I shot my 20 at ducks and geese all last season with steel shot and never felt under gunned. Looking forward to the upcoming season.

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The combination I have trended to with the S16 is Remington Nitro's in #4's for the first two salvos followed up by the 1 1/8 ounce load of TSS in #7/#8's. The Nitro's work well out to ~45 yards unless the wind gets above ~15KTS and that's when the TSS goes 1,2,3 in the shotgun. Also, been patterning some steel #5's with the recipe 10GaNUT sent me and will field test this fall. Like others have stated, my actual field results are at distances the ballistic tables say is heresy.

I like shooting my 16's for ducks to when I can, problem around here is once the shooting starts then birds are difficult to get to decoy, seems to be a trend as we hunt from one end of the state to the other and it's always the same. I don't know what the problem is as it happens on both public and private land anymore, gotten to the point many times we've had to resort to 1 1/2 oz loads of BB's just shoot a few ducks !!

 

I bought some bismuth last year for my Sweet 16 and Citoris, also for 28 when it was on sale at Cabelas. Never tried it last year I have a couple places on a beaver pond and a creek where in late season it should work well. Ill make a point to use it this year.

 

I like shooting my 16's for ducks to when I can, problem around here is once the shooting starts then birds are difficult to get to decoy, seems to be a trend as we hunt from one end of the state to the other and it's always the same. I don't know what the problem is as it happens on both public and private land anymore, gotten to the point many times we've had to resort to 1 1/2 oz loads of BB's just shoot a few ducks !!

I've no idea where you're finding birds so hard toll regardless of location, but can't help but think folks whacking way at those they can't toll into light load range much of the reason so many find them hard to toll.

 

I like shooting my 16's for ducks to when I can, problem around here is once the shooting starts then birds are difficult to get to decoy, seems to be a trend as we hunt from one end of the state to the other and it's always the same. I don't know what the problem is as it happens on both public and private land anymore, gotten to the point many times we've had to resort to 1 1/2 oz loads of BB's just shoot a few ducks !!

I've no idea where you're finding birds so hard toll regardless of location, but can't help but think folks whacking way at those they can't toll into light load range much of the reason so many find them hard to toll.

We don't open up on the birds unless they are in some kind of reasonable range, in your face seems to be happening less and less every year. We hunted a few public places here last year, of which Missouri has an abundance, 100 to 120 yards seemed to be "in range" for most of the "hunters" hunting those areas. Just stood there in amazement and watched most of the time, public was always bad but I've never seen so many people that desperate to shoot a duck as the last few years????

 

I shot my 20 at ducks and geese all last season with steel shot and never felt under gunned.

That I can't say, as the 20 and I will sometimes sit out when I cut my hunters loose on too-tall-for-us blues and snows. But having always been much more hunter than shooter, anything that I can't fool close enough that what I'm using doesn't much matter has beaten me, anyway.

 

I shot my 20 at ducks and geese all last season with steel shot and never felt under gunned.

That I can't say, as the 20 and I will sometimes sit out when I cut my hunters loose on too-tall-for-us blues and snows. But having always been much more hunter than shooter, anything that I can't fool close enough that what I'm using doesn't much matter has beaten me, anyway.

Rick I'm only shooting Canada's here in MA and all the shots are under 40. I get a pretty decent pattern of 1's that I use for geese when they are the only target. When we're duck hunting we just let the geese get nice and close.

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I shot bismuth all last season , from my 16ga sweet16 and Remington Sportsman during early season to my 12ga. A5 v 3 1/2" mid to late season using only 2 3/4" shells loaded with #5 & a few 4's in16ga and 4's in 12ga .
We had a flock of mallards work use 4 times but wouldn't commit and a hunting partner of mine ( who shoot mainly 10ga and was now) couldn't take it any more when they came over head he raised up and shot with 10ga Black cloud #2 and only managed to take both wings out on a drake mallard ( not enough pellet energy to get much past the feathers and skin on way to vitals and Is shot a Drake mallard and a bull sprig out of the same flock with the 2 3'4" bismuth #4 , 1 1/8 oz and 1 1/4 oz reloads and they were DOA.

