Hunting Washington Forum
Other Hunting => Waterfowl => Topic started by: ATM green head machine on January 20, 2014, 07:42:56 PM
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so what is it vote! im going through boxes of shells like well.... :mgun:
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None of the above.
I shoot 3" #3s.
They pattern well out of my gun and their small enough for teal and big enough for mallards.
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I will shoot anything from #4 - BB's on ducks. Typically though I run #2's most of the season.
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None of the above.
I shoot 3" #3s.
They pattern well out of my gun and their small enough for teal and big enough for mallards.
I like #3s as well but also use #4s. If I am jump shooting, I will toss in the threes with maybe a #2 as backup. For decoys, a #4 with #3 as backup.
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#3's seem to be easier to find than #1's in my experience. With the most common being BB's, #2 & #4 in most stores. Then #6's for upland.
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I load my own shells so I'll use #2 shot mainly and will load #4 shot as well but it's traveling at 1650fps.
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I will shoot anything from #4 - BB's on ducks. Typically though I run #2's most of the season.
:yeah:
For the type of duck hunting I do I prefer #2s.
Roger's Sporting Goods has #1s in Federal. I just ordered a case of #2s and a case of #5 upland loads.
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I started using some #2 blind side this year. Briley choke, 3" shells. I have 138 Pellets in a 18"x22" piece of cardboard at 30 yds. I usually shoot federal #2 Shot. I get 158 Pellets in the same cardboard at 30 yds with 3-1/2" shells
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thanks for all the help guys really appriciate it :tup:
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I shoot kent faststeel 3" #3's 1 1/4oz with one Black cloud bb backer all day long. As someone previously stated it's small enough for teal, but still will take down geese with no problem at all. anybody that says differently isn't taking birds at lethal ranges. I feel sorry for all the geese I have shot this year that have T shot stuck in the breast because of some skybuster thinkin they can kill geese at 150 yards.
Above and beyond what everyone is telling you, patterning your gun is going to be the most important step when choosing size and brand. If you find that #2's pattern better out of YOUR gun then you should obviously shoot them over #3's... Good Luck :tup:
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Newbie question.... I get shot sizes, but what dies BB mean?
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BB is ball bearing. I always,shoot 3" . Used to shoot #3 now #2 and BB
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I typically like 2s or 1s through a tight choke, although 4s work great for decoying birds. I buy shells by the case, so I usually end up shooting 2s a lot since they work good for me in all applications.
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BB is ball bearing.
So is BBB = Bigger Ball Bearing? T = Tremendouslylarge? F = Freakin 'uge? :)
Actually, in all seriousness what do these stand for?
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BB is ball bearing.
So is BBB = Bigger Ball Bearing? T = Tremendouslylarge? F = Freakin 'uge? :)
Actually, in all seriousness what do these stand for?
:chuckle:
Not sure where they get the numbers/letters but here is a size comparison chart. I believe F shot is .22 in diam.
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I use #3's early season and #1's late season for puddle ducks. I use #1's and BB for seaducks.
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I use #3's early season and #1's late season for puddle ducks. I use #1's and BB for seaducks.
So I found I have a box of 1s and another of 4s. Guess they will both work. So for more distance and perhaps geese, I should use the 1s, and for birds coming in close to the decoys, the 4s would be good. Is that the right way to look at this?
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You could look at it that way, but when I hunt I never know if im gonna get a duck at 15 yardsor a goose at 30. I try and pick.one that will work for all my hunting situations, unless I'm going on a special goose only or sea duck hunt where I have a good ideas on my range and species.bb 1,2,3's are all pretty versatile.
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Well this is easy for me on gun with 3' #4 or 5s for decoying ducks, and a gun with 3 or 3 1/2 #2 for the long shot and a third with 3 1/2 BB's for geese and my gun bearer keeps them loaded :chuckle: :chuckle: I wish. Really 3 or 3 1/2 #2's for most everything, I do carry BB's incase and some 2 3/4 #5 swaterloads (if the boat is not moving).
