20 Gauge Waterfowl

[dadsbuckshot]

I am thinking about waterfowl hunting (duck,goose) with my Remington 870 20 gauge. I have it set up with a pattern master long range choke, and I plan on using hevi shot ammo.

What are your thoughts on using a 20 gauge for waterfowl? I don't have access to any other firearm at this time.

Thanks...

[fabsroman]

A 20 gauge with Hevi-Shot should be plenty good for ducks and smaller geese. It will even work on canadian geese if they are close enough. Just make sure you pattern the Hevi-Shot through the Patternmaster choke before you go hunting. My Patternmaster choke works really well on Hevi-Shot, but Hevi-Shot is designed, by accident I think, to be aerodynamic with its tear drop shape.

Now, if you plan on using steel out of a 20 gauge, that would make things a lot more challenging. You would need to have a really good pattern and be really close to the ducks and geese.

With all that said, I had a girlfriend out a couple of times hunting geese and ducks with a 20 gauge youth model Beretta 391 Urika. She did okay on the cripples, but I have no idea if she hit anything in the air. Granted, she wasn't very good at skeet or trap either.

[popplecop]

Use 20 ga. for ducks over decoys alot. I bought up lots of bismuth 5s and Kent Matrix 5s years ago on sale. Thes have been excellent loads for ducks, the edge goes to the Kent. Also have some Kent no.3s and shot one large Canada at about 30yds incomeing and it was dead when it hit the water. Heavyshot should work out great for you.

[Catfish]

If your useing 3 in. mags. in your 20 ga. with Heavy Shot you should be ok. The 20 ga. 3 in. will through about the same amount of shot as a 12 ga. 2 3/4 in. I only jump shot with a 3 in. 12 ga. but have taken geese that were out there quite a ways with Heavy Shot and you should be able to do the same job they do at about 3/4 the range.

[kt]

we did it a fair amount last year with #4's, but we reached a point there where it just wasnt challenging with the twelve so a few geese at 10 yds up got some love. just remember shoot the tip of the beak and a .410 will probably get some birds.

ps. fabs i hope you dumped her

[M.T. Pockets]

I've shot many ducks and geese with a 20 using 3" steel, mostly #2s. With Hevi Shot you'll be fine on all reasonable shots within 40 yards. I still shoot mine over decoys once in a while for old times sake. Happy hunting!