Depending on ranges you can use a single load for different birds. Yes, 2’s may tear up some teal but will also drop geese. 4’s will drop geese at respectable ranges and be great for teal and other ducks. If you’re using steel at close range, improved cylinder is hard to beat. Pattern some loads and you’ll get a better idea. Pick a versatile load and you shouldn’t have to worry about changing out on the fly. I’ve come to rely on bismuth #4 for all my fowling inside 35yds in my 20ga.
Creative solutions for a funny little marsh
I have a small marsh pond I hunt. No more than 3 birds come in at a time, and usually just in pairs. Because it's a hard hike in for small numbers, it's a low-pressure spot, birds usually land and they spook slowly throughout the season. The problem is that I never know what shells to have loaded, because I never know what will show up. Without fail, I had either teal or geese each time I hunted, with no predictable pattern. There's a big difference between a goose and a teal obviously. What are some creative solutions for this situation? Curious about what choke or shells people would use in this case.
I've even played with the idea of using an over-under. I could load one of each shell type, and use a selective trigger, or at least change shells out more quickly and quietly than with a pump. I'm not looking to slay big numbers here, just looking to optimize this little spot.
I've even played with the idea of using an over-under. I could load one of each shell type, and use a selective trigger, or at least change shells out more quickly and quietly than with a pump. I'm not looking to slay big numbers here, just looking to optimize this little spot.
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It's not the reason I use an O/U for all birds but I find it a benefit. Like you, one of my little spots were woodies, mallards, and geese. Geese never snuck in on me, they tend to be noisy birds so plenty of time to switch out shells. If geese and mallards, I might load a #1 and #2, Often kept a skeet and imp mod in the barrels. Shells used mostly #3 steel, maybe a #2 in the IMP Mod barrel when in late season.
However you do it it's just been good for me, same on upland birds of size.
However you do it it's just been good for me, same on upland birds of size.
Where I hunt, we'll often get both ducks and geese in shooting range on any given day. There was a time I'd have my gun loaded up for ducks (usually 3in 3 shot) and would try to unload my gun and re-load with BB or BBB when we had geese headed our way. This never worked very well and there were times I'd miss good shots at geese while I was trying to frantically load and unload. I think a 3" 2 shot is a good all around choice for both ducks and geese. If we are getting shots at both ducks and geese, I've even sometimes loaded my gun so the first 2 shells are #3s or #4s if birds are in close and the 3rd shell a #2 for geese, but even that is too much to thinking about when the action is good.
Do what baymen said and go pattern your gun and whatever patterns best, stick with that load for all waterfowl needs.
Do what baymen said and go pattern your gun and whatever patterns best, stick with that load for all waterfowl needs.
I have it on good authority that shucking "duck" shells to exchange them for "goose" loads is a great way to piss off a guide who's trying to pull geese into BB-gun range. And when our daily mix commonly included everything from decoying green-wings to passing blues and snows, I recommended that our parties shoot 2s, 1s or BBs and not think about what's in the gun.Where I hunt, we'll often get both ducks and geese in shooting range on any given day. There was a time I'd have my gun loaded up for ducks (usually 3in 3 shot) and would try to unload my gun and re-load with BB or BBB when we had geese headed our way. This never worked very well and there were times I'd miss good shots at geese while I was trying to frantically load and unload. I think a 3" 2 shot is a good all around choice for both ducks and geese. If we are getting shots at both ducks and geese, I've even sometimes loaded my gun so the first 2 shells are #3s or #4s if birds are in close and the 3rd shell a #2 for geese, but even that is too much to thinking about when the action is good.
Shucking sucks for that.Where I hunt, we'll often get both ducks and geese in shooting range on any given day. There was a time I'd have my gun loaded up for ducks (usually 3in 3 shot) and would try to unload my gun and re-load with BB or BBB when we had geese headed our way. This never worked very well and there were times I'd miss good shots at geese while I was trying to frantically load and unload. I think a 3" 2 shot is a good all around choice for both ducks and geese. If we are getting shots at both ducks and geese, I've even sometimes loaded my gun so the first 2 shells are #3s or #4s if birds are in close and the 3rd shell a #2 for geese, but even that is too much to thinking about when the action is good.
Do what baymen said and go pattern your gun and whatever patterns best, stick with that load for all waterfowl needs.
