One constant for bird hunters is the perpetual need for ammunition — especially waterfowlers, who can go through cases of it over the course of a really good season. Likewise, upland hunters need to be prepared for everything from quail to pheasants. Hunting retailers should have a well-stocked supply of shotshells on hand to meet the demands of their wingshooting customers.

Carrying a selection of non-toxic waterfowl loads for both ducks and geese is wise. While some waterfowlers will be willing to pay the price for tungsten and bismuth ammo, steel still remains the most affordable and commonly used shot type. It’s a good idea to stock mostly steel, plus a few premium non-toxic options.

Deciding what upland loads to carry depends mostly on what birds are available locally. In general, stock heavy loads for pheasants and lighter loads for grouse and quail, although many upland loads can be used effectively for all three. Non-toxic duck loads can also pull double duty on roosters if Waterfowl Production Areas are nearby.

Duplex loads are not a new concept, but they are currently enjoying a revival of sorts, especially among waterfowl loads. This trend has even spilled over into upland ammo, with two sizes of lead shot in the same load. The claim of better patterns has some merit, so stock some duplex loads alongside their solo shot size counterparts. Keeping all this in mind, here are some of this year’s top trending shotshells.

Browning

Browning Ammunition recently jumped on the duplex bandwagon with the introduction of Wicked Blend, featuring a stacked payload of larger steel shot and smaller bismuth shot. Available in 3.5-inch 12-gauge 1 ½-ounce BB/1 or 2/4 at 1,500 fps, 3-inch 12-gauge 1 ¼-ounce BB/1, 2/4, or 3/5 at 1,450 fps, and 3-inch 20-gauge 1-ounce 2/4 or 3/5 at 1,300 fps. Retail prices are around $44, $36, and $35 respectively per box of 25.

For upland hunters, Browning offers BXD Upland Extra Distance featuring hard-hitting nickel-plated lead shot. Available in 3-inch 12-gauge 1 5/8-ounce No. 5s at 1350 fps, 2 ¾-inch 12-gauge 1 3/8-ounce 5s or 6s at 1485 fps, 2 ¾-inch 16-gauge 1 1/8-ounce 6s at 1,295 fps, 3-inch 20-gauge 1 ¼-ounce 5s or 6s at 1,250 fps, and 2 ¾-inch 20-gauge 1-ounce 5s at 1,300 fps. Retail prices average around $25 to $30 per box of 25, depending on gauge. www.browningammo.com 

Federal

Initially introduced last season in just two 12-gauge loads, Federal’s Rob Roberts Raptor Steel line has since expanded to six options in 2026. These include 3-inch 12-gauge 1 3/8-ounce 2, 3, or 4 shot at 1,400 fps and 3-inch 20-gauge 1-ounce 2, 3, or 4 shot also at 1,400 fps. Noted gunsmith Rob Roberts helped design these payloads and velocities to put the optimum number of pellets on target. Rob knows his stuff, too. He did some work on my Benelli a few years ago, resulting in a better-shooting shotgun. MSRP ranges between $26 and $32 per box of 25.

Federal Hi-Bird is one of my favorite upland loads. It’s effective on everything from doves and quail to grouse and pheasants. Hi-Bird is available in 2 ¾-inch 12-gauge only. Lead load options include 1 ¼-ounce 4, 5, 6, 7 ½, or 8 shot at 1,330 fps and 1 1/8-ounce 6, 7 ½, or 8 shot at 1,275 fps. MSRP ranges between $15 and $25 per box of 25. (Lead and bismuth Hi-Bird options with eco-friendly fiber wads are also available, but they cost more.) www.federalpremium.com

HEVI-Shot

HEVI-Shot’s HEVI-Hammer has a duplex payload of same-size hard-hitting bismuth shot and economical steel shot. It features 15% HEVI-Bismuth pellets layered over 85% steel. Loads include 3 ½-inch 12-gauge 1 ½-ounce BB, 2, or 4 shot at 1,500 fps and 3-inch 12-gauge 1 ¼-ounce BB, 2, 4, and 3 shot at 1,500 fps. (BBs were added recently for goose hunters.) There’s also 3-inch 20-gauge 1-ounce 2 or 3 shot at 1,350 fps. MSRP ranges between $35 and $40 per 25-count box.

