Smaller Load Goose Success?

[OR_Bo_Huntr]

I have had really good luck shooting geese with smaller loads....some 3" 1 1/8oz #3 and #4......anybody else find this at all?

[billc_sbio]

Well...depends upon the Range!

Personally I often like #1s for the Squeakers (cuz I can't always be sure they'll be in really "close")

I mean they are ONLY Mallard size!

Looky here, this lil Cackler's almost hidden by the Greenhead!

[jokester]

Originally Posted by billc_sbio

Well...depends upon the Range!

Personally (read MY PERSONAL OPINION ) #2's are as small as i'd go for geese. Yeah, you might be able to kill them with 3's and 4's, but why take a knife to a gunfight...

-jokester

[sidewinder]

BB's and up for me. I've shot them with 4's but thats because they snuck up on me while duck hunting. Anything over 30 yds would be too far imo with small loads, and thats probably pushing it. Who wants to pick out all that shot anyway.

[billc_sbio]

Yeah, for BIG Geese I use BBBs and lots of 'em!

As you go up in pellet size you go down (dramatically) in pellet count.

But then, on those Big Geese, you've got a Bigger target.

Gotta keep the pellets IN the bird count up.

[High Life]

All I shoot are 3 inch 4's and have not had a problem with being able to put the geese down.i guess it just depends on how you like to shoot them

[Wingman Or.]

I shoot #2's at everything (ducks, little & big geese). I found one load that I like that consistently patterns well (at different yardages) for me and my gun. Inside 40 yards it doesn't seem to have many flaws that I can find. The shooter on the other hand has many.

No matter what you are shooting if you have a good pattern and are consistently putting pellets in the head of the birds you are shooting at it make a huge difference.

[Snug 2]

I'm with wingman. I normally shoot #2's at everything as well, and I am only shooting 2 3/4" shells.

I carry BB's but rarely use them.

[nevermiss]

The keys here are pattern and range of shot. If you pattern your shotgun at 35 or 40 yards on a goose-sized target and can consistently put enough pellets where they need to be--go get 'em! But with smaller shot like that you have to be very patient enough to only fire when they're 40 yds or less. Not always easy, but sometimes not so difficult. Get the right location and play the wind right and camo up, plus learn how and when to call. Sometimes they seem to want to fly right down your gun barrel!

[onaga]

#2 in 2 3/4 seem to shoot the best in my gun. The 3" #2 doesn't seem to shoot as well but it's probably phsycological. It would'nt suprise me if 3s or 4s shoot best in your gun. Shoot whatever your shooting with confidence and it helps with the kill %.

[sprigkiller09]

I also shoot 2's for everything. Mostly 2 3/4 in. With the occasional 3 inch thrown in.

[billc_sbio]

Originally Posted by nevermiss

The keys here are pattern and range of shot. If you pattern your shotgun at 35 or 40 yards on a goose-sized target and can consistently put enough pellets where they need to be--go get 'em! But with smaller shot like that you have to be very patient enough to only fire when they're 40 yds or less. Not always easy, but sometimes not so difficult. Get the right location and play the wind right and camo up, plus learn how and when to call. Sometimes they seem to want to fly right down your gun barrel!

Don't FORGET at 40 yd.s (or beyond) that shot has to get THROUGH lots of feathers AND muscle and penetrate at least ~1/2 way into the bird!

There's just a tad bit of difference what this amounts to between a 2-1/2# Mallard and a 12# Honker!

There's a BIG difference between punching holes in a piece of paper and putting a big Goose on the ground at longer ranges.

[Moe]

3 1/2" shell, 1 3/8 oz of BBB's for big geese. Since we never quite know what's going to be coming in it's what we carry out to the set.

I often hear how guys pride themselves in using smaller gauges, lighter shot, etc, but I don't like to see wounded birds either sailing out of reach or watching them fly off for a distance and then fall dead out of the air from bleeding to death. I have no problem with the guy who has the patience to only shoot what's in range for his gun but we all know that they're in the minority.

