I sure do! Only geese I ever shot with lead were a pair of snow geese (which we all referred to as “shoes” because the meat was tough as shoe leather!). The following year I had to switch to steel in my 20ga single.

Yup.

And no better load, ever, for Canada's then 2 oz of copper plated BB's @ 1,300 fps out of a 10 gauge with .025 choke.

For snows, the old Federal factory load P157 1 5/8 oz copper plated #4 @ 1,280 fps out of a 12 gauge with .025 - .035 choke was tits. Worked well for Canada's and great for long range mallards too.

The go to load for ducks over decoys was 1 1/4 oz hard lead #5 @ 1,330 fps with .020-.025 choke. Worked well for first (head) shot on geese too.

Ya, I remember those days in Manitoba, Minnesota and the Dakota's.........

The lead days are long gone never to return. More than likely, the lead
ban will spread beyond waterfowl hunting. I honestly feel that the
companies like Hevishot make a superior shotgun shell that is better
than lead. The knockdown power, the accuracy as well as being
environmentally friendly make them superior.

Except for the cost $$$$$$$$$$

We can still shoot ducks with lead in my state, it's classed as crop mitigation so waterfowl rules don't apply.
Definitely kills better the steel shot, although I find steel bruises less meat.

Actually, I’ve read that lead use for taking waterfowl is legal in several central and South American countries

Been to SA many times. Always shot lead!

I do. I'd buy Federal Premium 3" with copper plated 2's by the flat. They not only killed geese but pheasants, ducks, and coyotes but that was back when fur was worth something. Haven't hunted at all since steel became mandatory due to many factors but I wouldn't hesitate if the opportunity presented itself.

I always liked lead 2’s for geese as well. Did think 3” was over kill for most of my shooting.

I remember killing wood ducks and teal with promotional 2 3/4” 1oz lead 7.5s and 8s without any issue at all from a mod choked 2 3/4” 870. For mallards the go to load was 1 1/4 or 1 3/8 oz of number 4s, 5s, or even 6s on occasion if they were decoying well.
Now it’s BBs and 2s out of 3” and 3.5” magnums and a lot more crippling. I despise steel. As a guide I have sat back from ponds with binoculars after putting hunters out and watched many ducks being crippled or shot and killed that fell 300 yards from where they were shot. The hunters never knew they killed these birds. I don’t even carry a gun. Just a dog and it’s nothing for me to pick up a limit and at times more and never fire a shot. Of course when I return them to the hunters they have no idea they killed the birds. I certainly wish there were cost effective options to steel but in reality the price runs most hunters off from these specialty shells. I do look forward to trying Kent Bismuth but even that is getting into the upper end of what I consider affordable.

True, many people that shoot the biggest magnums think they will kill much farther than they actually do. The trouble with that kind of logic is it doesn't fit everybody. People get ideas in their head & won't hear anything else. Here, you can't shoot a 10ga. on a state draw duck hunt. I have a vintage LC Smith 10 ga. that I love to shoot ducks with but the load I usually use is 1 1/4 oz. of bismuth. People always think I am shooting a 10 because they saw me with one on a goose hunt. A mere 3" 12 ga. can be loaded to 1 7/8 ounces. A guy was commenting about me shooting doves with a 10. The only thing I ever shot with my 4 10ga. SXS'S are ducks, geese, turkeys, whitetail deer & crows sometimes just for fun. The loads will often fit a 2 3/4" 12 ga.. I like the 10 because I personally can shoot better with them, in some but not all situations. Fact is I have killed more game with my 20 ga. guns than anything else. I am very fond of the 20 & have killed many ducks & pheasant with them. The rules are written for the average Joe that buys his ammo at Walmart!

Oh yea, the question was do you remember shooting geese with lead. I killed my first bird on the wing, a brown back dove in Taiwan in the latter 50's. I killed my first pheasant in 59 or 60 in the Yakima Valley in Washington State with a .410. I don't remember my first goose but it had to be with lead!

The 1st 18 years of waterfowl hunting I used lead. I kill many more Ducks Geese now per box of shells than I did then. I learned how to make a gun fit, And how to shoot it. Some days now I go out with my steel shot and limit on 7 ducks with 10 shells or less on occasion. One day this fall I shot 5 ducks and 5 geese with less than 20 shells on a windy day. Kent 3" 1 1/8oz BB. With that type of result. I really do not miss lead shot. Though I do remember sky busting geese with 2oz 10ga lead loads with fond memory's.

Yes, I remember shooting geese with lead. Large Canada Geese in Ontario with 1-1/2 oz. # 4, both
Winchester XX buffered copper plated and reloads with 1-1/4 oz # 2 Hard lead shot and Winchester 540 Ball Powder Powder. On a trip to Saskatchewan following some "veteran" advice, 1-1/4 oz. loads
of # 4 were used for the smaller Lesser Canadas, Specklebellies and Snows. For ducks, we duplicated the Winchester 1-1/4 oz. Super X loads. All very effective !

MJ
Get yourself some Hevishot Duck, Hevishot Goose or Hevi X and get back into waterfowling. Each of these shells will outperform lead and are non-tox. They pattern better and retain more energy at longer ranges as well. I just will not use Steel.

I take the fifth, answering that question may incriminate me! Just kidding, but I never had an opportunity to shoot geese when lead was legal. I have shot plenty of ducks & other stuff with lead. I agree with the guy that said tungsten alloy shot is better than lead. It is vastly better! Steel doesn't even register on the chart! Bismuth is not quite as dense as lead but good bismuth loads are better than early lead loads. Pop went on some goose hunts in Maryland when you could still use lead over land. He killed almost ever goose that was killed with a 30" L.C. Smith shooting "SuperX" short magnum, buffered lead #2's. I didn't get to go! There wasn't anything wrong with the guns the other folks were shooting but it seems they die better when you hit them! My own goose hunting has been with my reloads of Hevi Shot, Bismuth and Nice Shot. I recently got a deal on loose #2 Hevi Shot. The first thing I did was weigh a sample to verify the density. Yea, it's the real deal. Then I weighted the whole container. I bought it as ten pounds. It weighted just a couple ounces shy of 20 lbs.! That is roughly about half of my total stash of the good non toxic waterfowl shot. Who needs lead?

Yep. Remington 870 Wingmaster magnum and Federal 3" 2's.
There were four of them and I took the leader of the pack. Shot hitting him kinda sounded like bacon frying for a instant. He was dead in the air. I was about 13 or 14. Fond memory.

Never did. In fact, I just bought my first shotgun and I’m looking to get into hunting.
Is there a discussion about what kind of shot is good for what kind of animal/shooting? I’m a total newbie and looking for guidance. Also, is there a thread for kayak hunting?

Here's a table that list loads, pellet sizes and chokes for waterfowl and some upland birds that might be helpful.

https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outd ... lity-table