L&L, stacking shells is what I'd do (and have done) if using a semi. It's the same principal I use in an O/U on which shell I use 1st and given it's funnest to get them feet down it normally means the 2nd shot is on bird #2 which is headed off. A buddy always tried to shuck shells in his M1 to reload on geese and was always a disaster. Easy in an O/U. I maintain that all of these things are dependent on where you hunt, what kind of birds, how many birds normally seen in a day, what the blind (or not) set-up is and how many people are in the party. In other words, it's not hard to figure out what works best for yourself, that's all part of the fun.Where I hunt, we'll often get both ducks and geese in shooting range on any given day. There was a time I'd have my gun loaded up for ducks (usually 3in 3 shot) and would try to unload my gun and re-load with BB or BBB when we had geese headed our way. This never worked very well and there were times I'd miss good shots at geese while I was trying to frantically load and unload. I think a 3" 2 shot is a good all around choice for both ducks and geese. If we are getting shots at both ducks and geese, I've even sometimes loaded my gun so the first 2 shells are #3s or #4s if birds are in close and the 3rd shell a #2 for geese, but even that is too much to thinking about when the action is good.
Do what baymen said and go pattern your gun and whatever patterns best, stick with that load for all waterfowl needs.
I would agree. I shot 2s at everything and rarely get a torn up teal and can knock down geese no problem
I think this is solid advice.I recommended that our parties shoot 2s, 1s or BBs and not think about what's in the gun.
I tried the unloading and reloading thing a few years back and after getting all of my 'duck shells' unloaded, watched my buddy kill 2 Canadas out of a flock of about 10 that were about 25 yards out and right on the deck. Before he shot I could hear him calling me a 'dumb bashtard.'
Makes me wonder if John M Browning had any sketch ups for a triple barrel gunShucking sucks for that.
L&L, stacking shells is what I'd do (and have done) if using a semi. It's the same principal I use in an O/U on which shell I use 1st and given it's funnest to get them feet down it normally means the 2nd shot is on bird #2 which is headed off. A buddy always tried to shuck shells in his M1 to reload on geese and was always a disaster. Easy in an O/U. I maintain that all of these things are dependent on where you hunt, what kind of birds, how many birds normally seen in a day, what the blind (or not) set-up is and how many people are in the party. In other words, it's not hard to figure out what works best for yourself, that's all part of the fun.
Aside from being heavy as chit, that would be the ultimate waterfowl gun - #4 in bottom barrel, #2 in the middle barrel, BB in the top barrel. Of course for a guy like me, a barrel selector with 3 options would cause some issues.
Fellow who guides with us once summed up many of our feelings with, "When he took a double barrel out of the case, I knew I was screwed."Makes me wonder if John M Browning had any sketch ups for a triple barrel gun
Then a Chiappa(?) or some such crew he guided hooked him up with a triple barrel club they imported. So I know they're out there, knock yourself out.
No kidding?? Now I'm gonna have to google the heck out of '3 barreled guns!'Fellow who guides with us once summed up many of our feelings with, "When he took a double barrel out of the case, I knew I was screwed."
Then a Chiappa(?) or some such crew he guided hooked him up with a triple barrel club they imported. So I know they're out there, knock yourself out.
Too bad you can’t touch off all 3 at once. OP, you should just carry 2 shotguns. Problem solved.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
#5 or #4 bismuth IMO.
#4 Boss is my favorite duck load for most duck hunting, #5 works well too. I shot Canadians and all types of ducks with both the #4 and 5 this past season, most of the geese with #5.
inside of reasonable ranges #5 bismuth has no problem dropping geese.
#4 Boss is my favorite duck load for most duck hunting, #5 works well too. I shot Canadians and all types of ducks with both the #4 and 5 this past season, most of the geese with #5.
inside of reasonable ranges #5 bismuth has no problem dropping geese.
I think it all depends upon the range at which you're shooting your birds. If everything is within 35 yards, maybe even 40 then #3 steel at 1400 fps or better should cover everything if you're good enough to shoot the geese in the head and neck. Personally, I usually hunt a wide open marsh and usually hear the geese coming a long way off so I am an unaplogetic shell shucker. I keep #3 steel in my 10 ga and switch to BB or BBB steel for geese. I rarely flare geese while doing this because they are pretty far off when I'm switching shells. Because of their large size, it is easy to underestimate the range on Canadas. I see a lot of guys ( people I know but don't hunt with) cripple geese trying to kill them with steel duck loads. I don't regularly use bismuth but I'd think, if you have to use one load, #4 bismuth would be a good compromise.
Load up with TSS #7's and you'll be ready for any waterfowl that comes close enough to hit.
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