hard knocks. You may want to head out to the range with several large sheets of paper and see where your steel pellets are striking in relation to your aim point at 15 & 30 yds. I just had to do this after my trusty old 2.75" Winchester pump was forced into retirement.
Then head over to the pads and shoot the remainder of your box of steel at clay birds. Heck, it worked for me and I now I've regained the respect of my Pup. (You know how they look at you when you shoot then hold them in the blind!)

f350ps
10-20-2010, 05:35 PM
Hell I'll go 50 cents on the dollar for them. :mrgreen:
I'd go 60 cents if they're the blended load Experts.:roll: K

Crazy_Farmer
10-20-2010, 05:56 PM
I'd go 60 cents if they're the blended load Experts.:roll: K

You drive a hard bargain. :wink: I saw a lot of birds killed last weekend with 3" #3s.

303Brit
10-20-2010, 06:05 PM
I'm with f350ps ;)

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Steelpulse
10-20-2010, 06:25 PM
I'm always using 3" number 2s with a IC for ducks for jump shooting and sitting on a spread but if i'm pass shooting throw in the BB's to reach up to the heavens to bring em down sometimes even put a full choke in.

As for goose hunting definitely want to put the BB's in but i've dropped them with 2's as well from a little closer with 3" though and a full choke you can take them out to 60 70 yards

would recommend practicing though get out to the local trap and skeet club if thats not an option get a skeet machine or just a hand tosser to throw a few birds out and learn your leading

field marshal
10-20-2010, 06:34 PM
What kind of a 'SPORTSMAN" shoots at waterfowl at 60--70yards.:evil:
The name of the game is work them in close!!! JEEZE I get sick of this crap!!
Cheers, Field Marshal.

Steelpulse
10-20-2010, 06:51 PM
Obviously its best to get them close
But most of the time I drop them that far out, when I don't hit them its just a miss. If you can take them out that far why not right

303Brit
10-20-2010, 06:55 PM
Obviously its best to get them close
But most of the time I drop them that far out, when I don't hit them its just a miss. If you can take them out that far why not right

I was wondernig how long before someone made the comment.
What about when you cripple them @ 60yds up????

303

Steelpulse
10-20-2010, 07:01 PM
Just go out and get them and deal with the same way as you would a cripple at 30 yards

303Brit
10-20-2010, 07:35 PM
A cripple @ 30yds catches another one on the way down ;)
I pride myself on not losing birds at all, ask Lorneparker1 if you don't believe me ;)
Not my thing I try not to knock legal hunting, and I haven't hunted with you so I can not speak for your lost bird rate. But if its working and your not losing any birds doing it then fill yur boots.
Again not my thing

303

Steelpulse
10-20-2010, 07:52 PM
What kind of a 'SPORTSMAN" shoots at waterfowl at 60--70yards.:evil:
The name of the game is work them in close!!! JEEZE I get sick of this crap!!
Cheers, Field Marshal.

Rebuttal

I do consider myself quite the sportsman I have been hunting for 13 years ever since I could follow my grandfather out into the field. I may not have the experience as many of you have on the forum but I think its a stretch calling me not a sportsman for taking shots that I can make.
I don't see what the difference is if the I still kill and retrieve the duck. The only difference between a 30 yard shot and a dead duck and a 60 yard shot and a dead duck is 30 yards there is nothing unethical about that at all. If the shot did not present itself I would not take it shots like these are never easy and I would only take one if I felt that it was a reasonable chance at killing the duck or goose.
I am hunting on the great lakes we call the big water where there is nothing in front of you except horizon the ducks are rarely lost and the geese are never lost just wide open expanses of water where the ducks are always retrievable on these long shots.
I am not perfect though I have lost ducks before, only a handful, never on a long shot though all from shorter range shots where the duck just dives down and grabs on to the bottom never to come up again. Its unfortunate but it happens.

I am just defending myself on this issue because I have the greatest respect to all animals that I hunt and would never ever "spray and pray" as some people would call it at ducks hoping to maybe hit one and maybe not retrieve it i will always make every reasonable effort to retrieve a duck I have walked through flooded forests waist deep water half naked in November for an hour trying to find a wood duck I had shot.

I am sorry that I offended you but feel the need to explain and reciprocate on that statement

Steelpulse feel the pulse

303Brit
10-20-2010, 08:01 PM
Thats good enough for me ;)

303