Looking for suggestions, need cost effective shoot to reload for ducks that would have similar performance to lead. I see different option on web, but like to hear field reports.

heavy shot

Heavy shot and TSS but you said cost effective. You're going to end up with steel...nothing else is cost effective.

yes I see, for bitmus #4 shot, 5lb of on Amazon is $90, 5lb equals to 64 loads of 1 1/4, $1.40 per load or $35 for qty. 25.
So why bother if you can purchase in store for the same $?

I always thought if I were still duck hunting it would be cheaper to shoot lead and pay the fine if I got caught than it would be to shoot heavy shot on a regular basis.

Curious how much is the fine?

i would check on fine first may shoot gold cheaper

Mere possession of lead in the field while hunting migratory birds was $1,000 for a hunter prosecuted. Loss of a hunting license for 1 - 5 years is not unusual. Less obvious, this is a federal offense. Conviction may have serious consequences for those with professional licenses, some of which could be suspended or put on a probationary status.

From a hunter ethics perspective, using non-lead shot reduces lead poisoning of waterfowl who ingest it while eating. Seems obvious that we would want to help in that regard.

I grew up hunting ducks and geese with lead and remember when the non-lead rules went into effect. Hunters that were good shooters before still had good results after the change. Guys that had poor results with lead, still had poor results with steel. The only real difference was now they had something to blame other than the face in the mirror.

When they made us go from lead to steel I gave up duck hunting..

Why don’t y’all reload with a mix of steel and lead? GW uses a magnet, right?

I would not,know someone that id and he had holes in the patterns a mallard could be missed.

I know for a fact that that is not always the case, I know a couple of people who caught with lead in their possession and there were no loss of privileges and the fine was 1/4 that