Single Reed vs Double Reed Duck Calls

Which is easier to learn

A double reed uses two reeds working together, and Buck Gardner specifically designs the Mallard Magic's push-in guts to be easy for new hunters to learn. Duck Commander makes an even stronger claim for its Jase Robertson Pro Series, calling it the easiest-blowing call it has ever produced. A single reed uses one reed and needs more precise air control from your diaphragm; RNT describes its louder Daisy Cutter as a call that "may not be for everyone", which is the maker's own way of saying it takes more skill to run than a double reed does.

If you're choosing your very first call, our best duck calls for beginners page narrows the field to calls their makers explicitly market to new callers, almost all of them double reeds.

Volume and range

RNT rates its own Daisy Cutter louder and more powerful than its Short Barrel, and both are single reeds. The two double reeds here don't carry a comparable long-range volume claim from their makers; Buck Gardner's own call guide notes that double reeds generally give up some volume and tonal range next to a single reed. For distance calling over big open water, a single reed with a maker's volume claim behind it is the stronger pick.

Which situation favors which

None of these are rules. A double reed you can soften and vary well will out-call a single reed you can't control yet, in any of the situations above.

Tuning, parts and warranty

This is where the maker matters more than the reed count. Buck Gardner and RNT both publish a lifetime warranty and free tuning for the life of the call, regardless of whether the call is a single or double reed. Duck Commander publishes neither for the Jase Robertson Pro Series. If long-term parts and tuning support matter to you as much as the reed system, weigh the maker's policy alongside single vs double.

What each maker admits are the tradeoffs

Read the cons each maker effectively concedes, and the pattern lines up with reed type more than with any one brand. Buck Gardner's own call guide says double reeds give up some volume and tonal range next to a single reed, which is exactly the tradeoff the Mallard Magic makes for its easier learning curve. RNT is blunt about the other direction: it describes the Daisy Cutter as a call that "may not be for everyone," and pitches the Short Barrel specifically as an easier, medium-volume single reed for someone stepping up rather than starting cold. Duck Commander's tradeoff isn't about reed type at all: the Jase Robertson Pro Series carries the strongest ease-of-use claim on this page, but the maker publishes no warranty or tuning service for it, unlike either RNT call or the Mallard Magic.

Making the switch from double to single

If you learned on a double reed and want to add a single reed, don't start with the loudest one you can find. RNT's own lineup shows the logic: it positions the Short Barrel as the easier, medium-volume single reed to move up to first, and the Daisy Cutter as the louder call to graduate to once you can drive the Short Barrel comfortably. The air control and tongue placement don't change between reed types; see how to blow a duck call for the mechanics, since a single reed just gives you less margin for error on the same technique.

Not sure you need either extreme? Our full best duck calls roundup ranks both reed types on the same rubric, and best duck calls for beginners is the shorter list if you just want the easiest call to start on. Calling geese instead: neither side of this comparison applies; see best goose calls.