How to Properly Pattern Your Favorite Waterfowl Shotgun

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How many times have you told yourself: If I had known this when I was younger, things would be much different. This is a go-to phrase for me. Had I known Apple stock would split and explode, I would have invested my life savings in it when it was below $60 per share. If I’d have taken the time to learn the difference between wind and thermals when I started big-game hunting in my teens, I’d have three 370-plus-inch bulls on my wall. 

You get my point.

Still, I’m one of those souls who must learn things the hard way. I’ve been chasing waterfowl successfully for thirty years, and it wasn’t until 10 years ago that I learned the value of testing different chokes—factory and custom—with different loads. For years, regardless of whether I was smashing puddle ducks in the timber or giant honkers that consistently hung on the edge of the decoys, I used a modified choke. Not a custom-modified choke, but the modified choke that came with whatever shotgun I was toting.

Don’t get me wrong, I killed lots of ducks and geese this way. However, 10 years ago, I started experimenting with different choke/load combinations. Today, if I know my waterfowl companions and I are on the X, and early-season teal are doing it dirty in the deeks, I shoot an improved cylinder choke with Kent’s TealSteel 12-Gauge 3” 1-1/4-ounce in a shot blend of #5s and #6s. If Giant Canada geese are on the to-hunt menu, I shoot a custom full choke paired with Federal’s 12-Gauge 3-1/2” 1-1/2-ounce BBB Black Clouds. Few things will make you more lethal in the waterfowl woods than tinkering with various chokes and loads. 

Today, I fill limits with fewer shots and have the right choke/load for every hunt. Here’s how to pattern your shotgun, along with some of my favorite choke/load combos to consider.

What Creates A Shotgun’s Pattern

We don’t want or need to go down a physics rabbit hole, but it’s critical to understand what a shotgun pattern is and how a shotgun creates different patterns. No matter the shotgun, the transition area between the chamber and the bore, commonly referred to as the forcing cone, initiates the patterning process. The bore diameter influences how pellets are funneled down the barrel. 

Barrel design matters, and you’ll discover some shotguns just shoot better than others. A big reason why is often barrel construction. Primarily, the choke constriction is the main factor influencing patterning. 

Modern-day shotguns feature interchangeable chokes. While most manufacturers supply factory chokes in constrictions of improved, modified, and full, many other constrictions are available in factory and custom choke models. The degree of the constriction places radial forces on the shot column, packing the pellets together as they exit the muzzle. A full choke, for example, has a much greater degree of constriction than an improved cylinder choke, which keeps the pellets in a denser, tighter constriction for longer distances. 

Why Does My Pattern Matter?

Last November, I hunted with a buddy who’s normally a crack shot. On this day, though fat mallards floated into the decoys, he struggled. After the hunt, while we wiped down our shotguns, he let out a slight chuckle. He discovered he hadn’t changed his choke since turkey season, and the custom Extra Full turkey choke was keeping his bismuth metal in a baseball-sized pattern to 20 yards. 

The only way to learn what your chokes do is to pattern them. This process can get expensive if you let it, but you don’t have to. One of the best ways to learn more about chokes and which choke is most beneficial in a particular situation is to purchase a single box of mid-grade steel shot. I really like Fiocchi’s Golden Waterfowl 3-inch #2s with a 1-1/4-ounce payload. These shotshells will run you about $23 and will tell you a lot about the patterning capabilities of all your chokes. Use the basic knowledge gained, then begin experimenting with different steel loads and blends, as well as full tungsten and bismuth. 

On a hunt for puddle ducks, like the one mentioned above, I typically run two chokes: improved cylinder and modified. Because modern-day chokes—factory and custom—are so easy to swap, I always have an array of chokes in my blind bag. From teal to larger puddle ducks like mallards, I love an improved cylinder when birds are finishing in the decoys, and maximum shot distances are 30 yards. For this reason, you’ll want to learn how your shotgun’s improved cylinder choke patterns at 20, 25, and 30 yards. Don’t waste time and money patterning an improved cylinder beyond 30 yards. 

How Do I Pattern A Shotgun? 

Patterning a shotgun isn’t complicated, but it does demand intention. I approach it the same way I do most things in the field: slow down, remove variables, and let the results tell the story. A bench and a solid rest take human wobbles out of the equation, which matters more than most folks realize. You’re not testing your wing shooting skills—you’re testing a gun, a choke, and a load. If the bead or optic isn’t parked dead-center on a single aiming point, the data you collect won’t mean much.

