[Bigeejakes]

I'm a skeet instructor not too far from you (Jackson), I coach high schoolers and beginning wing shooters, I would be happy to help get you started on moving targets.

I would have to agree that I think the best shot presented for geese is just before they touch down. Put it on their middle and pull the trigger! Don't worry about the meat, better to have a dead bird with holes than no bird.

 

[Socks]

Just my thoughts, nothing more. It kind of sounds like you're aiming like a turkey or deer gun. I tend to shoot better with less thinking about the mechanics and just doing it. My $0.02.

 

[michiganoutdoorsman]

Just my thoughts, nothing more. It kind of sounds like you're aiming like a turkey or deer gun. I tend to shoot better with less thinking about the mechanics and just doing it. My $0.02.

Probably some of the best advice in this entire thread. Some people overdo it and I think that’s why they miss. Let instincts take over and everything should fall into place.

 

[MC2]

Just my thoughts, nothing more. It kind of sounds like you're aiming like a turkey or deer gun. I tend to shoot better with less thinking about the mechanics and just doing it. My $0.02.

Well, you've got me there. I'm definitely using it like a turkey/deer gun. I understand wing shooting is more instinctive, but I have no experience with it.

It looks like I need to be firing just before they hit the water. I never really thought about hitting them in the boiler room (probably because I keep thinking of how I hunt turkey), but it makes sense that they're shielded once they're on the water. From what I've seen with my shotgun patterns at 40 yards, there shouldn't be much need to play with my load combinations - a 30" circle full of dense pattern should do it, which is what I'm getting from the modified BB and the full #2. Thanks for the advice, everyone!

 

[Far Beyond Driven]

I'll take a straight overhead at 30-40 yards all day to a decoying bird. They're not changing speed and direction and all the vitals are exposed. The guy I hunt with the most has seen me make that shot so often that after whiffing twice on a straight over woody twice on the opener last year he asked if I was ok.

 

[limige]

Ok, I've had similar results, I'm not the greatest wing shooter and I'm not above water swats but I have found geese on the water to be extremely tough to kill.
Bring your decoys in a touch closer and shoot while they around about 10ft off the water, it's much easier to kill them in the air than when on the water, trust me.

Also try blackcloud #4 in the early season, later switch to BB or 2 shot.

Use only factory chokes with black cloud

 

[Oger]

My story is very similar but i already shoot an IC....went to T Shot and no problem since I am at the head....read whole thread some say at cheek some say lower .....iduno ...T's are hard to find.....wish i knew which way to go.always looking to make things simpler.

 

[AaronJohn]

The head is a small target and most vitals are submerged in water so I get it.

IC choke with Steel is a good start as stated.

Steel is totally different than lead when it leaves your barrel. If you use a full choke it's too tight and the steel will spray out since it's so hard and doesn't compress like a softer lead pellet.

You can achieve tight patterns with a more open choke.

 

[Lamarsh]

As a threshold matter, to the untrained waterfowler's eye, due to their size, geese often appear much closer than they really are. Steel shot's lethal range is not much farther than 30 yards, especially if the dense portion of the pattern does not hit the goose in the head or neck. That said, don't shoot a them unless you can fairly clearly see their eye balls. Geese are tough birds, and steel loses velocity and killing power fast, but should be effective within 30 yards. Your decoys shouldn't be set much farther than 30 yards, so try to use your decoys as a range tool. Don't pass shoot geese, you're just asking for cripples or geese simply shrugging it off notwithstanding being shot.

Second, while BB shot can be good for geese, the larger the size of steel shot, the crummier the patters it makes from tighter chokes. Steel shot does not deform like lead. Steel shot does benefit from being choked, but in my experience, larger shot like BB, BBB and T doesn't pattern well out of anything tighter than an IC choke. I have found that #2 shot choked IC or M works best for geese, and as an all around load and choke. #4 shot patterns even better IMO, but it's lethality at larger ranges with slower velocities as it gets out there is even worse due to its smaller size.

I cannot say for sure since I haven't patterned your gun and choke, but I think BB out of a mod choke is not a great recipe.

As was mentioned above, #2 and #4 are good. I like #2 for geese. I would try giving #2 choked IC or M a try, while also keeping the 30 yard rule in mind, and see how that goes.