Long story short I'm shooting bismuth for the upcoming duck season as it is much less expensive to shoot than TSS , HW13 or Hevi Shot 12gram.and steel be a better alterative to steel shot .

 

I shot bismuth all last season , from my 16ga sweet16 and Remington Sportsman during early season to my 12ga. A5 v 3 1/2" mid to late season using only 2 3/4" shells loaded with #5 & a few 4's in16ga and 4's in 12ga .
We had a flock of mallards work use 4 times but wouldn't commit and a hunting partner of mine ( who shoot mainly 10ga and was now) couldn't take it any more when they came over head he raised up and shot with 10ga Black cloud #2 and only managed to take both wings out on a drake mallard ( not enough pellet energy to get much past the feathers and skin on way to vitals and Is shot a Drake mallard and a bull sprig out of the same flock with the 2 3'4" bismuth #4 , 1 1/8 oz and 1 1/4 oz reloads and they were DOA.

Long story short I'm shooting bismuth for the upcoming duck season as it is much less expensive to shoot than TSS , HW13 or Hevi Shot 12gram.and steel be a better alterative to steel shot .

I'm assuming the 10 ga BC loads were the 1375 fps 1 5/8 oz loads??? Make him up some of the 1675 fps 1 3/8 oz loads in the manual then tell me how he does.... :wink:

 

BT Justice

They were the factory 10ga loadings as you stated . Was the only ammo he could find locally . I gave him some of my reloads and he has sense brought a MEC Sizemaster , GAEP roll crimper , drill press ,wads , shot ect. and I got him set up and loading 10ga . I would have gave him some 10ga. duck loads in the blind but all I had with me was BBB 1 1/2 oz at 1555 fps with me and not many of those as we see few geese where we duck hunt but I have shot a bunch of mallards using them when a goose hunt turns into a duck shoot in the past. :yes:

I think your 1 3/8oz load at 1635 loads with #1's would be ideal but neither of use has any Winchester and very few Remington hulls. M 1 1/2 oz. load in Federal hulls using RSI wads has been my main stay for 10ga. fodder for years and works well with #2 - TT steel.

 

think your 1 3/8oz load at 1635 loads with #1's would be ideal but neither of use has any Winchester and very few Remington hulls. M 1 1/2 oz. load in Federal hulls using RSI wads has been my main stay for 10ga. fodder for years and works well with #2 - TT steel.

I've used the Remington hull 1 3/8 oz load for years with 2's or 1's on ducks, the loads carry and knock ducks down a lot further than any factory ammo. Winchester hull load is excellent also, BPD 10 wad load works with no trimming, that one surprised me when I chronographed it !!

 

The combination I have trended to with the S16 is Remington Nitro's in #4's for the first two salvos followed up by the 1 1/8 ounce load of TSS in #7/#8's. The Nitro's work well out to ~45 yards unless the wind gets above ~15KTS and that's when the TSS goes 1,2,3 in the shotgun. Also, been patterning some steel #5's with the recipe 10GaNUT sent me and will field test this fall. Like others have stated, my actual field results are at distances the ballistic tables say is heresy.

I like shooting my 16's for ducks to when I can, problem around here is once the shooting starts then birds are difficult to get to decoy, seems to be a trend as we hunt from one end of the state to the other and it's always the same. I don't know what the problem is as it happens on both public and private land anymore, gotten to the point many times we've had to resort to 1 1/2 oz loads of BB's just shoot a few ducks !!

The 2016/2017 duck season was the first time I hunted ducks over decoys since the early 1980s. I bought a little over 100 great looking decoys and a small boat and started hunting ducks on the same National Wildlife Refuge that I hunted back in the 1970s and early 1980s.

What really amazed me right from the start was how decoy shy many of the ducks were right from the start. In the old days if you put out over 100 decoys the ducks that would not decoy would at least see the decoys and come over and check them out. The last two duck seasons I have seen lots of ducks, singles, pairs and small flocks that don't even look at the decoys and stay 500 yards away or farther.