Big paper is nonnegotiable. Shot spreads, especially at distance, and small targets lie. I like oversized paper because it shows the whole picture—center density, fringe coverage, and any odd holes that could cost you birds. After each shot, I circle the densest portion of the pattern, count strikes where it matters, and note how evenly pellets are distributed. Consistency matters more than perfection. A forgiving pattern kills more birds than a tight one with gaps.

Distance is where patterning really pays off. Most hunters stop at 30 or 40 yards and call it good. I shoot my modified chokes from 20 to 50 yards and my full chokes from 20 to 70 yards. Every choke and load has a breaking point, and I want to know exactly where mine is. That knowledge builds confidence and discipline. If I know my setup is lethal to 55 yards, I’m less tempted to rush a 45-yard shot.

Patterning also reveals surprises. Loads you expect to shine sometimes disappoint, while others outperform their reputation. That’s why I write everything down. Conditions, distances, chokes, results. 

How Far Should I Pattern My Shotgun?

Relentless testing is the best way to learn what your shotgun is capable of. While I use an improved cylinder and modified for ducks, testing has taught me to use a full choke when hunting geese, even geese that are sucking in tightly on the decoys. 

I know my shotgun with factory full-choke combo will melt geese—even Giant subspecies Canada geese to 60 yards. When hunting geese, I prefer to be able to kill at longer ranges, and what I’ve learned with a full choke is that no matter the range, I am more deliberate with my shooting. 

A full choke, because of its tighter constriction, holds pellets—all metals—in a tighter pattern, which means increased downrange lethality. The issue many have with full chokes is missing close birds. However, if you get on a bench or your shooting sticks and pattern your shotgun full choke combo from 20 to 70 yards in 10-yard increments, you know exactly how tight the pattern is and how much it opens over distance.

I know when a group of lesser Canada geese is floating over the decoys at 20 yards, the bulk of the pattern is about the size of a volleyball, which forces me to pick out a bird and execute a good shot. I’ve also learned that, because my killing range is extended and I’ve trained myself to swing from bird to bird, I’m typically killing on my second and third shots.

Should I Invest In A Custom Choke?

I have a Nike shoebox full of custom chokes I’ve tried over the years.  Naturally, as with any gear testing, I’ve found my favorites. You can’t go wrong with chokes from custom makers like Carlson’s and Rob Roberts.

What testing has shown me is that a custom choke has some advantages over a factory choke. Though those advantages may be slight, and you may have to do lots of testing to bring them to life, they do matter in the waterfowl woods. 

Ducks and geese aren’t patterned on paper; they’re shot on the wing, often crossing, quartering, or sliding through decoys at odd angles. A custom choke can tighten weak factory patterns, eliminate flyers, and fill holes that cause clean misses or, worse, crippled birds. Whether you’re shooting steel, bismuth, or TSS, a custom choke is engineered to handle that payload’s hardness, velocity, and pellet size.

The payoff is confidence. When a greenhead locks up over the blocks or a late-season honker flares at forty yards, you know exactly what your pattern will do. Fewer guesses. Cleaner kills. More birds in the bag.

Ported vs. Non-Ported

One of my favorite factory chokes is Browning’s Invector-Plus Extended. This non-ported choke works with Browning’s Vector Pro and Back-Bored Technology to produce remarkable patterns. One of my go-to custom chokes is Carlson’s Cremator Ported Waterfowl. Featuring Carlson’s Triple Shot Technology, this ported custom choke uses a series of graduated rings in the taper section of the choke tube that allows a more gradual transition from the shotgun to the final constriction.

Which one is better? One day I think one is, and the next I think the other is. The major difference between the two is that one is ported and the other is non-ported. The difference between a ported and non-ported shotgun choke tube comes down to how each manages gases and recoil at the muzzle, and whether those tradeoffs matter to you in the field. A ported choke features small holes or slots near the muzzle that vent gases upward as the shot exits. In theory, this reduces muzzle jump, softens perceived recoil, and can help the gun settle faster for a second shot. Some shooters also believe porting slightly improves pattern consistency, but I haven’t noticed that feature. 

A non-ported choke, by contrast, is simple and efficient. With no ports, it keeps all gases behind the shot column, often delivering marginally higher velocities and producing less muzzle blast. Non-ported chokes are typically quieter, but that shouldn’t be a selling point because you and your waterfowl hunting companions should be using ear protection. Non-ported chokes, because of their straightforward design, are also easier to clean and less prone to collecting debris. In the end, both work; choosing comes down to comfort, conditions, and personal preference.

Final Thoughts

Waterfowl seasons are still going, which means you should have a stockpile of shotshells. Grab some chokes and an ammo box and get to the range. Your freezer will thank you! 

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