I know from experience that HEVI-Hammer waterfowl loads drop roosters with authority, but HEVI-Hammer Upland was designed specifically for dry-land birds. HEVI-Hammer Upland is available in 3-inch 12-gauge 1 3/8-ounce 3s at 1,350 fps, 3-inch 12-gauge 1 1/8-ounce 5s, and 2 ¾-inch 12-gauge 3 or 5 shot, all at 1,350 fps, as well as 3-inch 20-gauge 1-ounce 3s or 7/8-ounce 5s, and 2 ¾-inch 20-gauge 7/8-ounce 3s or 5s, all at 1,325 fps. MSRP ranges between $31 and $35 per box of 25. www.hevishot.com

Kent 

Kent is another recent entrant into the duplex load market with Fasteel+, a dual shot size version of Kent’s popular solo shot size Fasteel line. Fasteel+ is offered in 3 ½-inch 12-gauge 1 ½-ounce BB/2 or 2/4 at 1,450 fps, 3-inch 12-gauge 1 ¼-ounce BB/2, 2/4, or 4/6 also at 1,450 fps, and 3-inch 20-gauge 1-ounce 2/4 or 4/6 at 1,350 fps. MSRP per 25-round box is $46, $37, and $33 respectively.

I’ve used Kent Ultimate FastLead on pheasants for years. There are several FastLead offerings. Magnum 12-gauge loads include 3-inch 1 ¾-ounce 1325 fps, 2 ¾-inch 1 ½-ounce 1,415 fps, and 2 ¾-inch 1 3/8-ounce 1,475 fps, all with 4, 5, or 6 shot, plus a customary 2 ¾-inch 1 ¼-ounce payload with 4, 5, 6, or 7 ½ shot at 1,345 fps. 16-, 20-, and 28-gauge and .410-bore FastLead loads are also available for smallbore fans. MSRP ranges between $22 and $37 per 25-round box depending on gauge and payload. www.kentcartridge.com

Migra

Migra is a newer company that’s focused on offering versatile duplex loads and looking to expand its retail market. Migra’s 3-inch 12-gauge Stack Load Steel has 1 ¼-ounce of BB/2, 1/3, 2/3, 2/4, or 4/6 steel shot at 1,515 fps. MSRP is $31 per 25-count box. The larger shot is stacked atop the smaller pellets for optimum patterns.  Dual shot 20-gauge and 3 ½-inch 12-gauge steel loads are also available, as are Bismuth and TSS loads, but the popular 3-inch 12-gauge line is a great place to start.

Migra possibly offers more lead duplex loads than any other ammo company. Most notable is Pheasant, available in 2 ¾-inch 12-gauge or 3-inch 20-gauge, both with 1 ¼-ounce of 4/6 shot at 1,350 fps. MSRP is $25 per box of 25. There’s also Dove in 2 ¾-inch 12-gauge 1,350 fps or 3-inch 20-gauge 1,300 fps, both with 1 ¼-ounce of 7.5/9 shot (MSRP $20), Field in 2 ¾-inch 12-gauge 1 3/8-ounce or 3-inch 20-gauge 1 ¼-ounce, both with 6/8 shot at 1,300 fps (MSRP $20), and Field Lite in 2 ¾-inch 12- and 20-gauge, both with 1-ounce of 7.5/9 shot at 1,350/1,300 fps respectively (MSRP $19). www.migraammunitions.com

Remington

Remington Nitro-Steel Duplex features two different sizes of steel. The larger shot maximizes knockdown power at distance while the smaller shot provides dense patterns at close range. 3-inch 12-gauge loads have 1 ¼-ounce of BB/4, 2/4, or 2/6 at 1,450 fps. New 3-inch 20-gauge loads have 1-ounce of 2/4, 2/6, and 4/6 at 1,425 fps. MSRP is $31 for 12-gauge, $29 for 20-gauge per 25-count box.

