# #2 or #4 steel????????



## Waterspaniel (Oct 10, 2005)

Whats your opinion on the two? I have been shooting 4's and just slaying woodies, teal, shovelers, and put the hurt on a hen mallard at long range- while absolutely clobbering drakes in close. This week I drop a Drake with fours, he got up and started to fly off. Hammered him again. He went down but sarted scooting across the water just barely skimming the surface. Now he's waaay out there and I let drive and spay him AGAIN and he keeps going. Wound up getting him but man what a chase.

My theory gas been 4's give ya a better pattern, more potential pellets on the bird, with range almost as good as the 2's. Much beyound the 4 range is getting out there where we hit fewer birds anyway.

I hunt water mostly, mixed bag. I may have to try one of those park duck hunts in the field when I am out there in Nodak next week. What are your shot preferences. Thanks in advance for the info


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## goosehunter29 (Sep 23, 2003)

I personally use the #2's. I feel the harder you can hit something the better.

GH29


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## MRN (Apr 1, 2002)

#3's splits the difference - and have worked as well as anything.

My preference now is #6 hevisteel for shots within 30yds, and #4's HS
if things aren't perfect and the birds are skittish. At $19-$20 for
a box of 25, its a much better option IMHO. Its pretty widely available now too.

M.


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## Bandcollector02 (Oct 4, 2005)

I like shooting #4 in the early season when I'm shooting the smaller birds such as woodie's and teal. I'm leaving for ND today and all I'm bringing is #2's because we are going to be field hunting mainly for mallards. I have taken Giant Canadian's down with #4's before. Shot distance also plays a critical role with steel especially.


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## deked (Mar 11, 2003)

Kent 2's for ducks
Kent 1's for geese
:beer:


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## The Dak (Nov 23, 2003)

My advice: Get a few different loads that you think will be good. Then pattern each taking three shots and averaging the number of pellets in a 30" circle centered on the densest part of the pattern. Then, go with the largest pellet size that gives addequate counts based on the CONSEP lethality table (can be found in NDGF PLOTS Guide).

For example, I used to always prefer 4s and then 3s later in the season. I patterned my gun with 3" 1 1/4oz 3s and found the pattern to be sufficiently lethal. So, just for S&Gs, I decided to throw up a few patterns of the dirt cheap Remington 2 3/4" 1 1/8oz 2s. Da ta dada, EXACTLY the same lethality. So, now I've got greater individual pellet energy while maintaining pattern lethality, less recoil, and BONUS cheaper prefered loads!

Importantly, every gun acts differently, so pattern the gun YOU are using.


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## apeterson (Aug 3, 2005)

is the heavy shot you mentioned really worth twice the price... assuming I can hit what I am shooting at (depending on the day I guess) I have never tried it but was thinking I may try it...


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## Waterspaniel (Oct 10, 2005)

I would love 3's, but I cant always find em. I am considering loading steel to create my own custom # 3 steel load( a tpoic for another forum).

I Know I get good patterns with the 4's AND 2's. Again my THEORY is that I get more hits with the 4's. At least potentially more hits. Patterning is great, but I believe either you hit em or ya dont.

I will have to buy some more goodies for the trip and experiment.

I know the new non toxics are super, but man is that some serious cash for shells. I guess if you cripple fewer birds, bag more, you use less shells right. Still dont think it justifies the 40.00 for the equivalent in good steel. And quite frankly, the 60 yards or whatever you get from the new loads- hey either ya got em over the dekes or ya dont.

Anyway, just looking for thoughts on the 4/2 comparison from folks that have em both a bunch. Mainly the results on big ol Mallards.


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## Nolte (Oct 6, 2004)

Here is what I do and what works for me.

First few weekends in WI when there are a lot of blue wings and wood ducks around, I'll buy a couple of boxes of 4s or 3s. After that 2s all the time. I've shot o plenty of birds including geese at reasonable ranges with 2s out of my gun. If I think there will be a lot of geese and fewer ducks I might bump up to BB. If they are super skittish late geese, every once in awhile might throw in T.

