"Do you still like 20ga #3s for large ducks, and what commercial load?"

[Dave in AZ]

Someone PMed me asking this, it was a lot of typing so will repost here for others.

Hi Sam.
You can use about anything for large ducks. as you only need 90 pellets in a pattern, so 2, 3, or 4 offerings will do. It comes down to how far you want body penetration kills.

Lately, a lot of folks are moving to 5s and 6s and shooting incoming or broadside, getting head and neck kills a long ways further out than they will penetrate body--30 yards, maybe 35, but this relies on a dense pattern so once it spreads it misses head and doesn't penetrate body enough. My buddy used Upland steel 6s on teal to 35yds and loved them.

if your shots are 30yds and in, literally ANY shell will work decent. It all comes down to how they will work from 30 to 40 yds, where high pattern density needed for head kills (smaller pellets), larger pellets needed for body penetration kills or bones, and more pellets in pattern (smaller pellets or tighter choke) are needed for medium or small ducks (to get enough hits to hit a lethal spot).
The advantage of smaller pellets is they work on Med or small ducks, but they only work to 30 yds, maybe 35. Larger pellets choked into a tighter pattern if you can, will also work.

Assuming we need 1.5" penetration on body to reach heart/lungs etc, body kills, then at 1450fps or so, 1000msl: (from memory, might be off 1-2 yds)
#2 42yds
#3 39yds
#4 34yds.
But again, half that penetration will do head/neck if you have enough pellets to make that likely.

So 90 pellets in 30" pattern gives 5 hits average on mallard-size surface area, of which 1 should statistically hit a lethal spot--that is what drives all the calcs. With a 72% pattern, maybe steel IM gets that, that is 125 pellets needed.

#2 steel has 125 pellets in an ounce, so 1oz works.
#3 steel has 154 per 1 oz, so 7/8oz is 135, works either load.
#4 steel has 192 per 1 oz, so even a 3/4oz load of 144 works out to 32-35yds.
#5 steel or 6, sold for upland, might work almost as far with 7/8oz by getting head/neck kills.

I personally have not yet tried 5 or 6 steel so can't attest to the increased hits lethality. My issue is I'm on a river usually, or jump shooting, not many shots and longer 40yards, so I tend to go for body penetration kills, as patterns get too thin out there to get cns head kills. So I like 3s for 20ga.

i don't pay much attention to commercial loads as I load a 20ga 3in 1oz #3 @1450fps, cheap and easy and good. But...
I like Federal, as they load close to advertised payload and good basic loads with round steel for decent price. Their speedshok line is 7/8oz at 1550, in 2 3 or 4, $23, my choice.

Their BlackCloud line is 1oz, 2/3/4, 1350fps, $41, but not round saturn shaped pellets. I think round always better for patterns, and the 1oz isn't worth the $$.

Ultrasteel 2+4 or 3+5 is expensive and marketing, but 1oz at 1400fps $38. They do make a straight #2 1oz 1400fps one, round pellets, it is a good load.

Rio and Kent and Fiocchi have decent loads too. Heck even Herters from Basspro is solid. I'd buy:
1oz #2 or #3
7/8oz #3 or #4
7/8oz or 3/4oz 4, 5, 6 for 32yds and in.

I would NOT BUY Win Blindside, anything from HeviMetal (light payloads), or expensive Blackcloud or blends.

If you go for 4,5,6, then often the Upland version from a company is cheaper than waterfowl!

 

[Bps410]

I shot some very long Geese with the 20g 7/8oz steel 3s with a 3/4 extended choke , I totally forgot i had the 20g with me and not the 12g . Didn't seam to make a difference.

 

[Larry Welch]

The information you have Dave is once again informative and in my opinion spot on.When a few years ago I shot alot of 20 I enjoyed Rio 3" 3s with great success and an ic choke but I did not hunt big water. Longest shot in the creeks or swamps would be maybe 35y. I can still get them in close on the big water but the follow ups is where distance can stretch. When going bigger,2s, in my opinion and at the pattern boards, tighter chokes help. If 3s and 4s is where you sit ic/lm/m seem to cover any situation. I will be big water hunting all year with the ultima 20 so I should have more experience to base assumptions off of come February.

 

[roy123]

Always liked #4's in a 20 ga. Back in the 90's local stores carried the Estate 3" 1oz loads and the 2 3/4" 3/4 oz loads. We killed an awful lot of ducks with those 4's. I'd buy the 6's during teal season and shoot them up during big duck. No doubt the 4's penetrated better and still had a good pattern. We never took going away shots or marginal shots and still don't. That load is long gone, the only equivalent I've found is the drylock and nitro steel and they are upwards of 25-30$ a box.

I've shot the kent upland fasteel #5's the last couple of years after reading about them on here. Been a pretty good load so far. We don't shoot as many big ducks as we once did but they've taken a few for me. Always felt the 1 oz of 4's was about perfect through factory IC and mod chokes. It's a shame they are harder to find now. Those loads were in the 1300fps range.

 

[sharkman]

Federal 3" #3's

 

[Fogie]

..

 

[cd2]

Dave, I'm curious if you have ever tested a fold crimped version of the 1oz DLA load that everyone loads?

I've tested a pile of steel duplex loads at a true overall 1oz payload, fold crimped on an OMV press, and I find the powder charges being thrown around to be WELL over pressure. I've never had one test under pressure at a powder charge heavier than 34 grains. As we know, the pressures with no felt cushion below the shot column and a longer overall shot column length will be higher, so how come the powder charges on these straight steel loads are so heavy?

I sort of get it in the case of the DLA load since it's roll crimped, but it shouldn't make THAT much of a difference.

Even BPI jumps on the bus publishing loads in the 38 grain neighborhood, fold crimped, saying they are under pressure. I just haven't found that to be true? I also don't quite understand how they increase the powder charge half a grain and lose 150 FPS. I get they dropped the buffer, but something smells fishy.

 

[Ravenanme]

Yep 3" #3's are good to 50 yds with 1550 fps and have 140 pellets to the load using the 600 fps rule !
With 1.43 " of penetration and a reasonable pattern , a Going away bird at 40 yds is in Danger !
I always liked a .020 constriction in my 20's !

 

[Jim Atlas]

Even BPI jumps on the bus publishing loads in the 38 grain neighborhood, fold crimped, saying they are under pressure. I just haven't found that to be true? I also don't quite understand how they increase the powder charge half a grain and lose 150 FPS. I get they dropped the buffer, but something smells fishy.

View attachment 517747

It's called magic, son. And they've been hocking magic all over the place for years.

 

[Billy Bob]

Before I got into small shot the Nitromag 1oz of 3's were my go to 20ga load. Hunted a lot of fields back then and they were great on combo hunts if the geese were lessers or smaller. They sucked for the big guys. I'd still be shooting them if I could.