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What choke were you using? Steel patterns so much better than lead that you can get by with the next looser choke and still get a good pattern. The #4's have many more pellets than #2's also. My kill ratio went up quite a bit just going from 2 to 4. "Hevi-shot" patterns real well also, as good as steel.
Do you eat the seaducks? It looks like a lot of fun, but I shot one Scoter to try. I choked it down because I killed it, but never again. I gave a piece to my dog, he loves duck, but he spit it out and tried to roll on it. He wouldn't even eat it. I'm wondering if I just prepared it wrong. I'm forty and don't like freezing my nads off anymore either.
I agree about the 10 gauge disappearing, it's too specialized. Most people are better off with just a three inch twelve gauge. Unless they're shooting a semi, they start flinching after a couple of three inch heavy duck loads. My next gun will probably be a Bennelli 3.5" semi, although all my other shotguns have had tang safeties. You can shoot 2 3/4 up to 3 1/2 without changing anything. The Remington semi's need a part changed to shoot 2 3/4. And I won't try 3 1/2 from a pump, call me a wuss. My shoulder will probably be black and blue until late March, and hunting ends Feb. 15.
I think the unburned powder is an ammo thing. When I shot a lot of skeet, (20 rounds/weekend) the barrels would be loaded with powder. With the pump, it's harder to check out the barrel. I only clean my gun about twice per year. Once before deer season so I can mount my Red-dot and sight in and usually one other time when it has gotten so muddy I feel bad for it.
Being a southpaw shooter must suck. Not much selection at all. Barrel wise doesn't seem too bad. Are you checking manufacturers catalogs or talking to store personnel who usually don't know squat? Mossberg and Bennelli both have a decent selection of barrels. I just can't find a marsh camo pattern in a turkey sized barrel (22-24").
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