[nunyet]

3 inch 1 1/8 once bb or bbb at around 1500 feet a second. where we hunt we have mainly large geese and if there is any wind at all your second shot is getting past 30 yards making a head shot with smaller shot beyond my ability.

nunyet

[sidewinder]

I also like bbb's for the big honks..even though the last one I shot was with #4 bismuth. He got too close while pheasant hunting. Usually when geese fly over close enough for pheasant loads...Its not a goose day.
I just have always like big shot for geese. Even snows, but I have shot with guys that fold them up just fine with 2s. I've had too many fly off with the small stuff, and I concider #2s small for honks. If they have their feet down I'm sure anything will work. I still feel better with the big stuff.
It was not too many years ago when I thought you guys that shot 2s or 3s at geese were crazy.
If 4s and 6s kill 25lb gobblers. I guess they can kill geese too.

[Gun Rod Bow]

Originally Posted by billc_sbio

Don't FORGET at 40 yd.s (or beyond) that shot has to get THROUGH lots of feathers AND muscle and penetrate at least ~1/2 way into the bird!

That's the problem. Big shot doesn't penetrate. Smaller shot moving fast does.

Honestly, when you pick a honker (not little geese) you will find few body penetrating hits. Necks, heads wings. Even when I hunted honks with lead. I settled on #4 lead in a 2 3/4" 4 1/2 dram load that was smokin fast. It would penetrate WAY better than lead BBs. I'll take pattern density (pellet count) over shot size any day.

If I were hunting only honkers, I would shoot #4 or #2 Hevi shot and nothing else.

Valley Geese, I have killed tons with #1 or BB steel, I have settled on #2 heavy steel.

The difference in getting them 10-20 yards closer means way more than shot selection.

Opinions, everyone's got one. Just my

[billc_sbio]

Originally Posted by Gun Rod Bow

That's the problem. Big shot doesn't penetrate. Smaller shot moving fast does.

Honestly, when you pick a honker (not little geese) you will find few body penetrating hits. Necks, heads wings. Even when I hunted honks with lead.

Opinions, everyone's got one. Just my

I dunno if I agree with you...I've sure shot a lot of Honks that have LOTS of (BBB) holes in 'em! (the body)

I'd modify what you said into "Lightweight shot doesn't penetrate well", and I think that would be correct.

Back when I considered the Goose hunting "good" (to the point that I'd make several weekend trips to E. Orygun) we'd get into 'em pretty good. Sadly it's not like that anymore so I don't get to do it nearly as much.

There's no question that smaller diameter pellets, of a denser material, works better...I like Hevi-Steel #2s also.

[deadelk]

Back in the days of lead I used #4 for everything now with steel #2 and 3 Have worked well. The truth is if your on your on, if your not it dont matter what size shot you use the birds will fly away and you will ask were they too far or was i using the wrong size shot?? Good luck and happy hunting

[baltz526]

99% of all the geese i have killed has been pass shooting. i hate hevishot, because of it's price, but #2 or B really kill big geese. heavy steel #2 is much better because of cost. but if i'm going GOOSE hunting, not duck/goose hunting. i'm shooting 10ga 1 3/8oz BBB's at 1585fps +. little #4 pellets in a soft heavy material like bismuth tungsten matrix or ITX, like our old lead shells where will really kill big geese. the 28ga guys are using the hevishot #6 in 7/8 oz or less loads, to kill swans and big geese. i think they also know what end of the gun to point at the birds also.

[DogZilla15]

I shot snow geese in Sasketchewan this fall with 2's and it dropped them stone dead beyond 40 yds. Some folks are talented enough to make head/neck shots all day long and can get by with some very small shot, no problem. Back when lead was legal, I shot a lot of geese with 6's by making head/neck shots.

[Tilla]

We rarely see the big geese during the regular season and I just learned that one of our group a real goosemeister has been using #1, 3" and 3.5". His pile of geese was larger than mine last Wed. As a matter of fact, I had no pile! Just cold hands.