We have had some really good duck hunts the last two seasons but getting ducks to drop right in on us is not as easy as it use to be.

The one thing I have noticed is the skybusters shooting steel shot are shooting at ducks that the skybusters from the 1970s wouldn't even of thought about shooting at with lead loads.

 

The combination I have trended to with the S16 is Remington Nitro's in #4's for the first two salvos followed up by the 1 1/8 ounce load of TSS in #7/#8's. The Nitro's work well out to ~45 yards unless the wind gets above ~15KTS and that's when the TSS goes 1,2,3 in the shotgun. Also, been patterning some steel #5's with the recipe 10GaNUT sent me and will field test this fall. Like others have stated, my actual field results are at distances the ballistic tables say is heresy.

The 2016/2017 duck season was the first time I hunted ducks over decoys since the early 1980s. I bought a little over 100 great looking decoys and a small boat and started hunting ducks on the same National Wildlife Refuge that I hunted back in the 1970s and early 1980s.

What really amazed me right from the start was how decoy shy many of the ducks were right from the start. In the old days if you put out over 100 decoys the ducks that would not decoy would at least see the decoys and come over and check them out. The last two duck seasons I have seen lots of ducks, singles, pairs and small flocks that don't even look at the decoys and stay 500 yards away or farther.

We have had some really good duck hunts the last two seasons but getting ducks to drop right in on us is not as easy as it use to be.

The one thing I have noticed is the skybusters shooting steel shot are shooting at ducks that the skybusters from the 1970s wouldn't even of thought about shooting at with lead loads.

You said it better than I did, maybe as I'm getting older I still try and compare things to the way they used to be.
Very few in your face birds anymore for us and like I said we travel, hunt different places both public and private land.
Guy I hunt with regularly said it best-- anymore thirty yards is a close in shot many times.

 

I used my 20 gauge for waterfowl quite a few times last fall and really enjoyed it when the birds cooperated. If the birds where wary and didn't present close shots, I used my 12 gauge. I had really good success with fast 3" 1550 FPS loads. I love the 20 gauge, however I always have my 12 gauge or 10 gauge with me just in case.

 

I used my 20 gauge for waterfowl quite a few times last fall and really enjoyed it when the birds cooperated. If the birds where wary and didn't present close shots, I used my 12 gauge. I had really good success with fast 3" 1550 FPS loads. I love the 20 gauge, however I always have my 12 gauge or 10 gauge with me just in case.

 

I must have come along much later than some of you guys. Didn't get serious enough about waterfowling to reach beyond quiet nearby waters until I was out of college and free-lancing enough magazine work to support traveling to hunt. That was in the late '70s, and I didn't have to go far to witness inanely "optimistic" range estimation. And the farther I went, the more I saw.

Perhaps there were no "firing lines" when you fellows started, but when I did they were a popular waterfowling attraction where, for a relatively few dollars, guys could stand behind their designated hay bales and whack away at geese trafficking to and from refuge. In Illinois, which then permitted the use of #4 buckshot, many championed its long range use. But I'm now smiling while thinking of crippling study that was conducted on it at firing lines where, if memory serves, 30-some observers were stationed with shooters for two mornings to record what was killed and what was crippled. I've long forgotten what was killed or crippled, but could hardly help but recall that during those 60-some "hunter efforts," where the men were asked to call their shots, not one of them hit the bird he was shooting at. At the same time, some public areas in other states, like my own then-home Ohio, were already imposing shell limits to help curb sky-busting.

On a more personal level, my wing-shooting passion from childhood was upland game, and my gun of choice a side-by-side 20ga that I, for a while, did my best to make serviceable for general waterfowling with hot, high-antimony lead hand-loads. Was my experience that while even my light 7 1/2 grouse loads were fine for wood duck jump-shooting opportunities that sometimes arose in the uplands, even jaw-busting loads of high antimony 5s too often fell short for mallards "over decoys". Simply had to step up to a 12ga's more significant payloads.

