Are there really waterfowl hunting ammunition secrets? Unfortunately, yes, and a lot of them. But I spent two years and a lot of money doing ballistics and pattern testing to learn a lot of the big ones, so you don’t have to. This episode draws from my research and data to help you navigate the cluttered marketing and myths of duck hunting ammo. Tetra Hearing Free 2-Year Service Plan. Just add this Service Plan to your cart and use this code at checkout: NEWHUNTERSGUIDE

Up until 1991, waterfowl hunting was simpler and cheaper. Lead ammo worked well, could be very inexpensively bought in bulk, and there was no ammo hysteria like we have today. With the advent of non-toxic shot, companies began to complete over everything they possibly could to gain market share and one-up each other. Then materials like bismuth and tungsten began to make their way onto the scene and multiplied the level of complexity in the duck hunting ammo isle at the store.

Is high velocity waterfowl ammo better? Is higher payload better? Is one wad better than another? WHAT IS A WAD? Why does some steel ammo cost twice as much as others and is it really twice as good? Why is bismuth way more than some steel but the same price as other steel? Is TSS ammo really worth what is costs and why? Is all steel ammo created equal? What does spending more money really get you? I found myself facing all kinds of questions like these.

I couldn’t take it anymore, so I felt compelled to begin a journey to find out what really worked and what didn’t. I begin doing ballistics gel, pattern, and recoil testing. I began talking to ammo manufacturers, choke tube manufacturers, and others in the industry to get insight and context to help interpret my data and research.

What I learned began to debunk a lot of the marketing and myths being thrown around as truth. It also began to explain a lot of the things I was seeing in the field. The simple truth is, companies have been focusing on things of minor importance to try and make their products look superior while ignoring things that are of greater importance because they aren’t popular with hunters, mainly because hunters do not understand the facts. Because of this, untruths continue to be propagated and less than optimal ammo continues to be made, sold, and used. It a self-fulfilling prophecy.

But the truth is not that hard to understand, and if you apply the principles I share in this podcast, you will have a tremendous advantage in picking the best ammo for the money and hunting situation you find yourself in. That is the other side of the coin no one talks about. The way you hunt has a lot to do with what ammo choices are ideal for you. There is no one size fits all approach. You MUST learn the principles so you can be able to make the right choices for you. Copying someone else’s gear and setup likely will not give you what is truly best for you.

Listen to this whole podcast episode to learn these secrets to waterfowl hunting ammunition.