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I like the #6 for swatters as I have never seen #5s, I have taken down a few birds though with the #6 when they flew near as I was going after a swimmer. :chuckle:
ATM Green, the best thing is figure out what your maximum range you are comfortable shooting and use a pellet size that has enough killing power at that range. And, practice, practice, practice.
I would bet that most duck hunters underestimate the distances they are shooting. If you have access to a range finder, bring it along sometime, I think you will be surprised at how far away a duck actually is that looks like an easy shot. I like having my rangefinding binos along, especially for the sea ducks. :twocents:
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Well this is easy for me on gun with 3' #4 or 5s for decoying ducks,...
WOW... a little over-kill don't you think??
3' shotgun shells?
Must be one hell of a recoil.
Is that some sort of bow mounted cannon? :chuckle:
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Haha can you imagine how many #5 pellets could fit in a 3' shell!?!
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I like the #6 for swatters as I have never seen #5s, I have taken down a few birds though with the #6 when they flew near as I was going after a swimmer. :chuckle:
ATM Green, the best thing is figure out what your maximum range you are comfortable shooting and use a pellet size that has enough killing power at that range. And, practice, practice, practice.
I would bet that most duck hunters underestimate the distances they are shooting. If you have access to a range finder, bring it along sometime, I think you will be surprised at how far away a duck actually is that looks like an easy shot. I like having my rangefinding binos along, especially for the sea ducks. :twocents:
:yeah: Glad you brought your range finder along :tup:
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3" #2's all day long.
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I shot #4 steel for years with decent results but one day sneaking into a spot my dog jumped a big Canada goose. I shot it solid in the back just as it got off the ground. Knocked it right down. Dog retrieved it alive, I bonked it's head. After the hunt I decided to pluck it for an oven baked meal and discovered that not one single pellet penetrated the skin. There was about 50 red welts all over the back side of the goose but no real damage. I switched to #2s right after that. I figured that if they can't penetrate the skin of a goose at 30 yds, they couldn't be doing very well on fully feathered ducks either. Since switching to #2s, I've got no regrets.
I also use Heavy Metal quite often and prefer it over steel.
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I am pretty good at judging distance. I have shot competitve archery for 20 years. You would be surpised how far ducks actually are when they are shot. I use 3" #2 shot alot. If you are on the bird they crumble at 50 yds. I started using blind side this year. It is very terminal. the angles carry more kenetic energy upon impact. The birds do not do well when shot with it. I had a 10 year old with me last weekend. He was shooting a Barettta in 3-1/2 " Using Hypersonic #2 shot. He was a little guy but it did not phase him. Not necessary but he made some very nice long shots. He shoots in the upper 90's in trap and usually hits 75 straight.
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I like to shoot my birds Decoying and if the day goes well it goes 4 shot 3 shot 2 shot. If the birds are hanging out a bit I go 3 shot backed up by two number twos, or two 3s backed up by a two. If I'm jump shooting it depends on the circumstance but love to shoot he I metal 3 1/2 2s if I think those are gonna be longer shots. Changes day to day and by the area I hunt. Have a good variety to choose from before season lets you get choosy with how you feel like loading.
I personally stay away from hypersonic loads due to the fact that my stoeger 2000 factory choke fused to the barrel and couldn't get it out after 1 box of shells. Need to order a new barrel now. They did kick more than other equivalent shells and were much louder too.
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They are fast, but not necessary and they are hard on guns
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Ya I have heard a lot of people screwing up there guns with the hyper sonics. When they first came out I couldn't wait to get them. And they did put birds down quick. But a 230 dollar fix for the gun will keep me from going back.
Gotta fix it though. Thing never jams and is such a good shooter that I gotta get a replacement barrel for the gun for years to come before I can't get it anymore. Most reliable shotgun I've owned.thats why I picked up the stoeger 3500 last year. Love it too.
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A good thing to do on shotgun choke threads is to brush a little Anti Seize or Never Seize on the choke threads. Sure makes for easier removal.
