I hunted waterfowl in the 1960s,.70, 80 right up until hopefully again this winter. In NW MN we transitioned to lead in the late 1970s on WPAs up there. The only ammo was 2 3/4 #4.steel from Federal. We never noticed the difference BUT we shot over.decoys and our go-to shells were our 1oz 7.5 trap loads out of our skeet guns. When you let them get close enough for our light trap loads to kill them an ounce of steel 4s worked just as well.

I think the problem is trying to substitute range for hunting skill. We're seeing it in every facet.of hunting, buy equipment to reach beyond your skill to get.close to game. TSS shot, inline muzzle loader, compound/cross bows, long range rifles and night hunting predators.

I still shoot 7/8 oz of ITX 6s and 1oz of Bismuth 5s for waterfowl out of my hammer shotguns and have no problems killing waterfowl. I don't shoot at birds that are marginal I shoot birds I know I can kill. If you keep your shots inside skeet field distances any shot will kill them. I hunt public lands almost exclusively and love to eat ducks. Most days I don't shoot a limit, I shoot enough for dinner and call it a day. I do take hunting trips rarely leaving the house to hunt but hunt for a few.dayz and camp where I'm hunting. I hunt mornings for waterfowl, then trade my shotgun for a rifle and l call coyotes.

After the first shot the rest are just noise.