SBE2 steel recommendations?

[muddy]

So I haven't gone duck/goose hunting since 1997 and I'm guessing things have seriously changed as far as shot/chokes/etc.

I have a super black 2 and am just looking for an affordable shell to bang at ducks and geese with.  Not afraid to drop a few bucks on turkey shells as turkeys tend to stand still, flying critters however may put a hitch in my giddyup.

What's an affordable shell that shoots well out of the factory super black 2 chokes?

[SumToy]

Winchester Expert.  BB's for big birds and drop to 3's or 4's for the smaller birds. 

[Old Gobbler]

I started using the Kent fast steel #4's  3 inch 1560 fps about 4-5 years ago and noticed a immediate improvement over any other loads I had used , Initially it was considered the most affordable loads at 10-12$ a box but in recent years it has become quite popular and is becoming very hard to find on store shelves even with the price going up - I use this load on decoying ducks 

[ghillie]

X2 on the XPerts...i also shoot factory choke through my SBE II.  Works very well.  last year I bit on the Rem Hypersonics and were amazed by them...turns out they are out of production this year...

[muddy]

Any thoughts/opinions on the Black Cloud stuff?  My buddy swears up and down by it but I'm not overly convinced.  My thoughts are pretty much don't sky bust and only shoot when the shot is smart so the cheaper stuff should be sufficient.

Are the XPerts 25 to a box or 10?

[mightyjoeyoung]

SBE II, Win. Expert 3",1.25,1s at 1400 and 3",1 1/8, BB at 1550 have been my staple goose and duck loads for years.  Pattern great through my SBE II and my 835 and run about 10 bucks a box/25.  I also went with the Carlson's Super Steel choke set for the Benelli.  I can hunt anything but turkey with them and they are very consistant and really seem to like just about every load I have but through it.  I picked up 2 cases of Hevi Metal 2s and BB this summer and they pattern awesome too and absolutely CRUSH geese all the way out to those fringe ranges outside the spread edges.  I have probably shot about 2 cases of the BC in both 3" and 3.5" and they are true performers too.  I still have some 3.5", 1.5, BBB that I will use for those late season residents that have thick feathers and have been shot at by every ding dong and their brother.  I don't like them for close in decoying birds though...have a tendancy to blow big holes in things if you get behind on a bird and body smack em.  Another OUTSTANDING choice is the Federal Speed Shock blue box ammo.  Awesome ammo for the price...equivilant to and sometimes cheaper than even the Experts when you buy by the case.  FYI, Dunn's has it in 3.5", 1.5, 1s for I believe $139.99/case and free shipping!  Heckuva deal right there!

[drenalinld]

FastSteel

[SumToy]

Any thoughts/opinions on the Black Cloud stuff?  My buddy swears up and down by it but I'm not overly convinced.  My thoughts are pretty much don't sky bust and only shoot when the shot is smart so the cheaper stuff should be sufficient.

Are the XPerts 25 to a box or 10?

They good shell but they are up in the high end.  With all our test I with the black cloud or blind side don't shoot that much better then the expert for me.    Now we got blind side and black cloud stuff out because folks want it.  For the money  I can't see shooting it BECAUSE we tested heavy metal.  It falls in the same dollar rang as the other shells but OUT shoots it hands down.   That is why I say this.      I think with black cloud and blind side it is a confidences deal.   You see this in sporting clay.   You get something that someone else has or you think is better then you had YOU as a shooter shoot better.   I think the BC and BS makes you shoot better as a shooter because you kill 1st bird or 2 you shoot at then you shoot better.    I also think folks need to shoot a choke that is shooting a smaller denser pattern that helps you shoot.  You crush a bird you build that confidence level.  Big patterns make a lot of shooters get sloppy on shooting.  Folks think I got this big choke big pattern I get in the ballpark of bird he is dead.   That is one more thing BS and BC help with.   Most time if you pick them up and not change anything they have a little better pattern.  Now take the cheaper shell make choke change (cheaper in long run) the cheap shell put up just as good or better pattern.

[dogknott]

Federal blue box are very good. AVOID Fiocci 3 1/2 shells in Benellis(most wont eject) also not had the greatest of luck with Experts, just my gun possibly. Heavy steel and Kents are great also. This is MY experience out of a SBE 1, friends with SBE2's have had similar results.

[mightyjoeyoung]

Heavy steel was decent. Too bad its been discontinued for about 3 or years...

[Tree Hopper]

All the benelli's are designed for black cloud.