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I started duck hunting in '89. I shot hand load lead 2 3/4", #5 shot, I shot lots of doubles and triples jump shooting. After steel came along I tried them all, I mostly shoot 3" #4's, mostly jump shooting with good results. Will after 8 years of not duck hunting I hunted over decoys several times this season. I notices I was missing a lot of birds and the ones I did hit were all shot up. I shoot an improved cylinder choke, w/3" 1 1/8 oz, #4's at 1550 fps, steel doesn't open up like lead so I did a switch up and the next time I hunted over decoys I used 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz, #4's at 1375 fps. First round 3 shots 3 dead birds, next round was a jump shoot, 3 shots 3 dead birds. Pass shooting and long shots w/3" I believe your shot has time to open up, but for me, 2 3/4", 1 1/8 oz, #4's up to 35yds is what I'm using now. BTW, these two triples I got were fat, heavy feathered late season northern Mallards. :twocents:
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BB's :yike:
Go Big or stay home.
I also like to hit them with My extra-full choke. It takes the quack right out of em. :dunno:
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4s
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If you can't kill it with #4s, it's too far. That's just my opinion. With that said, I shoot #4s for ALL ducks and I shoot BB for geese.
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:yeah:
If you can't kill it with #4s, it's too far. That's just my opinion. With that said, I shoot #4s for ALL ducks and I shoot BB for geese.
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Pattern first!
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I use #3's early season and #1's late season for puddle ducks. I use #1's and BB for seaducks.
So I found I have a box of 1s and another of 4s. Guess they will both work. So for more distance and perhaps geese, I should use the 1s, and for birds coming in close to the decoys, the 4s would be good. Is that the right way to look at this?
That's the way I would use them. Unless the geese are on top of you. Early season I did get a goose with 3's.
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I use #3's early season and #1's late season for puddle ducks. I use #1's and BB for seaducks.
So I found I have a box of 1s and another of 4s. Guess they will both work. So for more distance and perhaps geese, I should use the 1s, and for birds coming in close to the decoys, the 4s would be good. Is that the right way to look at this?
That's the way I would use them. Unless the geese are on top of you. Early season I did get a goose with 3's.
7 of my 9 geese this year were with black cloud 3's as recent as last week. Growing up in WI, we never used anything bigger than #1's (steel). :dunno: Of course, we weren't taking 50+ yard shots either.
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I shoot 3" no. 2s the majority of the time but when I can find them, I like no. 3s for ducks over decoys.
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i just get the ones with the picture of the duck or goose on it :chuckle:
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Early season I roll with the #4 shot because the ducks are smaller typically. When the northerns roll in I bust out the #2 or #BB depending on the area.
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4s for ducks
3" 2s and BBs for geese
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I only use T shot, only in 3 1/2".
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I only use T shot, only in 3 1/2".
:yeah: That's a respectable teal load. at least 1750 fps -
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I only use T shot, only in 3 1/2".
:yeah: That's a respectable teal load. at least 1750 fps -
I only shoot hypersonic.
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so what is the benefit of shooting BB for geese? And what choke do ya'll use... i have access to a Farm here on whidbey island to hunt and i was wondering what ya'lll use they have a flood of geese and ducks yearly!
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so what is the benefit of shooting BB for geese? And what choke do ya'll use... i have access to a Farm here on whidbey island to hunt and i was wondering what ya'lll use they have a flood of geese and ducks yearly!
Let me know when your going to hunt there and I'll bring my BB's and show ya :IBCOOL:
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maaaayyyybbbbeeee.... i am not as stingy on spots as some people are i am willing to take people with me.
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It's all good I.think BB's just have more knock.down.power than the smaller shot. I.use a Carlson choke in my benelli super nova always 3" and have been shooting black clouds for last couple years with great success .
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i will have to try it out... but what type of choke IC MOD FULL?
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T for teal!
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Well for early goose i used BB with a mod choke lets just say no issues.... :tup:
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3" # 3,s f0or duck
3" bb for goose
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3" 3's and 3" 2's