Anyone else notice a difference in pattern density between Federal Black Cloud and Hevi-Shot for late-season geese?
Been hunting geese for 15 years, mostly with a Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus. Last few seasons I've been running Federal Black Cloud 3" #2s through a Patternmaster Code Black Goose choke. Patterns look great on paper at 40 yards, but I've had a few birds this late season that soaked up hits and kept flying. Buddy swears by Hevi-Shot Classic Doubles. Wondering if the pellet count or hardness makes that much of a difference on tough, late-season birds.
1 Answer
Good observation - that's the classic pellet count vs. pellet energy debate. Black Cloud has more pellets, but Hevi-Shot's tungsten matrix hits harder and penetrates deeper, especially on fat-feathered late-season birds. I switched to Hevi-Shot Classic Doubles #3s for exactly that reason and noticed fewer cripples. The trade-off is you need to be more precise with your shot placement since you have fewer pellets in the pattern. What's your typical engagement distance on those late-season flocks?
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