#22 - Big River Ammunition

Small-shot thinking, lower recoil, and exacting shell consistency are changing the way serious waterfowlers pattern their guns. Ryan Nordstrom of Big River Ammunition pulls back the curtain on what actually makes a shotgun shell perform—and why the old “faster and bigger is better” mindset may be costing you birds.Built from the banks of the Mississippi and shaped by years of tinkering, testing, and real-world hunting, Ryan shares how he went from handloading for himself and friends to building a small ammunition company that obsessively controls crimps, pellet counts, wad depth, and pressure. If you care about clean kills, better follow-up shots, and knowing exactly what your ammo is doing on paper, this conversation is packed with practical insight.Yinz Will Learn:Why shell consistency matters more than most hunters realizeHow shot size, FPS, and recoil actually affect pattern densityWhy Ryan prefers smaller shot sizes like 4s, 5s, and even 6s for certain birdsWhat makes pattern testing and proof testing essential before anything reaches customersHow Big River’s pattern packs help hunters avoid wasting money on boxes that don’t perform in their gun