Winchester Supreme Elite Xtended Range & Remington Wingmaster HD (Tie)
Both of these loads will hit waterfowl very hard at ranges far beyond what's possible with steel. There's little to choose between the two, either in performance or in price, so we've awarded each a share of first place in the shotshell category. They carry a suggested retail price of around $30 per box of 10 3-inch 12-gauge loads.

Remington Wingmaster HD (at back)
Having ended its partnership with Hevi-Shot, Remington needed to come up with a long-range nontoxic pellet of its own. Wingmaster HD is the result, an alloy of tungsten, bronze, and iron. These perfectly round pellets weigh 12 grams per cubic centimeter, making them denser and deadlier than lead. They pattern tightly and fold ducks at ranges out to 50 yards. Hunters can choose among loads for 10, 12, and 20 gauges in pellet sizes appropriate for ducks, geese, and turkeys. 800-243-9700; www.remington.com --P.B.

Winchester Supreme Elite Xtended Range (in front)
Available in turkey loads last year but only recently USFWS-approved for use on waterfowl, Winchester's tungsten-iron-copper-tin pellets are now offered in 12- and 20-gauge waterfowl loads for 2006. Like the Remington Wingmaster HD pellets, Xtended Range pellets weigh 12 grams per cubic centimeter, giving them excellent downrange ballistics. Driven at muzzle velocities up to 1450 fps, they have the energy to kill ducks and geese a long, long way away. winchester.com --P.B.