Now, all these years later, I find myself happily plinking the overwhelming majority of my ducks with a 20ga upland steel 5s. I'd like to think experience has made me a better shot but also know it's made me a better hunter. Thinking now of someone on this board's signature line attributed to John Stephens and along the lines of: "Some people like to see how far they can hit a duck and others like to see how close they can get it. I'm an 'other'."

To each his own, but I'm another "other," and being able to enjoy the handling of a little 20 has been just one of its advantages.

 

I have a 20ga. I bet it has been 10 years since I had it out waterfowl hunting. If I had areas where birds got into 20ga range often I would love to use it. 2 seasons ago I had a couple days it would have been perfect. Last season 1 day. Now if I could justify buying Bismuth shot It would be used a lot more.

 

I have a 20ga. I bet it has been 10 years since I had it out waterfowl hunting. If I had areas where birds got into 20ga range often I would love to use it. 2 seasons ago I had a couple days it would have been perfect. Last season 1 day. Now if I could justify buying Bismuth shot It would be used a lot more.

 

What would you consider 20 gauge ranges? If the birds are within 40 yards I feel the 20 works just fine. The majority of the birds we shoot are between 20-30 yards with 35 usually being the furthest.

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What would you consider 20 gauge ranges? If the birds are within 40 yards I feel the 20 works just fine. The majority of the birds we shoot are between 20-30 yards with 35 usually being the furthest.

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I use the 20ga exclusively now for ducks - no problem knocking them down. My shots rarely, (like almost never), go past 40 yds mainly because I'm not a good enough shot. The rare occasions I've connected past 40 ended with a clean kill. Most of my shots are 20-30yds over decoys.

My go-to load is a skinny ounce of #3's at 1500fps.

I like the 20ga because my popgun is light, slim and faster handling.

 

What would you consider 20 gauge ranges? If the birds are within 40 yards I feel the 20 works just fine. The majority of the birds we shoot are between 20-30 yards with 35 usually being the furthest.

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with 7/8-15/16 oz of #2 steel, 45 yards is too far. 20 yards is too close. 25-35 is just right.

 

What would you consider 20 gauge ranges? If the birds are within 40 yards I feel the 20 works just fine. The majority of the birds we shoot are between 20-30 yards with 35 usually being the furthest.

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with 7/8-15/16 oz of #2 steel, 45 yards is too far. 20 yards is too close. 25-35 is just right.

If you have choke tubes in your gun it makes a real difference for the close in shots if your getting them
16 gauge I/C choke 35 yards 15/16 #4 steel 1546 fps

For further out I use 7/8 oz of 3's at 1600 fps through the Full choke, this is at 35 yards with 3's

 

I'm going to try to optimize my gun for 35 yards. I have a Hevi shot extended range choke that gives a solid 40 yard pattern but too tight at 25. I just picked up a Trulock improved Mod, hoping that will get me a good 35 yard pattern. I'll post pics when I get a chance to try it out.

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I'm going to try to optimize my gun for 35 yards. I have a Hevi shot extended range choke that gives a solid 40 yard pattern but too tight at 25. I just picked up a Trulock improved Mod, hoping that will get me a good 35 yard pattern. I'll post pics when I get a chance to try it out.
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I've found that patterning at 35 yards gives a bit better picture with smaller gauges especially for close in shots, I'm not going to be shooting much beyond 40 yards anyway so patterning a bit closer in seems to help.

 

I'm going to try to optimize my gun for 35 yards. I have a Hevi shot extended range choke that gives a solid 40 yard pattern but too tight at 25. I just picked up a Trulock improved Mod, hoping that will get me a good 35 yard pattern. I'll post pics when I get a chance to try it out.
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I've found that patterning at 35 yards gives a bit better picture with smaller gauges especially for close in shots, I'm not going to be shooting much beyond 40 yards anyway so patterning a bit closer in seems to help.

I think you're right. It's just nice to know that if you cripple a bird in closer you have enough pattern density to finish him off out to 40. I'd love to think I won't cripple a bird at close range but i am only human.

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