I normally use Kent 3" 1-1/4" #2 for ducks.  Getting ready to go out tomorrow and figured out I have a few boxes of #3 but I'm out of 2's.  I have the 3's for pheasant where we have to use non-toxic.

Of course '2s are in short supply everywhere.  I think Rogers has some - but they have the 1-1/8 oz. 1560 stuff and the 1-3/8 oz 1300 stuff.  I prefer the 1-1/4 oz 1425 - which is OOS.

Cabelas has the heavy steel 3" 2's, but I haven't used heavyshot products for a while - is this stuff any good?

Primarily we're shooting mallards over decoys. We'll get geese coming in as well, If the geese are coming though we usually have warning and I'll swap out to 3-1/2" BB.

If they are close and you aren't sky blasting #3 will kill it right there.

I use number 4 out here in Vegas, but they land right in top of us, so even for goose it's fine.

YMMV, but I'd think #3 is fine.

Just got back from ND 3 weeks ago hunting snows and took a flat of HeviSteel 3”-1-1/4oz-2s @ 1500. I had never shot the stuff up to then. With an improved mod choke I had no problems crushing anything 40yds or under head shooting birds. Shot several big honkers that had no problems dying in similar fashion. I was impressed with the shells. Fast, good payload vs speed, and burned clean. Shot a bunch of Blackcloud up until now, dirtiest shell I’ve ever shot, never again. All DYI, 6 guys, 3 hunts, 121 snows, 12 honkers, and some ducks mixed in.

Nice - I think I'm going to order up a flat of it.

I need to go pattern my gun - hit a Canada yesterday with 3-1/2" BB, not particularly high - maybe 30 yards.  Watched it fly off for over a mile before I saw it cup and glide down.  It would be on the river at that point and over a couple chunks of private ground so there was no chance of recovery.  Group of 4 birds directly over my head - I should have had 2 for sure, maybe 3.

Buddy I hunt with shoots nothing but 3" 2's.  He knocks down a lot of birds.  He's using a carlson extended modified choke.  I'm using a standard flush Beretta Optima HP choke (modified).  I've had trouble knocking geese down for a couple of years.  Ducks seem to be no problem, but something about geese is giving me conniptions.

They are usually going alot faster than they appear, and having one sail off like that is a classic further back body hit.  I shoot steel 3" 1s in 1 1/8 for everything and it is more than enough to bring down even the biggest honker, just need to get in front of them.  I keep my shots 40 yards and in, but may stretch it a bit on a snow goose.

I’ve got a ported Cremator LR which is just improved mod. About as tight as you can go w/o getting into speed and/or size restrictions. I feel like pattern density (less pellets) starts to become a serious issue with the larger steel shot sizes. You could always go with an alternative like tungsten or bismuth. Several of our crew started shooting Boss shotshells (bismuth), 3” 3/5 combo doing like 1350 or so I think. Kind of slow but that stuff hammers birds without mercy. Just depends on how much your willing to spend I suppose.

Probably over estimated the benefits of using 3-1/2" shells.  They really only buy you about 1/4 oz of shot for a given muzzle velocity.

Seems odd with that extra volume and the higher pressures allowed that you don't get a little bit more.  I'd like the same or near the same pellet count in BB in a 3-1/2" as you have with #2 in a 3".

I'll have to train myself to focus more on the birds head than center mass. I probably am shooting them too far back.