 

[MasterBaiters]

everybody is different and so is their ability,ive shot a n A5 32inch full since 1971,3inch 4 s at least 1 1/4 ounce 1 3/8 when I can get them on ducks and geese with good success,however seldom over 30 yds on geese and only when they are air borne,a sitting target always harder to kill,when they do come in and land we jump them up,vitals and wings now available,dont like to see anything crippled,the labs do! I give you a lot of credit for trying to make the most of your situation and with time you will figure out what works best for you,remember when sitting they are seldom if ever perfectly still,gotta move that gun with the target,in most cases you've got a 9 ft shot string so when airborne point and swing thru your target!

 

[Lamarsh]

Well, you've got me there. I'm definitely using it like a turkey/deer gun. I understand wing shooting is more instinctive, but I have no experience with it.

It looks like I need to be firing just before they hit the water. I never really thought about hitting them in the boiler room (probably because I keep thinking of how I hunt turkey), but it makes sense that they're shielded once they're on the water. From what I've seen with my shotgun patterns at 40 yards, there shouldn't be much need to play with my load combinations - a 30" circle full of dense pattern should do it, which is what I'm getting from the modified BB and the full #2. Thanks for the advice, everyone!

Pick up the book "Shotgunning: The Art and the Science," by Bob Brister. In addition to actually getting out there and busting some clays, maybe even with an instructor, it is a great read and great way to get the fundamentals on wingshooting. In addition to in person lessons and practice, I have always found it important to first mentally understand the principals. This book does just that. Brister also provides a wealth of knowledge on many other aspects of shotgunning. It's a fun book, and so is shotgunning!

 

[jduck]

I somehow ended up with a case of black cloud 3" #4 if your up this way and want to try some out. If your up for some field geese could try Fennville.

 

[eye-sore]

Not to sound snarky but its very simple.ya gotta lead em to eat em....hit em in the head and they die 100 percent of the time

 

[Big Ches]

Y'all are some geese cripplin' mofos if you're shooting #4 steel at geese on a regular basis. IC is a modified choke using steel. I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than #2's unless you're decoying birds right in your face every time. But then again, you shoot at birds flying away after you shoot one in the face....you're crippling with 4's. I don't care what you say. I've shot a ton of geese.

 

[adam bomb]

I really like 3" #2's out of my SX3 with the Patternmaster Code Black Duck for waterfowl. I've shot Federal Blue Box, Federal Red Box, Remington Nitro Steel, and the new Federal Black Cloud out of it. They all pattern very well. My guess is point of aim is off. Particularly if they're sitting on the water within the guns capabilities. The head and neck is a lot to shoot at on a goose. It shouldn't take much to kill them on out to 35-40 yards.

 

[lab1]

Have to agree with BigChes, 4s are too small. I kill geese all the time with BBs. Usually dead, not cripples.

 

[limige]

Yeah I do prefer decoying birds and shooting them in the face with #4 BC in the early season.

 

[hammerdown]

Imo I only shoot 31/2 inch kents 1 9/16th of bb ive shot it for about 7 years after the first 2 years you get very consistent shooting the same round its slower than a lot of loads but ive shot it for so long it nothing now just my thought same choke same gun same bullets. I 100 percent agree with big ches 1 shot to bbb for honkers in January they will laugh at 4 shot.

 

[Lamarsh]

Imo I only shoot 31/2 inch kents 1 9/16th of bb ive shot it for about 7 years after the first 2 years you get very consistent shooting the same round its slower than a lot of loads but ive shot it for so long it nothing now just my thought same choke same gun same bullets. I 100 percent agree with big ches 1 shot to bbb for honkers in January they will laugh at 4 shot.

I generally agree, but within 30 yards hit a goose in the head with #4 and it's going down.

 

[Far Beyond Driven]

1.5 ounce Federal Blue Box 1 steel. Shot 9 times to get my 7 birds on the left, missed once and one needed a follow up shot - it was skirting the spread and took a round broadside at 40-50 which knocked it down but not out. After shooting the first few geese that came in at the edge of range, we wiggled the spread and had geese closing to 25 yards. When the guy with me limited out, we fired up the spinnies and opened the blinds while waiting for ducks, and still had geese working to 25 yards without calling and flagging.

The other six all hit the ground dead, which is typical of that load - Browning BPS factory M choke. Too bad it was a one time load for Dunn's and they don't make it any more. I have a box of Fiocchi 1 9/16 ounce 2's and while I haven't stretched them as far as I'll throw my 1's, they've killed pretty much everything from teal to 13# Muskegon geese.