Steel shot poll

So what shot size do you guys use?

I use Federal Premium Black Cloud 3" Magnums.

Expensive, but very effective.

Bow-Man said:

I use Federal Premium Black Cloud 3" Magnums.

Expensive, but very effective.

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Must have deep pockets bow-man. Been hunting ducks for almost 15 years and still shooting 3 inch kent fast steel. Can knonk the stuffing out of the with the best of them. Only time I have ever noticed a diff with premium shot is a few LONG SKY BUSTIN SHOTS. Not worth it to me, as I can buy almost 2 boxes for the price of one. Oh yeah #2 for ducks and #BB for Geese.

Not deep pockets, bought a few crates when the price was right. Once those are used, it will be Kent loads for me too...

Too bad its pointless to reload steel.

Kent 3" 1 1/4 oz #3 when I can get them #2 if not.

I always use 2s.
I thought everyone always used steel #2s for quackers.
Guess I was wrong!

i use whats not sold out cuz i have a huge procrastinating habit and never

Woolly said:

So what shot size do you guys use?

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3 early 2 for sea ducks and later in the season

All depends, if im hunting a narrow creek or a real small pond and the shooting is really close and fast i like to use 3's and 4's, and later in the season when the shots are longer and the big northern birds start coming through i like #2's, but i would say the majority of the time i use 3's.

#2 elchepo canadian tire corp winchester mag 3"

#2's, and never been real particular about the brand, anybody got a favorite brand? why?

adgunner said:

#2's, and never been real particular about the brand, anybody got a favorite brand? why?

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Winchester xperts or remington nitro mags, they both pattern very good out of my gun, ive tried a lot of the "premium" ammo and find a lot of it no better or worse tha xperts but that may be just my gun, my old 870 on the other hand patterns federal speedshocks very well but winchesters are usless, I do however love the federal black cloud but the prblm is my bank account has different feelings for it, but it does work...very well

Early on I use #3 and then down to #2 and #1 once the smaller ducks leave and the big north shores come down. Federal ultra shock, black cloud or Kent.

I hunt over a rather small body of water that is actually in the middle of a large marsh. All of my shots are rather close, 20 yards and under. Long shots are very possible but retrieval becomes almost impossible and I hate losing a bird because I dumped it too far out.

Over the years I tried shot sizes from 2 to 4, while 2s worked they didn't pattern well that close in. 4s always did the job! Back in the lead shot days 5s were my favorite!

Kent has been my go to ammo for the past several years. Reasonably priced and works fantastic. I may have found a source for reasonably priced Remington Nitro Steel which I also like a lot. If the Nitro Steel deal falls through I can still get Kent for a great price.

adgunner said:

#2's, and never been real particular about the brand, anybody got a favorite brand? why?

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For me there are two factors that determine what I buy. #1 is a cost/value analysis and #2 is how clean the shell burns. I have had good luck with Remington Nitro Steel #2's, but the dirtiest shells I have ever fired through a shotgun were the Federal Speed Shok shells. Unless I had two bad boxes, which is possible of course.

Chuck said:

.... but the dirtiest shells I have ever fired through a shotgun were the Federal Speed Shok shells. Unless I had two bad boxes, which is possible of course.

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I found the same thing, I stay away from federal speedshoks, they were always really dirty, always a lot of unburnt powder in the chamber and barrel, and they pattern like crap through my gun(although very well out of my old rem 870) and they were the only shells that would jam in my dad's Ithica semi, prbly due to all the crap that comes out of them,the black cloud seems to be alright, still a bit dirty but the patterns are deadly

What shot sizes are you guys using for geese?

I have tried #2,1,bb.bbb,t,tt,and f but now I only use bb because of the pattern, I can still have a decent pattern with bb and also still have decent shot energy. I found with the really large shot sizes the patterns were not dense enough, and bb seems to out penetrate anything larger anyway. With the more pellets of the smaller shot sizes you stand a much greater chance of a pellet striking the head or neck but the energy of 2s seems not to be enough to bring them down if none of the pellets breaks a wing or hits in the birds head or neck.