#2`s or BB`s for canada`s
 

well guys what do you recommend for Canada geese, #2`s or bb`s im using #2 black cloud now, but maybe I should try bb`s?

My son uses Kkent Fassteel 2's and BB's in his 12 , I use Kent Fassteel 2's and 4's in my 20.
In my vintage guns I use #2 or4 Bismuth or Shot, but recently picked up some ITX to try - #4.
Cat

goose shot
 

If they are flopping into your decoy's # 4 is lots, but if they are a little shy then 1 1/4-1 3/8 #2 should be enough. Early dec seems to be the only time we need to use BB's in this area but things might be different where you are. Try some different combination of shot and see what works best. Enjoy the season and best of luck:sHa_shakeshout:

choices
 

I have a few friends that are outfitters and to aman they use 2's for ducks and BB's for geese. Plus at this time of year the feathers are a little tougher to penetrate than they are in early september. FS

T shot works great as well especially in the later season

well the 2`s have worked so far, ill stick with them until i`m getting low the I`ll pick up some different sizes and give them a try aswell, thanks for the input

I use #3's for everything but I am a 40 yard and under shooter.

I use what patterns best in my shotgun.
Certain loads require a looser choke, so I run what patterns well through my modified tube.
Only you can determine what will work beat.

#2 until the last week of oct then I switch to BB unless theirs lots of ducks in the field then I will shoot #2 for both

IME I find bigger is better
 

I'm not going to rant about steel shot, but I get better results with the bigger shot. I used to use $4 for everything, it patterned well and when aimed at the bill killed everything.

Now I use BBs

Typically wont put anything through my gun larger than #2. Even late season birds I stick to BlindSide 2-3/4" #2's. Any ducks, yes even mallards, I throw out #4's.

This year is the great #2 experiment, typically I have been a BB guy. But we are going to try and re-program ourselves and focus on head and neck shots.

BB's are what we use. Used to use #'s just they weren't as effective when the birds are hanging up higher and not fully committed to the decoys.

I only use BB's, don't really target ducks though, just geese.

#2's will do fine on body shots as well man!

Here was a thread I found last year that I found interesting re: shot size.

Interesting also was that at 30-40 yards switching from regular to hypersonic shotshell velocities makes little difference, or at least less difference than increasing shot size.

http://www.duckhuntingchat.com/forum...?f=14&t=110030

Reading through the thread makes me think that the discussions on American boards sound more civilized than some of our threads!

DHC can get a little weird at times ( more like most of the time), and that is putting it mildly. I would never accuse it of being more civil than AO. But, those two posts, are examples of some of the good ones, that can be found here and there, after sifting thru the BS on various forums. Even the Campfire has some good stuff in there, by some reputable people, over the years.
For myself, on ducks and Specks and Snows till the pinfeathers have all popped out, #3 or #2 in 12 or 20ga is adequate over the dekes, although I will switch to BB for some of the high floaters on Snows later in the AM. Once the pinfeathers are out, BB on geese.

#2's on geese,
#4's on ducks

whatever i pull out of my blind bag....i literally just have a bag of loose shells. Ranges from 3 1/2 #3, to 2 3/4" BB. It really doesnt matter what you use....if you know how to use your shotgun birds fall outof the sky when you pull the trigger. I will admit that i am not a fan of 3 1/2" shells, they hurt out of my SBE II

I still to this day do not understand the 3.5 shell. Why on earth you would ever need that is beyond my capacity to think

X2...my goal is to kill them in the hole. In most cases a 28g is sufficient. I do enjoy pass shooting specks and snows at extended ranges....in that senerio a 3 1/2" shell seems appropriate

The 3-1/2" load exists, because the manufacturers were successful in convincing some hunters that they need 3-1/2" loads to kill geese.

Yup, about the same as a lot of cartridges and load on the market these days
" somebody designing something to sell to someone that thinks they need it"
As was told to me many years ago.
We could do away with a lot of the stuff on the market and still kill the same amount of critters cleanly and efficiently.:thinking-006:
However, human nature being what it is, we are always trying to build a better mouse trap.
Cat

3.5's are useful.

For example:

You: "Hey I'm out of shells hand me some"

Me: "Sorry your gun is to small to handle the power of the 3.5"

Or...

Me: "hey I'm out of shells hand me some"

You: "dammit"

Big fan of fast steel number 1's for geese. Pattern out of my gun is stellar. Nothing wrong with 2's either over dekes. Personally never have shot a 3.5" shell. Drake u need to be more organized lol😛😛

Back in the lead days, I use to shoot 1 7/8 BB when I could get bulk 3” hulls (to expensive to buy 3” shells as a teenager) to replicate that load in steel It would take a 1 3/8 of BBB to get the pellet count and similar pellet weight.

But looking back I shot just as many birds with 1 1/2 OZ #2 with the more common 2 ¾ hulls and a surprising number with 1 ¼ #4

Even with lead BB’s we complained about armored birds and dreamed of a 10 gauge.

There is still a part of me that wonders why 10 gauge did not take over or at least become more popular than it is

in the lead days i shot nothing but imperial 2 3/4" magnum #6......no exceptions.

That could be said about almost everything in the hunting world, consumers want faster, more power, etc. Look at guns, scopes, ammo, rangefinders and the list goes on and on.

The hunting industry is no different than any other, manufactures are in a constant state of improvement, some things are better, some the same, consumers want choices and they will decide, if it is something they want.

I am sure many hunters are like myself, I don't really buy a lot of things I get because I need it, I buy it because I want it. There has been adequate and proficient firearms, ammo, scopes etc for decades, but consumers are always wanting to try something new, hunters are no different.

There are very few manufactures that would survive without constantly improving their product, or offering different options, it is the catalyst for many of the improvements we have seen over the years.

Personally, I don't shoot 3 1/2 shells, but could not really care less who does, none of my concern what other hunters choose to use.

I use #2 for ducks and bob for geese.