# The Perfect Duck Load



## HuntnTeach (May 9, 2020)

I'm a big fan of the Remington Hypersonic. I use these in the swamps and the fields of SD chasing roosters alike.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

3" Hevi-Metal #2s for ducks/geese. If I think there's little to no chance of geese, I prefer the Hevi-Metal #4s.


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## AaronJohn (Oct 18, 2015)

Lamarsh said:


> 3" Hevi-Metal #2s for ducks/geese. If I think there's little to no chance of geese, I prefer the Hevi-Metal #4s.


That’s pure tungsten right? Not a mix? 


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## jduck (Jan 21, 2000)

Boss 2 3/4 #4 or #5


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Looking at the boss shells in my 16 but I'd rather have an ounce and an eighth and not an ounce. My limited experience has shown the heavy load of fours hits much harder than an ounce of fives.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

AaronJohn said:


> That’s pure tungsten right? Not a mix?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


No those are the mix. I think the stuff labeled "Hevi Shot" is the all tungsten loads, and they are only in boxes of 10.


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## Dzank (Oct 8, 2019)

Far Beyond Driven said:


> Looking at the boss shells in my 16 but I'd rather have an ounce and an eighth and not an ounce. My limited experience has shown the heavy load of fours hits much harder than an ounce of fives.


I'd suggest you pattern with those Boss loads. They produce pretty damn good patterns. You should also be able to drop down a shot size or 2 and put the same number or more pellets in a 30" circle.


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## pintail charlie (Nov 26, 2007)

Kent and Remington hypersonic are great through my X2 but i fell in love with 3 inch #2 black cloud! Its dirty stuff but you have way less cripples. I got a case for 130.00 on line this year. They all kill ducks at 15 yards

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## Ender (Dec 6, 2005)

It is beyond me why anyone would ever shoot new load, choke, or gun in the field without patterning it first. Last year I bought a new shotgun, pattered it, and made the manufacturer buy it back because the point of impact was 6-8” left and over 10” low off a bench. After seeing me patterning, a friend brought over his SBE with a popular high end aftermarket choke and promptly switched back to the factory tubes when he saw the POI was significantly off to one side and there were huge holes in the pattern, the same constriction factory tube patterned just about perfect with the same loads. Prior to patterning, he was sure he was just rusty.


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## AaronJohn (Oct 18, 2015)

Ender said:


> It is beyond me why anyone would ever shoot new load, choke, or gun in the field without patterning it first. Last year I bought a new shotgun, pattered it, and made the manufacturer buy it back because the point of impact was 6-8” left and over 10” low off a bench. After seeing me patterning, a friend brought over his SBE with a popular high end aftermarket choke and promptly switched back to the factory tubes when he saw the POI was significantly off to one side and there were huge holes in the pattern, the same constriction factory tube patterned just about perfect with the same loads. Prior to patterning, he was sure he was just rusty.


And you can’t just take one shot to pattern a gun.......like almost everyone on YouTube does. 


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## 22 Chuck (Feb 2, 2006)

A 3" lead #4s would be excellent.

As I recall back when lead was king 3" were rare. Friend had a Model 12--3" but he was the only one I knew of at that time..
late 50s-very early 60s.


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## RS1983 (Mar 16, 2009)

Get yourself a case of winchester experts. Take the difference between what that costs and whatever a case of the newest, boutique ammo that you were going to buy because that's what the hunting influencer you follow uses, and get yourself a membership at a gun club that has skeet or better yet sporting clays. Shoot one or two times a month during the summer and guarantee you'll knock down 3x or better birds


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

CL-Lewiston said:


> A 3" lead #4s would be excellent.
> 
> As I recall back when lead was king 3" were rare. Friend had a Model 12--3" but he was the only one I knew of at that time..
> late 50s-very early 60s.


I shot 2 3/4" shells in the lead days. 1 1/4 ounce at 1330FPS. I used #6 or #7 1/2 for divers out of the layout boat, and #4's or #5's for march hunting.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I shot mainly #5's out of the layout boat for several years now, but, that company is no longer in business and I will likely run out this year. Then it's back to the drawing board.


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## BumpRacerX (Dec 31, 2009)

Up in the UP doing some armed scouting. Hooked up with my grandparents a couple days. Got him talking about hunting back in the day. He started telling stories about me being the retriever because they didn't have a dog when I was a kid. 

Next thing you know he's tapping into the way back machine. Apparently there was a spot up here that they hunted from a ditch on a road. The geese would fly from a field to a loaf pond and the only place the could shoot at them was from this ditch.

Apparently they used #4 buckshot. Full or tighter choke out of a 10 gauge. 

By golly Junior you could knock those things out of the sky 80-100 yards up.

As a bonus he's going to see if he can get us access to a field or two up here.


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## HollyC (Sep 1, 2018)

https://bossshotshells.com/shotshells/all

Fantastic shells and made in Michigan!


