re: What shot do yall use for different types of duck hunting?

3 inch #2 Winchester Super X High Velocity Steel, 1.125 oz of shot, 1550 FPS. The only shotshell I use for ALL waterfowl, ducks, geese, early season teal, late season canvasbacks and giant Canadas makes no difference, this is the only shell I use. I only shoot birds who have looked at the spread at least once and have swung back around within 25 yards. Usually if they are not committed (cupped up and setting in) I do not shoot at them at all...I never do so if I am by myself and I normally hunt by myself. If someone else is with me who is still mad at ducks and geese I let them decide when to shoot and If they birds have looked at the spread, have come back to it and are within 25 yards and my partner calls the shot I will shoot sometimes. I just am not mad at them like I once was. I also do not like leaving cripples - any bird I hit or think I hit is counted as bagged - this applies to all birds, not just waterfowl, dove, quail and pheasants alike if feathers fly I count them as bagged against my limit. I also do not participate in blind limits.

This load is admittedly overkill on early season teal and woodies. It is a little light for most goose hunting situations. I use it exclusively because I can hit with it and and do so consistently without crippling birds. Again, I do not own a 40 yard shotgun....never have hit many birds from the goal line to near midfield...thats a damned long way to hit a moving target as small as a duck in a manner that folds the damned thing up. I know most hunters own a half a mile shotgun or think they do....I know better. 75 feet is about my limit on any bird. If I can't trick them into 75 feet with decoys and judicial calling I will cripple about as many as I kill and I do not like crippling birds.

I shoot a 12 GA Citorri O/U almost exclusively. I have a safe full of other guns, I almost never hunt with any of them other than the same Citorri I have been using since I was 19 years old. The reason is simple...I can hit with it. It is damn near a perfect fit for me. Its also bullet proof, never jams, and forces me to think about my first shot instead of my second and third....and the first one is ALWAYS going to be the best one for folding birds up. It has choke tubes but they have not been removed in about 35 years....both tubes are modified. I always shoot the top barrel first, almost never fire the bottom barrel relative to the top one. I have hit multiple dutch triples with this gun over the years with 2 shots on ducks and dove. Consistently hit true doubles with it on all birds but especially ducks and doves. I also decoy doves exclusively......I do not pass shoot anything because I just ain't mad at birds like I once was....