How to pick the non-toxic shotshell that best suits your waterfowl-hunting needs

The image of the first duck I ever tumbled out of the sky back in the mid-1970s will be forever etched in my memory. How my shot string and that poor bluebill actually happened to find themselves in the same place at the same time remains a mystery on par with how the pyramids were built—theories abound, but nobody can fully explain it.

I shot that duck, and many others over the subsequent years, with a 2¾-inch load of #5 lead manufactured by CIL Imperial. I’d like to say that was my duck load of choice in those days, but I don’t recall there being much choice. If there were other shells on the shelves, I don’t remember them, at least not in the stores where I shopped. It was simple—you bought #5s for ducks and #2s for geese.

The world of shotshells in Canada changed in the late-1990s with the introduction of mandatory non-toxic shot legislation for hunting waterfowl; similar legislation had already been in effect in the U.S. since 1991. Steel shot was the immediate and obvious alternative to lead, but it soon became clear steel’s properties didn’t mirror those of lead, making it less effective. In response, manufacturers began experimenting with metal alternatives. As a result, today’s waterfowl hunters have a dizzying array of shotshell options. Here’s what you need to know to make an informed choice.