About the primo shells, as soon as I can't get a double at ducks 35 yards out then maybe I'll buy some to save face. Until then it's not worth it to me. If you get ducks to commit and they are at 15 yards, anything you throw at them will prob bring em down. Diff story when they are flaring at at 40 though.

About those cheap econo shells like xperts, sportsmens and such. In my opinion you're better off opening up the box and dumping them right in the water. I won't even keep them around for cripples on the water. Some guys like them but I'm definately not one of those guys. I've shot them side by side with decent shells and can easily tell the difference. Now unless my shooting only sucks with econo shells, they are junk IMO.

Give me 1 1/4 3 inch 2s in Super X Drylocks, or Kents and I'm a happy camper with confidence I can knock em down.


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## The Dak (Nov 23, 2003)

Alright then, 2s. 4s have caused too many of my birds to be inedible.

Like you said, you either hit em or you don't. Most guys don't consistently hit past 40 yds.


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## MRN (Apr 1, 2002)

Waterspaniel,

I understand, but when you find #3's buy a few boxes. I also did the
custom loading for several years for the perfect fast load of steel - the price and quality of loads now makes it unnecessary.

Hevisteel is a cheaper version of Hevishot - at less than $1 per shell its not crazy expensive like the earlier stuff.

ap
I think they are worth twice the price - Fleet has them for $20 for box of 25 now. They won't fix poor shooting, but a square hit grounds the bird for good. With steel loads, even when you did right and rocked the bird, 1 shot in 3 (4) the bird would still fly, maybe sail, or fall crippled (meaning a second or third shot - or a long hard hunt for the dog.) I'm a really conservative shoooter too - 25 yd stuff - 40 yds is a logn ways out (we take a laser ranger some times.) Perhaps HS only gives me the confidence to swing through smoothly, but ducks have been dropping much better the last two years (unless I get that "you're behind moron" feeling when I'm pulling the trigger.) I didn't like the original HeviShot probably because I was too scared to touch off such an expensive shell.

And its not Snow goose hunting - for ducks a 25/box of shells will last an entire weekend. Try them - post your thoughts.

M.

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## Pluckem (Dec 26, 2002)

I have been using the Hevi-Steel in 4's this season. I can definatly see a difference. A lot of 1 shot kills on ducks at about 20-30 yards. Even had a triple on geese this year shot 2 out front and one off behind me a ways. Pretty quick limit. :beer: I bought a case last year for $100 on close out so they only cost me $10/25. Once they run out I dont know if I will keep buying them at $20/25. Im one of those poor college guys. I really like what I have been seen though.


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## greenhead (Jun 1, 2004)

I shoot lighter loads early season than shoot heavier loads later in the season, bigger ducks and usually longer shots.


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## BIRDSHOOTER (Jul 18, 2005)

2's cover just about all the bases, since you don't always know what your going to get as far as distances, their hard to beat.


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## gusto (Oct 8, 2003)

I really like the hevi-shot. Got a triple on ringers last night on #6 hevis. All over 35 yrds and all dropped dead. Just don't like missing because it costs me about $7.50 to unload my SBE. What's with the hevi-steel? How is it compared to hevi-shot?


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## DeerScarer (Jul 23, 2005)

gusto said:


> I really like the hevi-shot. Got a triple on ringers last night on #6 hevis. All over 35 yrds and all dropped dead. Just don't like missing because it costs me about $7.50 to unload my SBE. What's with the hevi-steel? How is it compared to hevi-shot?


My understanding is, it's pretty light, like Bismuth, perhaps half way between steel and Hevi-Shot. Still, not bad for the money. #4 will probably kill like #3 steel, or like #5 lead used to, or like #6 HeviShot does. Like steel it comes in 1550 fps, 1 1/8 oz loads.

I'm not that excited about HeviSteel, but then, Federal has come out with something similar only more expensive, so maybe the day of the extra heavy non-toxics is over. :eyeroll: I'm waiting for Silvex myself, heavier and rounder than HS if rumor is correct, but don't expect it will be cheap. 

