While you can hunt waterfowl with any shotgun, specific types have been designed for this task, just as specific types of cars are engineered for specific types of driving. Among them all, the 12-gauge shotgun is far and away the best. We’ll break it down and share other waterfowl shotgun tips.

Single-Barrel Shotguns Rule

If you visited a dozen duck blinds, almost all the shotguns you’d see would be pumps or semi-automatics. Why? Because with their low cost, rugged designs, screw-in chokes, and three-shell capacities, modern pumps and semi-automatics are ideal for hunting ducks and geese.

• Pump shotguns: THE classic American duck gun. Most pumps cost $500–$750. All shoot a single shot each time you pull the trigger. To reload and cock them, you “pump” their forend back and forth. Because of this simple design, they work in the worst weather.
• Semi-automatic shotguns: More expensive, with prices between $500 and $1750. They also shoot a single shot each time you pull the trigger, but they reload and cock on their own. The mechanics that do this make them heavier—which is good when you’re hunting waterfowl.

You can use over-unders and side-by-sides for duck and goose hunting. But for reasons we’ll get to, most are not ideal for waterfowl hunting. Still, some makers have offered, and still offer, doubles designed for today’s duck- and goose-hunting environment.

A 12-Gauge Is THE Best Shotgun Gauge For Waterfowl

Today, most people hunt waterfowl with a 12-gauge shotgun—and for good reason. With a chamber from 2¾" to 3½", modern 12-gauge pumps and semi-automatics can shoot anything from 1 to 2 ounces of steel. That means, you can use them to hunt everything from teal to Canada geese.

Twelve-gauge shells are also easy to find—especially ones loaded with the special shot the U.S. Government made mandatory for all waterfowl hunting a few decades ago. You can hunt ducks with 10 gauges, or with 16 gauges and 20 gauges, but of all these, the twelve can handle the widest range of birds.

Using Non-Toxic Shot To Hunt Waterfowl Is The Law

Shotgun shells are filled with pellets called shot. For 150+ years now, this shot has been made from lead. But in 1991, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service outlawed its use when hunting ducks and geese.

Today, this means anyone shooting ducks and geese must use non-toxic shot. The most common—and cheapest—type of non-tox is steel. Tungstens, Hevi-Shot, and Bismuth are also options, but they come in fewer varieties and cost three to four times more.

Modern pump and semi-automatic shotguns—especially ones made for duck and geese hunting—are made with metals and chokes that can stand up to steel shot (which is harder than lead).

But if you want to bring older guns into your duck blind, especially vintage over-unders and side-by-sides, you’ll have to use expensive non-toxic alternatives like Bismuth.

Using A Heavy Shotgun To Hunt Waterfowl Is A Good Strategy

Recoil is the unavoidable byproduct of firing a shotgun. Regardless of what gunsmiths say or gun shops tell you, there are only two ways to deal with it: First, you can increase the weight of your gun. The heavier the gun, the less recoil you’ll feel. Second, you can add a recoil pad or use a gun with some kind of recoil-absorbing system.

For a lot of duck and goose hunting, you’ll use shotgun shells loaded with 1¼ ounces of shot or more. These loads generate a lot of recoil. To make their recoil bearable, you’ll want to use a shotgun that weighs at least seven pounds. If you plan to shoot heavy loads often, close to eight pounds is better.

Semi-automatic shotguns recycle some of the force that generates recoil and use it to reload and cock the shotgun. The mechanics to do this tend to make these guns heavier, too. This cuts down on how much recoil you feel and makes semi-automatic shotguns more comfortable with heavy loads.

Weather That’s Good For Ducks Is Bad For Shotguns

An old duck-hunter’s saying goes, “When the rain’s falling and the wind’s blowing, the ducks are flying.” Or to put it another way, “Bad weather for people is good weather for waterfowl hunting.” And what’s bad for people is also bad for shotguns.

So, when you’re shopping for a new duck or goose gun, look for ones built to shake off lousy weather like a Labrador Retriever. A lot of new pumps and semi-automatic shotguns made for waterfowling use synthetic stocks and specially coated metals. This makes them less susceptible to moisture and corrosion. These guns are easy to strip, too. So, at day’s end, you can break them down and clean them up in a flash.

Other Nice-To-Have Features In A Waterfowl Shotgun

Along with corrosion resistance, an ideal duck gun also features studs for sling swivels and a sling. This lets you throw your shotgun over your shoulder and makes it easier to lug it from your truck to the blind.

Rounding things off, a matte finish on all metal parts is the final feature your dream waterfowl gun should have. Shiny blue barrels and trigger guards look nice. But to sharp-eyed ducks and geese, they look like a good reason to stay away from your blind. Matte finishes eliminate this problem and increase the chances you’ll have a successful day.