Can you hunt ducks with 7 shot? (2023)

What size shot is best for duck hunting?

2, No. 3 or No. 4 shot sizes for ducks. The general rule of thumb is to go two shot sizes smaller (meaning pellets are bigger) for waterfowl.

In Duck Hunt, players use the NES Zapper in combination with a CRT television to shoot ducks that appear on the screen. The ducks appear one or two at a time, and the player is given three shots to shoot them down. The player receives points upon shooting each duck.

190") & HEVI-Shot #2 (. 150”) have exhibited the best all-around performance for taking geese; steel #3 (. 140") & HEVI-Shot #4 (. 130”) the best all-around performance for taking ducks; steel #2 & HEVI-Shot #4 (.

The thing about Duck Hunt is that it doesn't have an official ending, not like traditional games of today that have sweeping cinematic masterpiece conclusions. Instead it has what is called a kill screen; once you play through 99 levels, a screen bearing the title of "Round 0" appears.

Doves, grouse, pheasants, ducks (with decoys), squirrels and rabbits are perfect for 7 1/2 shot because it won't destroy the meat or ruin a trophy. Some hunters even say that inside of 35 yards, this shot size is great for turkey as well, while other hunters speak of its effectiveness on crows.

It's also a good shot to have when you're specifically hunting smaller ducks. The #6 shot is one of the many shot sizes you can use to kill small ducks effectively, with the other two popular ones being the #4 and #5.

Size #4 shot is the best load for shooting ducks up to 35 yards away. Of all the shot sizes that have enough power to be effective at this range, 4's have the highest pellet density within a 30” circle.

5 steel shot pellets showed weaker penetration and made small wound channels at 35 yards, but the load still proved effective on decoying ducks.

At ranges inside 40 yards, BB, 1, or 2 shot are good for geese; 2 or 3 shot works well on ducks. For pass shooting out to 50 yards, tighten up to improved modified and 1 shot for ducks and snow geese.

A #4 shot is an effective all-rounder for hunting ducks. It especially shines when used to hunt smaller ducks, such as the mallard bantam because of its smaller pellet size.

How far should you shoot at ducks?

Pay attention to a duck's size at 20, 30, and 40 yards. The majority of all birds taken are within a 40-yard range. Learning how a duck appears at these three distances will help you successfully harvest game more efficiently and minimize the wounding of birds out of range.

Aim slightly below the bird, raise the gun up into its flight path, and pull the trigger when the gun barrel blots out the bird. Or, if the duck is descending to land, aim at its feet and shoot. By the time the shot charge gets on target, the duck will have dropped into the middle of the pattern.

If you are only shooting ducks over decoys, you can do just fine with 3-inch loads, and probably even 2 3/4-inch. But if the ducks aren't decoying very well, or you're hunting geese, it's hard to beat the added performance of super magnums, as long as you can handle the recoil.

And then there are federal regulations requiring a maximum three-shot capacity in shotguns when hunting migratory birds such as doves, snipe, ducks and geese. These are spelled out in Code of Federal Regulations, Title 50, part 20.

Shot size. When it comes to shot sizes, most pheasant hunters would probably tell you that any shell from size 1 to size 7.5 will knock down a pheasant.

If you have long arms and a correspondingly long length of pull, then a 30-inch barrel will work best. The odds-on favorite for 12-gauge shooters is a 28-inch barrel. It balances well for a wide range of shooters and most production stocks, and that's why it's the most popular barrel length for semi-auto duck guns.

The options for dove hunting ammunition are varied, but most use No. 7.5 or 8 shot. The key to either is to make sure the bird is with the 30- to 40-yard optimum range for any shell.

Though there are smaller shot sizes on the market, #8 is the smallest shot commonly used by hunters. It has a diameter of just . 080” and is used with great effect by dove and quail hunters.

8 pellets are perfect for mourning doves, while 6, 7, or 7 1/2, make good on knocking down the larger white-winged doves and Eurasian collared doves. Hunters carrying a light 20- or 16-gauge should consider a 7/8 load, but a 1-ounce load of shot may fare better.

What is the rarest duck to hunt?

A group of Madagascar pochards, the world's rarest duck once feared lost, has been released into the wild as part of a pioneering conservation project to save this critically endangered bird from extinction.

Number 8 shot isn't considered a hunting round unless you're shooting doves, pigeons or maybe quail. You're going to get quite a nice spread at about 30 yards, allowing you to take smaller birds down easily as long as you stay in range.

How far to lead a duck at 40 yards: To harvest a duck from 40 yards away, they need to be lead by . 64 feet-5.16 feet depending, upon how fast they are flying.

The majority come oven-ready, weighing 4-5 lb (1.8-2.25 kg), and will feed four people. Barbary ducks, a French breed, are fairly widely available in this country.

HEVI-Shot HEVI-METAL

This is duck-killing ammo. The HEVI-Shot brand is popular for all waterfowl and for a good reason. It patterns well for most hunters and is relatively easy to find. The most lethal combination is the three-inch shell with a one and a quarter ounce load and BB size shot.

Further, quail are fairly fragile birds, so shooting No. 6 or No. 8 shot has been proven effective.

7.5 shot has a larger pellet diameter as well by 5 thousands of an inch. In one ounce of shot, 8 shot has 60 more pellets than 7.5 shot. 8 shot is the ideal choice between the two when shots are under 35 yards. For longer shots past 35 yards, 7.5 shot is the clear winner.