-Dave


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## Goon (Apr 3, 2005)

goosehunter29 said:


> I personally use the #2's. I feel the harder you can hit something the better.
> 
> GH29


I use 3 1/2 2 shot HV Winchesters. I dont' skimp on power.


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## goosehunter29 (Sep 23, 2003)

they are just ducks..........we use the number 2 for everything from honkers to pigeons. To be completely honest it is the shooter more than anything. I have seen 12lbs.ers plucked out of the sky by a 12 year old boy shooting field loads.


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## Goon (Apr 3, 2005)

goosehunter29 said:


> they are just ducks..........we use the number 2 for everything from honkers to pigeons. To be completely honest it is the shooter more than anything. I have seen 12lbs.ers plucked out of the sky by a 12 year old boy shooting field loads.


I will take Winchester's Black Death BBB for Honkers. Nothing else seems to work that well.


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## Mannlicher (Sep 18, 2005)

I have pretty much stayed with #4 shot in my Browning A5 3"mag. I find that #4 gives better patterns than #2. I admit I have not tried #3 shot yet. The 4s do fine on ducks out to about 40 yards for me.


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## Duckslayer100 (Apr 7, 2004)

Went out this evening and I was shooting 3 1/2 #2's and the ducks I shot were dead. From now on that's all I'm buying. For years I've shot 3 inch #4's and #2's and had cripples all the time. Today was one of the first times I didn't get one cripple. Maybe its cus I"m finally improving my shooting skills, but I'm not chancing it by going back to 3 inchers.


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## MSG Rude (Oct 6, 2003)

I just got to say this, it all depends on so many conditions.

This past Saturday I dropped a very nice green head after another guy had expired his three shot's so that tells you that it was a way's away but I did drop it with one shot, 2-3/4 #5. I am not bragging nor saying how great I am. It was just a good shot.

I prefer these for less damage but I also like number 4 steel when I am out at the holes for whatever abounds. Good shot for a variable. If they get up too close I let them drift out or fly out a little before shooting them.

Hey, just my 2 cent's.


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

i shoot federal HHV 3 1/2 # 1's all the time on everything and it works great.


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## MRN (Apr 1, 2002)

Man, shooting 3 1/2 HHV shells on everything would rattle the fillings out of my teeth. Shooting 3 inch shells though an SBE is punishing enough for me.

M.


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## Ryan_Todd (Apr 11, 2004)

my sx2 doesn't kick that bad. my dads new sbe 2 kicks a lot more then mine does.


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## deacon (Sep 12, 2003)

I use #3 for ducks and BBB for geese.


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## maple lake duck slayer (Sep 25, 2003)

I prefer Federal 3" #2's. This is the first year I have field hunted ducks a lot, and I am just destroying the ducks with these shells. Anywhere from the 15 yard shots as they are back-peddling to the 45 yard shots when they are flaring and I finally pick out a drake. All shots have folded the birds up and dropped them dead. The last 8 shots out of my gun have led to 7 greenheads being dropped dead. I have a lot of confidence in my shot with these shells.


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## outlaw (Oct 25, 2005)

For the past four years, I've used nothing but BB. Yes BB, the high winds, and large size of the mallards made BB with a high FPS number the best choice for the baseball sized greenheads I've encountered. Using BB also gives you the flexibility of nocking down any geese that may wonder your way. With BB, you don't turn your duck into sausage and when you nock one down it stays down.


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## Devil Duck (Oct 10, 2005)

Winchester Supreme 3" 3's. Buy them early in the season, by late season they are all gone.


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## HonkerExpress (Sep 23, 2005)

I shoot whatever I happen to have in my bag out in the field with me, usually a good assortment of 2's and BBB's, I even found me some t's and f's last weekend, lol. But on ducks, I personally love using 2's. Geese I tend to go towards the BBB's. I shoot alot of Estate and Kent. Can't bet the price. :beer: :beer: :beer:


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## Norm70 (Aug 26, 2005)

I have really liked the 3 1/2 Kents but that Estate stell i think is crap, but that is my opinion


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