Early Goose Loads

[TylerS]

@TylerS: from my hunting partys experience, we all have had problems Kents and cripples. It seems like 30-40% of our boxes were going to clean up cripples and in my book 3-4 out of 10 shells isnt a good ratio.

Well then we can agree to disagree. Kents must not pattern well out of your shotgun. I've patterned mine out of the trusty Remington 870 and short-range Patternmaster choke tube. The density is dynamite.

Of course, the best-patterned shotgun in the world won't do you any good if you keep hitting the geese in the @$$...

[rattlem'up]

What distance would you recommened shooting geese at with 3" 1 1/4 t shot?

I have not had great experiences with T shot. It will not hold a pattern for me very well at longer distances. No one can recommend you what distance to shoot geese with any certain load. Its all how your gun/shells/choke pattern at certain distances. That will tell you what distance you will effectivly kill geese.

[Rost]

BB, 1 shot or 2 shot.

The group I hunt with shoots everything from Fiocci to Federal to Remington. Doesn't seem to matter. Seems like we go with the $10-$12 stuff and it works well.

[NR]

What distance would you recommened shooting geese at with 3" 1 1/4 t shot?

Same as any other load - any distance you feel very strongly that you are going to kill the goose cleanly on the first shot.

For me, it would be significantly further with T's than 2's . . . but I'm a pretty good shot, so I can get some yardage out of T's !

[carpshooterdeluxe]

What distance would you recommened shooting geese at with 3" 1 1/4 t shot?

all depends on the pattern. T shot patterns best with a fairly open choke; IMP or something between an IMP and MOD. your pellet count is significantly reduced compared to 1's or even BB, but the energy retention is higher. Steel T's will kill a bird at ranges farther than most of us can accurately determine, not to mention calculate the right lead.

I'll punch up the numbers tonight on the KPY software and see what the numbers are for T shot.

[WalleyesWest]

I would say #2's 1 1/4oz of the cheepist stuff you can find "federal blue box or Win Xp" for early goose season and ducks! and BB's for late season geese! I usually buy 2 cases of shells 15boxes of #2's and five of BB's.

[hunter322]

all i shoot at geese are federal 3" Ts. Ts and Fs break bones!!!

[Beast26]

Early in the year geese - 3 1/2" Black Cloud # 2. I want as many pellets as I can get and the birds don't have their thick down coat on yet so no need to use BB or BBB.

Ducks - opening weekend 4's and 3's.

Geese - November - 3 1/2" Black Cloud BB

Ducks - Late Oct - Nov - 2's

[hunter322]

me personaly i would NOT recomend black cloud. i rocked a crow last year at 30 or 40 yards and all it did was caw and feathers flew and he kept on flying. i was very disapointed!

[carpshooterdeluxe]

me personaly i would NOT recomend black cloud. i rocked a crow last year at 30 or 40 yards and all it did was caw and feathers flew and he kept on flying. i was very disapointed!

i'm sure it was the ammo...not the pattern, lead, estimated distance, wind drift...all the ammo's fault!!!

[goblueM]

me personaly i would NOT recomend black cloud. i rocked a crow last year at 30 or 40 yards and all it did was caw and feathers flew and he kept on flying. i was very disapointed!

i think you've misunderestimated the connotation of "rocked" when it pertains to shooting a bird with a shotgun

[Beast26]

me personaly i would NOT recomend black cloud. i rocked a crow last year at 30 or 40 yards and all it did was caw and feathers flew and he kept on flying. i was very disapointed!

I always find comments like this rather funny. I can't say I have ever had an issue with knocking down a crow because I usually don't shoot something I don't plan on eating. I have had ZERO issues with Black Cloud and I have been shooting it since before anyone could buy it in stores. It patterns really well in my Xtrema with Pattern Master choke and I have had zero issues with cripples. It hits really hard and does a boat load of damage. To each his own. My 2nd choice would be Black Death (winchester premium).

[bobbymalone]

I always find comments like this rather funny.

+1. If i put a handful of small pebbles in a shell, shot it out of elmer fudd's trumpet barrel wabbit hunting shotgun, and "rocked" a crow.... it would fall down dead.

You either didn't hit it as good as what you think you did or you "rocked" it 80 yards.

If it patterns well oot of your gun and you are shooting in the range of where it still patterns will any shell will kill birds.

I have seen plenty and shot plenty of birds with black cloud and they fell down dead. I don't like them though, because they seem to jam up one of my guns and cycle fine in the other.