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## AaronJohn (Oct 18, 2015)

HollyC said:


> https://bossshotshells.com/shotshells/all
> 
> Fantastic shells and made in Michigan!


Sponsored byyyyyyyyyyyyyyy:


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## HollyC (Sep 1, 2018)

AaronJohn said:


> Sponsored byyyyyyyyyyyyyyy:
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


no sponsor. Just what we have had great results with and the fact that they're a local company makes it even better. I could go on and on about what we've shot, patterns and what works in our guns but I'll save that for another time. I've got kids to get ready for their first day of school tomorrow


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## BruceS (Dec 23, 2003)

HollyC said:


> https://bossshotshells.com/shotshells/all
> 
> Fantastic shells and made in Michigan!


I want to try some in my old Ithaca O/U 2.3/4".


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I may have to look at the "Rio" ammo. I just can't find it anywhere around here. I used to buy from Sporting Ammo/Sporting AmmoII, BUT, they are out of business. Too bad, I liked their stuff. Boss looks really interesting, just out of my price range.


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## Wallis (Nov 10, 2015)

DecoySlayer said:


> I may have to look at the "Rio" ammo.


Rogers Sporting Goods has it for $89.99 a case. I made my yearly purchase of a case of BB and #3’s.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Wallis said:


> Rogers Sporting Goods has it for $89.99 a case. I made my yearly purchase of a case of BB and #3’s.


I saw that. I just hate to buy two cases of shells to find out they don't shoot well out of my gun. I THINK I have enough to get me through this season. I need to do an inventory.


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## BumpRacerX (Dec 31, 2009)

I'm sitting on 300 rounds of various #2's. Resisting the urge to buy more. Really want to switch to a 3" 1 3/8 oz #3 but it seems foolish to buy more shells just because.

Went into Jay's the other day looking for Kent #3 1 1 3/8oz but they didn't have any.


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## BVG (Nov 18, 2004)

Kent 3 1/2 #2 is my go to. Keep a couple BB in my pocket in case the geese come in. 
Bismuth #4 in my old A-5 for Teal. Because it is fun and steel will rip up the barrel. 
If it did not poison the waterfowl population and were legal. Lead #4 is amazing stuff. Killed a lot of pheasants and squirrels as a kid with that load.


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## The Doob (Mar 4, 2007)

HollyC said:


> https://bossshotshells.com/shotshells/all
> 
> Fantastic shells and made in Michigan!


We had a "patterning" party at my house last Sunday afternoon and the results were interesting.
We had guys shooting all varieties from the cheap to the expensive- I shot Hevimetal 3" #3's, BOSS 2 3/4" #5's and Federal Heavyweight 2 3/4" #4's through an IC out of a Browning Maxus. The BOSS out performed the others by a significant margin. On the other end, the Federal heavyweights were a major disappointment (bummer, I have 2 cases left).
On the other end of the spectrum, my buddies got good patterns shooting the Win experts and Fed shok out of their Benelli's with IC.
All of the above were at 30 yards. We never got around to shooting at 40 yards (meal was on the table).
That's what I know.


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## Gamekeeper (Oct 9, 2015)

The Doob said:


> We had a "patterning" party at my house last Sunday afternoon and the results were interesting.
> We had guys shooting all varieties from the cheap to the expensive- I shot Hevimetal 3" #3's, BOSS 2 3/4" #5's and Federal Heavyweight 2 3/4" #4's through an IC out of a Browning Maxus. The BOSS out performed the others by a significant margin. On the other end, the Federal heavyweights were a major disappointment (bummer, I have 2 cases left).
> On the other end of the spectrum, my buddies got good patterns shooting the Win experts and Fed shok out of their Benelli's with IC.
> All of the above were at 30 yards. We never got around to shooting at 40 yards (meal was on the table).
> That's what I know.


You just did 10x the work of most other duck hunters.
And found your answer.
Buy 5 cases of the shell you liked the pattern of.


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## D Buck (Oct 22, 2004)

B Newman said:


> Hello Y’all
> I’m sure this question has been asked time and time again but I’m curious what is everyone’s go-to ideal shot type/size for mallard ducks in 12ga?? What’s some high end brands you prefer vs the more affordable go-to brand that never lets ya down?


I go for price and speed.1550 or so . Mostly winchester x-pert 1550 #2 maybe 4 for decoy birds.They are easy to find. i noticed a big difference when i switched to 1500 +loads. Would like to try the 1700 +loads but the cost. I do well with x-pert . Would never shoot the lower speed again.Tried bismuth and some others but found them not that special for the price.


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## D Buck (Oct 22, 2004)

RS1983 said:


> Get yourself a case of winchester experts. Take the difference between what that costs and whatever a case of the newest, boutique ammo that you were going to buy because that's what the hunting influencer you follow uses, and get yourself a membership at a gun club that has skeet or better yet sporting clays. Shoot one or two times a month during the summer and guarantee you'll knock down 3x or better birds


I heartily agree x-pert 1550 and skeet stations are all the waterfowl shots !


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