#4 Shot for Ducks

I use #2 & 3's in 3" but was wondering if anyone uses #4 or ducks. I picked up a box of #4 3" xperts and patterned them this eve through my factory IC at 28 yds and for the heck of it at 43 yds with a Kicks mod. The 1st shot through the IC was at a big sheet of cardboard with a duck drawn on it and it was very very dead duck. The shot through the kicks was at a 8" x 10" sheet of paper taped to a sheet of cardboard and there were 26 hits on the 8" x 10" sheet. Not benched just raised the gun and fired like in a hunting situation. The pellet count is definitely there just looking for some feedback on effective range.

I've had great success with 3" Kent Fasteel and Federal Black Cloud # 4s in the early part of the season.

***EDIT*** should have said what Sinker & Sprite said about the late season......early season only for me then #2s.

Sure, #4's will kill em dead if they're close, but penetration lacks at longer ranges. For smaller ducks, or close range, 4's are deadly. Big late season divers or mallards better be close though, those little pellets dont have much penetration on a fully plumed, fattened up duck with all its feathers.

S.

I like shooting #3s or 4s in the early part of the season when birds are dumb, and there's lots of Teal and Wood Ducks around. Later on in the season I switch to #1s for divers and puddlers, and don't look back!

-Nick

I always have a few #4 shot to use for water-slappers ... the density of the patterns are good for chasing down and killing the cripples that are doing their submarine impression with only the top of the head out of the water. I almost never use them for air shots ... the birds need to be small or close, and if they are close they end up looking like pin cushions ... too many holes when they are hit in the chest.

As others have said keep'm close, I use #4s in Sept and early Oct as I do alot of creek and pond hunting for teal and woodies:)

I may just give them a try this season. I shoot a lot of Woodies early season at no more than 30 yds so I thought it would make a great load.
I've read on some of the US duck hunting forums that #4's take mallards out to 40 yds easily. Personally I prefer 2's for late season mallards and black ducks.

I no longer use 4's. I use 3" #3 until late Oct then switch to 2's for decoying birds and 1's when pass shooting divers.

use them for doves

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sinker

Sure, #4's will kill em dead if they're close, but penetration lacks at longer ranges. For smaller ducks, or close range, 4's are deadly. Big late season divers or mallards better be close though, those little pellets dont have much penetration on a fully plumed, fattened up duck with all its feathers.

S.

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Agree with all of this.

I use #4 Challenger. Only hunt early - opener to thanksgiving weekend or so.

When you people say "close range" - up to what range would this be 35 yards or so?
Having lived through the early years of pathetic steel shot, I've learned to limit my shots to this range.

I like #4 Winchester 3", they worked well for me so far.
Keep the speed up and the range close and you will be fine.

I use #4's for water swats - late season,

In early season for teal hunts - #4's do horrific things to those little birds..... but - they work well =)

Usually 3s until nov than switch to 2s. Used to shoot 4s with the 20 just for a bit more density. Imo 4s are good to maybe 35, penetration gets iffy after that.

Center of the pattern and in good range, then it doesn't matter. I use 4's for the smaller ducks and woodies in close early in the season. #6's for water swatting work well.

I would not use #4 shot for anything but small ducks in the early season. As others have said #4 shot doesn't have the range or penetration to get the job done on larger ducks especially in the late season when the ducks are fully feathered.

Steel holds a tight pattern because pellets do not deform in the barrel.
So wind resistance does not throw them off course like deformed lead pellets.
But impact/momentum/penetration/killing ability is vastly reduce by 40 yards.
If, you could genuinely hold it to 25 yards maximum, fine.
But it is too easy to take longer shots in the excitement of hunting.
So use more effective loads for ducks, like 2's or 3's and limit yourself to 30-35 yards.

Or use tungsten.

I used #3 and #4 for a season and didn't really care for it, I went back to #2s. That being said I would use #4s for timber hunts.

I use number 4's on ducks most of the season until I am after divers and or shooting ducks and geese in the same hunt.

Most of my shots are under 30. I have shot a few handfuls of geese with number 4's in the same range when they came into a spread incidentally. Haven't had to chase a cripple yet. If I actually sat back and compared, my kill ratio with 3 inch number 4 steel on geese vs #2 or bb is probably better haha. Probably not a fair comparison though - maybe a dozen shots/kills with number 4's vs a few thousand shots/kills with number 2's and bb's.