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Step 1
Choose from 10,12 and 20 gauge shotguns. The 12 gauge is the favorite amongst duck hunters. The 10 gauge is often deemed too heavy for most hunters.
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Step 2
Use non-toxic shells when duck hunting, so your options are steel, tungsten and bismuth shells. Bismuth and tungsten are expensive, but bismuth can be used with older guns not designed to use steel and tungsten shells.
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Step 3
Look into buying A pumps or autoloaders. These are favorites since you can reload a repeater quicker and easier than a break action gun. Autoloaders are gentler on the shoulder but pumps are cheaper and dependable even in the worst conditions.
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Step 4
Try out a 3½ inch or 3 inch 12 gauge. These two guns aren't as weighty as the 10 gauge and work well for most hunters. Most duck hunters can be successful with the 3 inch gun except for the farthest range shooting. The 3 ½ inch is comparable to the 10 gauge but more maneuverable.
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Step 5
Buy a gun with a longer barrel--over 26 inches--for a more level swing. Longer barrels also have the advantage of being much easier on the ears. Synthetic stocks clean up better and handle the abuse of waterfowling better than wood.
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Step 6
Spend time experimenting with modified and improved modified chokes to know which to use in each situation. Steel, tungsten and bismuth all have different patterns. Hunters generally use the improved cylinder for closed or timber shooting. Full and improved modified chokes are used for pass shooting. Some manufacturers make chokes specifically for "ducks over decoys" and "pass-shooting."