“A 20-gauge gun will kill ducks as well as a 12,” Morgan said. “The only difference is the number of pellets. The velocity of a 12 and 20 gauge, there's not enough difference to talk about.

Don't stop swinging

Stopping the swing with the shotgun is one of the most common reasons for missing ducks and geese. You must follow through with your shot! Try stopping your club when hitting golf ball, and see what happens.

Non-toxic shot is required throughout the U.S. for waterfowl hunting. Studies showed that many waterfowl died each year because of lead poisoning. Lead pellets from traditional shotshells were picked up and digested by waterfowl.

Is 2 shot or 4 shot better for ducks?

Common shot sizes used for waterfowl (from smallest to largest) are No. 4, 3, 2, 1, BB, BBB and T shot. Naturally, smaller shot sizes are best suited for ducks, while the larger shot is better for geese and swans.

During the full moon, ducks tend to feed at night and the birds will rest during the mornings. This tends to produce slow mornings; therefore Johnson prefers to hunt the afternoon during the full moon, as duck activity will pick up as the evening shadows grow.

It is better by far to hang for just a day or two and then pluck. If you want a bird more fully flavoured then, once plucked and gutted, store in the fridge with a dry tea towel over the carcase for a further three or four days.

Breathing & Shooting Fundamentals

Inhale pause your breathing once the lung is full of oxygen and take the shot. 2) Relax with a few breaths, clear your mind, focus on your aim and fully exhale. Pause the breathing cycle when your lungs are empty of most oxygen, and then fire.

Waterfowl — Ducks and other birds can easily see colors. This makes wearing camouflage essential! Make sure you wear a camo that blends well into the tall and lightly colored grass, cattails, and reeds. Wearing hunter orange or blaze orange or pink is not required when hunting waterfowl.

Conventional wisdom holds that ducks and geese land into the wind, so hunters typically set up with the wind at their backs or at least quartering away to facilitate easy incoming shots on decoying birds.

You won't see many camo 16-gauges in a duck blind, but the mild-mannered 16 is a functional waterfowl gun, nonetheless. Federal, Hevi-Shot, Kent, Browning, Remington, and other companies offer nontoxic 16-gauge ammo, and if you have a modern gun that's capable of handling it, Hevi-Shot actually offers a 1¼-oz.

Answer: Yes, but while it's legal to have more than one shotgun in your blind, keep in mind there is a 25 shell limit on most public shooting areas (state and federal refuges). Hunters often forget this and bring a box of shells for each gun they have but then find themselves in violation of the 25 shell limit.

This helps to preserve waterfowl populations. When hunting upland game birds or deer most states do not limit the magazine capacity of the guns hunters may use. Most pump or semiautomatic shotguns are capable of holding 5 rounds, but they must be plugged to limit capacity to 3 rounds when hunting ducks and geese.

Most shotguns are not limited in the number of rounds or Unlimited cartridges. Semi-automatic and centre-fire shotguns are limited to 5 cartridges.

What is the tastiest wild duck?

Yes, the mallard — widely acknowledged as one of the best-tasting ducks in the world.

Pekin duck is the most popular duck to eat. Pekin duck meat is known for its mild, satisfying flavor that easily adapts to a number of cuisines. It has lighter flesh and milder flavor than either Moulard or Muscovy duck, and is considered perfect for whole roasting.

But there's only one winner here: the goldeneye. Maybe it's because they're such large, heavily feathered birds. Or perhaps it's just in their wild nature. Whatever the reason, they are robust.

Size 2 shot is a versatile load for situations in which you might encounter geese as well as ducks; otherwise 3 shot is a good all-purpose duck pellet. At ranges inside 40 yards, BB, 1, or 2 shot are good for geese; 2 or 3 shot works well on ducks.

Size #4 shot is the best load for shooting ducks up to 35 yards away. Of all the shot sizes that have enough power to be effective at this range, 4's have the highest pellet density within a 30” circle. For ducks further than 35 yards, a larger shot size is required.

If you are only shooting ducks over decoys, you can do just fine with 3-inch loads, and probably even 2 3/4-inch. But if the ducks aren't decoying very well, or you're hunting geese, it's hard to beat the added performance of super magnums, as long as you can handle the recoil.

5 steel shot pellets showed weaker penetration and made small wound channels at 35 yards, but the load still proved effective on decoying ducks.

Although duck hunters do kill birds at 60 or 65 yards, longdistance shooting is something to avoid. I tell all who ask me for advice on this to shoot at nothing beyond 45 yards. The worst result of long-distance shooting, or ''sky busting,'' is that many birds hit with a few pellets go away to die.

Common shot sizes used for waterfowl (from smallest to largest) are No. 4, 3, 2, 1, BB, BBB and T shot. Naturally, smaller shot sizes are best suited for ducks, while the larger shot is better for geese and swans.

Where do you aim when shooting ducks?

Aim slightly below the bird, raise the gun up into its flight path, and pull the trigger when the gun barrel blots out the bird. Or, if the duck is descending to land, aim at its feet and shoot. By the time the shot charge gets on target, the duck will have dropped into the middle of the pattern.

A #4 shot is excellent for duck hunting at 35 yards or when you're shooting small ducks that are even closer. This is because it has a high pellet density. There are many pellets in a #4 shot as compared to a shot such as a BBB because it has a larger diameter of 3.25mm (. 12-inch).