best cartridge for duck

stevoman

does anyone know whats the best cartridge for using on ducks?

Hezz700

Remmy shurshot No6 36gr is what i use, and it works fine for me. but "horses for courses" and all that...........:)

We're never short of varying opinions here:D

padge hunter

stevoman wrote:

does anyone know whats the best cartridge for using on ducks?

all depends on how close the ducks are to ya if thay arnt coming in and landing on top of ya 7 and a halfs or sixs if thay are droping in frount of ya id use nines my self

stevoman

i have been out the only twice since the first. love goin out but i dont have a dog to retreive so i dont. have been using 32g 6's. hit one the other night using them. a friend uses 40g 6's with great results. was interested in what everyone else was using.

its a killer not having a dog to do the retreiving, my house is full of pets already and unforunatly i cant get another for some time. anyone know any good tricks for retreving a duck from the river (without having to get in yourself)?

fathersymes

There is a massive amount of twaddle regarding what is the best shot size and load weight for bird shooting.

What really matters is how good a shot you are, I've shot all sorts of game with everything from 4's to 8's. There is no discernable difference in performance.

Unlike rifle shooting where you can transparently identify which bullet is the most accurate, a shotgun pattern fired at a moving target is not easy to measure.

Many think that magnums will perform better, in reality you just get fatigued by the recoil and miss or mince birds. Ok for firing one or two at a fox.

Dvs

This thread reminds me of when many years ago as a novice shooter,
I enquired of the local firearms dealer,
if the box of super duper magnums on his shelf,
were any good for shooting ducks?


After a pause to consider this he said................









That depends on if you hit them or not!

That is the truth,
if you don't hit them your choice of cartridge will not matter,
if you do hit them it probably won't matter either,
but 7 1/2 's and 6 's will serve you well.

Dvs.

Chopperdog 2

fathersymes wrote:

I've shot all sorts of game with everything from 4's to 8's. There is no discernable difference in performance.

QUOTE]


Fathersymes,

Your logic may be true if aall shooting was done under 25 yards.

32g of no.4 shot correctly placed will bring down a 40 yard duck. 32g of no. 9 shot on the same target will not have this result

The smaller shot will reach the target but will not have sufficient striking energy per pellet to inflict a clean kill. This is a major cause of quarry being un-necessarily wounded.

We have carried out tests first hand on how far loads of differing sizes will travel after leaving the gun and just as the text books state, larger pellets travel significantly further and retain greater energy than their smaller brethren.

It is common sense and respectful to your quarry to try dispatch them as swiftly and humanely as possible and the use of the proper ammunition for proper species is the way to approach this.

As for using nine on ducks.... Go read some ballistic charts and learn some respect for the creatures that you shoot.

Double Barrel

As for using nine on ducks.... Go read some ballistic charts and learn some respect for the creatures that you shoot.

Agree completely with chopper on this.

Ducks: (over decoys 35 - 40 yards) 4's, 5's & 6's- 65 or 70mm. Late season & pass shooting 4's & 5's - #4's on the foreshore for mallard and wigeon. (70 or 76mm )
Geese: - over decoys 2's & 4's. Late season, foreshore, pass shooting & Canadas, BB's & 2's - 70 mm 76mm

Many think that magnums will perform better, in reality you just get fatigued by the recoil and miss or mince birds.

Agree with Fathersymes, they tend to rattle ones choppers.:rolleyes:

Umiq88

36gr 6's

fathersymes

Chopperdog 2 wrote:

As for using nine on ducks.... Go read some ballistic charts and learn some respect for the creatures that you shoot.

I said I used everything from 4 to 8's on game, I have never specifically used small shot on duck. I would normally use 4's or 5's when after ducks.

I have been out shooting snipe with 8's and have many a time shot mallard at 30+ yards with 8's. Result: stone dead!

I have also witnessed others downing duck with 4's and magnums. Result: Walking wounded!

egan007

Blanks - From the Ducks point of view

alan123

QUOTE]




We have carried out tests first hand on how far loads of differing sizes will travel after leaving the gun and just as the text books state, larger pellets travel significantly further and retain greater energy than their smaller brethren.

.[/QUOTE]

Chopperdog has spoken!!

Who is "We"? Courtlough hardly runs all these tests? You know a lot about shooting CD, thats not just from working at Courtlough? What are your credentials? Done a few courses??

Nothing less than a 32g 6 on duck for me.

I once asked a guy if he found the cartridges he was using any good. He answered: "Well I wouldnt stand in front of them anyway!"- fair enough!

johnfaul

i have some bornaghi 36g no.5 i think these should be good on ducks but personally i wouldnt use anything less than no.6 on a duck

Rovi

I'm sorry. I've tried to resist, but the strain has become too much.
This thread reminds me of this perennial old favourite:

A man walks into a gun shop, points at a box of cartridges, and asks: "Would those be good for ducks?"
"No," replies the shop owner "they'll kill them."

Once again, my apologies.

Please resume sensible discussion.

fathersymes

Twaddle Twaddle Twaddle!

And as for Chopperdog with "We have carried out tests"
may I ask? where and how? using a chronograph on an expanding shot pattern?!!

And Double Barrel with specific loads for different times of the season?
They develop armour? I've found 7's in mallard in January in their guts.

This is all nonsense.

Stop worring about 28g, 30g, 32g, 36g. etc... and 4's,5's,6's,7's,8's and
become a better shot AND don't shoot at out of range birds.

Chopperdog 2

fathersymes wrote:

Twaddle Twaddle Twaddle!

And as for Chopperdog with "We have carried out tests"
may I ask? where and how? using a chronograph on an expanding shot pattern?!!

QUOTE]

Fathersymes, it is you that mention a chronograph, not I.

When setting up sporting layout it is paramount that you know where your spent shot is going to fall, the CPSA recommends a 300yard safety exclusion zone.

We went one step further and actually measured physically how far the shot will travel after leaving the gun. checking differing parameters including elevation of barrell, shot sizes and load weight.

This experiment was no great scientific event but it proved to me and my colleugues first hand what the manuals already told us, that larger pellets will travel further and retain more energy.

This is one of the reasons that clay grounds request that shot of no bigger than 7's are used as they increase the size of the area for shot fallout.


Alan, just for the record, I have 15 years working experience at a Shooting grounds, am a CPSA and ICPSA registered Clay pigeon coach and safety officer and just love any information on shooting.

alan123

fathersymes wrote:

Twaddle Twaddle Twaddle!



Stop worring about 28g, 30g, 32g, 36g. etc... and 4's,5's,6's,7's,8's and
become a better shot AND don't shoot at out of range birds.

What range would you call maximum forduck so?? Does range not change with cartridge? I wouldnt shoot at a duck at 50 yards with 8's (in fact I would only use 8's on snipe) but I would have a go with 4's. If theres no difference why not just have one size shot? Thats a silly arguement "become a better shot", Im with CD on this its all maths, lead, pattern etc.

For example, if you are the best shot in the world and hit a snipe bang on with 36grm 4's at 30 yards. He will probably fly through the pattern. Or vice versa, you can dust a duck with 8's and just wound him at the same range. Im no expert but thats my two cents. Feel free to correct me Chopper.

john mcvey

i use eley olympic trap 7.5 in the first barrell and remington sure shot 32grm no 6 in the second,
i feel it gives me a bit more range as they are startled and going away,