Hunting Washington Forum
Other Hunting => Waterfowl => Topic started by: mburrows on January 10, 2013, 09:55:12 AM
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Im sure this topic has been kicked around before but what's your favorite shell for ducks and geese? Obviously the heavy shot is the best but I can't afford a $40 box with only 10 shells in it. I personally like the new blind side shells by winchester as well as the Kent speed steel.
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I have tested the blindside shells with horrible luck myself. I thought they were the coolest thing till I shot them. Worst patterns I've got form any load out of five different shotguns with several chokes in each. Kent and Remington high speed work awesome out of all my guns.
Also try to stay away from hypersonic loads unless you do your research and make sure your chokes are rated for that speed. It will fuse your choke to your gun, and also has caused many action problems for people. I bought it once and if you don't like kick which I hear some don't :chuckle: they were kicking harder than 3 1/2 turkey loads. And I was only shooting 3" number 2.
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Heavy shot is far from the best. There is a lot of good ammo out there. I buy what is on sale:
http://www.rogerssportinggoods.com/ammunition-federal-steel-c-35_36.html (http://www.rogerssportinggoods.com/ammunition-federal-steel-c-35_36.html)
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Awesome wedsite. Plan on ordering possibly two cases for next year to stock up. Love the no shipping policy on shot shells.
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whats cheep.
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Heavy shot is far from the best. There is a lot of good ammo out there. I buy what is on sale:
http://www.rogerssportinggoods.com/ammunition-federal-steel-c-35_36.html (http://www.rogerssportinggoods.com/ammunition-federal-steel-c-35_36.html)
That is exactly what I do. Pick one of the good loads that is on sale (recently bought fed. premium and remington nitro) and buy a case or three. Free shipping rocks!
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Yep, no tax, no shipping and they deliver it to your door step, doesn’t get much better than that.
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Just patterned my gun today and Black Cloud out performed every shell by far.
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Kent Fasteel 3" BB's! I don't prescribe to the gimmicky high end shells (Black Cloud, Heavy Shot, etc.) Cheap shells cause too many cripples IMO. Kent has earned my trust over the years.
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I reload my own 8) :chuckle:
But when I buy from the store...I get either Kents or Federals.
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I like the Kent Fast Steel 3 inch number 2's and BB. I also hunted with some 5+ year old Winchester Supremes that I found while cleaning out the garage and they performed really well.
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I have shot hypersonics lately and they are great. Im a big enough boy the recoil isn't noticeable.
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On the lower$$$ end: I really like Kent Silver Steel 3" #2's, if you can find them. $159/case shipped from Rogers.
On the high $$$ end: I love Remington Hypersonic.
Best load I've ever shot, regardless of cost: Federal Heavyweight Ultra-Shok Tungsten with a 15g/cm3 density. Smokes Hevi-Shot, not even close. 80%+ patterns at 50 yards with a LM choke. 2.25" penetration at 100yards. Too bad they're discontinued, and too bad they retailed for about $450/case of 100. Rogers had em on sale a while back for $169/case
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I think every gun shoot every brand of shell different.I shoot a Brown Gold Hunter 3 1/2, i have had the best luck with Kents,I shot those Heavy Shot shells they dirtied my gun so bad.I shot Black Clouds different shot,still hit birds just not as effective,all my buddies who shoot Benellis,love the Black Clouds.Im currently shooting Winchester Extremes,because of Cabelas special,never again.So try different shells until you find the one that shoots best in your gun.ITS ALL PREFERENCE
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I have tested the blindside shells with horrible luck myself. I thought they were the coolest thing till I shot them. Worst patterns I've got form any load out of five different shotguns with several chokes in each.
you need a specialty square choke tube for blind side to pattern right.
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Kent 3in #3 love em. Just got a case for christmas...
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anything but xperts! i about junked my gun until i gave some other shells a try...xperts wouldn't pattern worth a damn in the best case, worst case they shot a foot and a half low and to the right.
i've been shooting federal blue box this year with much, much better results.
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What i have heard from nearly every great waterfowler is to find a shell that patterns well and gets the job done, then buy cases of it. :twocents:
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What i have heard from nearly every great waterfowler is to find a shell that patterns well and gets the job done, then buy cases of it. :twocents:
Great advice.
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anything but xperts! i about junked my gun until i gave some other shells a try...xperts wouldn't pattern worth a damn in the best case, worst case they shot a foot and a half low and to the right.
i've been shooting federal blue box this year with much, much better results.
That's interesting. I've had good luck with xperts but my experience with Fed. blue box is hit or miss (mostly miss). I guess that demonstrates that you really need to find out what your gun likes and then stick with it.
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I guess that demonstrates that you really need to find out what your gun likes and then stick with it.
:yeah:
and the time to do this is at the range well before duck season opens. I hear far too many people talking about how X brand of shell is crippling a lot of ducks for them this season, time to try a different shell. if you don't know what your pattern is doing its a huge disrespect to the animal your trying to kill.
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What i have heard from nearly every great waterfowler is to find a shell that patterns well and gets the job done, then buy cases of it. :twocents:
Great advice.
Its the advise i got from hunters that bag a lot more birds each year than me... no need to reinvent the wheel.
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the blind side ant kent fast steel will do great
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I use Hevi-Metal 3 inch in #2 shot size. It is a little more expensive than steel but performs a lot better. When pass shooting at longer distances, it will drop a goose or duck with few cripples. Steel doesn't carry the energy like tungsten, and Hevi-Metal shells are mixed with tungsten giving them more energy at further distances.
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usually blue box federals in 3" 3's, they are a great shell for the money, better than kents from what i have seen
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Kent FastSteel or Federal UltraShok for me.