For upland birds of any size, there is Premier Royal Flush, loaded with hard-hitting copper-plated lead shot. There is 2 ¾-inch 12-gauge 1 ¼-ounce with 4, 5, or 6 shot at a speedy 1,525 fps, 2 ¾-inch 16-gauge 1 1/8-ounce 5s at 1,300 fps, and 3-inch 20-gauge 1-ounce with 4, 5, or 6 shot at 1425 fps. MSRP is $37 per box of 25 for 12- or 20-gauge, $42 for 16-gauge. www.remington.com

Rio

Rio offers a lot of shotshell options for both hunting and target shooting, so you may want to consider stocking several other loads that aren’t mentioned here. For waterfowlers, there is the vast Royal BlueSteel line. Two of the more popular loads are 3-inch 12-gauge Royal BlueSteel Magnum with1 ¼-oz of 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 shot at 1,400 fps, and 3 ½-inch 12-gauge Royal BlueSteel Super Magnum with 9/16-ounce of BB, 2, or 3 shot at 1,300 fps. MSRP is $26 Magnum, $35 Super Magnum, per box of 25.

For upland hunters, Royal Pheasant is a great choice. It’s loaded with both high-velocity and heavy magnum charges of bird-busting copper-plated lead shot. Royal Pheasant is available in 2 ¾-inch 12-gauge 1 ¼-ounce 5s or 6s at 1,400 fps, 3-inch 12-gauge 1 3/8-ounce 5s at 1,300 fps, 3-inch 20-gauge 1 ¼-oz 5s or 6s at 1,250 fps, and 2 ¾-inch 28-gauge 1-ounce 5s or 6s at 1,250 fps. MSRP starts at $32 per 25-round box and varies depending on gauge. www.riooutdoors.us

Winchester

Winchester has entered the duplex load arena in a big way with two recent introductions. The first is Last Call Double Shot, a brand new waterfowl load pairing smaller Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) with larger steel shot. The high-density TSS pellets penetrate deeply, while the economical steel pellets complete patterns. For goose hunters, there’s a 3-inch 12-gauge 1 ¼-ounce load with steel BBs and TSS 7s. For ducks, there are 3-inch 12-gauge 1 ¼-ounce loads with unique 2 ½-sized steel shot and number 8 or 9 TSS, and 3-inch 20-gauge 1-ounce with 2 ½ steel and 9 TSS. Velocity is 1,425 fps for 12-gauge, 1,350 fps for 20-gauge. Last Call Double Shot retails for around $48 per box of 25. The 12-gauge 2 ½ and 9 load is also offered in an affordable 15-round pack, which I paid $29 for locally. That may be the best choice to stock initially.

Winchester’s other new offering is Magnum Dove. This intriguing load is available in 2 ¾-inch 12-gauge with a heavy 1 ¼-ounce duplex payload of 7.5/9 lead shot at 1,400 fps. While the name may say dove, this would also make a fantastic quail or grouse load, and it might even work well on close-range pheasants over pointers. Retail price is around $15 per box of 25. www.winchester.com 

How Do Stacked Loads Stack Up? 

I took Migra’s 20-gauge Pheasant to a local preserve to see how a stacked load performs in the field. Pheasant hunters often debate which shot size is best, 4s or 6s, with 5s being a compromise. Based on my experience that day, a duplex 4/6 load may be the best choice. Every rooster I hit fell dead. I can’t wait to try it on wild roosters this fall.

In patterning steel loads, Migra’s 2/4 produced 41 kill zone hits, while comparable Brand X 4s had a similar 43 hits and Brand Y 2s had only 25 hits. The stacked load seemed to offer the best of all worlds, but it would probably be wise to stock both duplex and mono loads and let customers decide for themselves.