DuckSouth.com

After doing several years of duck hunting with several different kinds of ammo, I have come up with the following. I shoot a Benelli SBE1. Let me know how this compares to your experiences....

Kent Faststeel: 3.5 in #2s Probably the best for the money. Shoots a great pattern thru my gun. Have had good luck with these shells.

Estates: 3.5 in #2s I will never buy these shells again. Probably the second worst shells. Not so much for the pattern, but the quality of the shell itself. Have had many misfires with estates.

Winchester Xpert: The "worst" shells made. I have 2 boxes of 3.5 in #2s that I will be using for decoy weights this season. The time i have been using these shells, i have to shoot the duck in the air with the first shot, then follow it to the water and immediately shoot it again regardless. Sometimes twice on the water. And i do not make that many bad shots...

Winchester Dryloks: They are fairly durable shells as far as getting wet, muddy, etc. They are good shells and i will probably buy them again. Not my favorite, but prob number 3 on all time best.

Blackcloud by federal: 3.5in #4s (thats all they had) First time for me to shoot them was this weekend. I killed my limit in 12 shots sat morning with these shells...that being said, i had to shoot one on the water after folding it. The initial shot was a loooonnnng shot, so i will give the shells the benefit of the doubt on that one. I probably shouldn't have taken the long shot, but i rolled the duck regardless. I will use these shells again...i have 2 boxes left to further analyze how they shoot.

Hevisteel: I love these shells and if i can stand it...will buy these from here on out. The problem is the $30-$35 box price tag. I still think they are great shells and have alot of knockdown power.

Hevishot: WOW!!! I killed a duck on the water at 75 yards with one of these. I have an eyewitness. These shells are AWESOME. I have NEVER had to finish a duck off after being shot with hevishot. I will probably not be buying anymore of them due to the $40 for a box of 10 shells. Thats $4/shell. Insane. If hevishot was affordable to the average hunter all other shell companies would either have to follow suit or go out of business for the waterfowl market.


Just wondering how everyone else would view the different shells and the results of each.

I would rather shoot Estate's and Xpert's over the rest.

Kent Fasteel seems to shoot better than anything you can buy these days. I shoot Hevi shot when I shoot my O/U.

Whatever is on sale.

If you're wanting to save shells, get 'em in close, aim well, and be ready to run!

I shoot a SBE 1 and an 870 before that

Kent: Go too shell, have had a couple of bad ones but for the money can't beat them..

Winchester: xperts - won't shoot them never will after I saw other people shoot them, drylocks not too bad but not consistent pattern, supremes - awesome shell just a little over priced

Federal: Good shells and would shoot them first if price got right Blackcloud - over priced gimmick

Remington: Sportsman - cheap and it shows Nitros - good shell still a little over priced

Heavy shot: bad ass shell.. shot a couple boxes bought the on sale and they are they way to go if you can afford it


In order I would shoot if I could:
Heavy shot
Winchester supreme
Federal vital shock
Kent
Remington nitros
Winchester drylock
Remington sportsman
Winchester Xpert

i shoot Xperts, ive been killing ducks with them for years. but i dont take 75 yard shots either.

as for hevi steel, i may have gotten a funky box, but every one i shot jammed my SBE

As for Hevi Shot - i couldnt tell you how they shoot when they are $4 a shell, thats crazy!

JD

my gun just patterns xpert #4's , so that is what I shoot.

I wish i could shoot the xperts... i would save tons of $$$$ every year. haha.

Shoot an SBE1 ---all I've ever shot is xpert 3.5 #2--kills'em dead as hammer--Full choke----(choke stuck in the barrel)

Rem. 11-87

Fiocchi 3" BB's & #2's at $99 a case I haven't found a better shell for the money.

For steel, I like Kents and Fiocchis in BB or #2's. (Wish you could still find #1's). Used to like Estates, but they seem to have changed the formulation of the shells or something. Xpurts are junk. If I am going to have to pay more than whichever of Kent/Fiocchi is on sale, then I would just as soon go on and pay for Hevi.

This is only my second year to hunt so I am trying:

Federal, Kent, Xpert, and Remingtion

I have shot the Remingtons and the Kents already and both seem to do OK.

I will never shoot FIOCHI again. Shot it once last year and my SBE 2 did not like it.

I shoot a SBE1 also.
Remington HD and Hevi Shot all the time. I buy them buy the case and then apply for the rebates.
If I run out, I have several cases of Black Clouds.

I've shoot every known load in my Beretta...now shoot only Supreme #3's for steel. Buy them by case and get good prices.

Hevi-shot is the shizzle, but I ain't gonna pay that for shells.

Super x2
improved mod
3.5 kent 1oz 3/8 3's