12 ga. 3" or 3 1/2"
The particular brand of shotgun the I'm looking at has a difference of aproximately $300 between 3" and 3 1/2" models. Is the extra 1/2" capacity really worth the cost. I don't hunt that much waterfowl so would like to have as much of an advantage as possible but sometimes more is not always better. I don't need any advice as to what brand or model or anything except whether the performance difference is worth the price difference.
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If you don`t hunt much ducks and turkeys aren`t in your hunting future I wouldn`t bother with 3 1/2 inch shells.I`d hunt ducks with 3 inch hevy shot and save your shoulder.I`ve always hunted with 3 inch.My buddy who recently passed away always used 3 1/2 for duck and turkey.I could kill more duck with my 3 inch because I shot the bismuth at the time. Now I think I`d use hevy shot.He`d shoot 3 1/2 inch steel because he wanted to save money. He`d kill less birds than me and spend more on shells because he wasn`t killing them with the first shot.On turkey his 3 1/2 shooting lead would out perform my 3 inch shooting the same load in lead.His turkeys would hit the ground dead as hell.Mine would flop around for awhile. 0 -
If you choose the right cartridges, I.E. find some that perform well in a 3" chambered gun - that's perhaps all you'd need.
If you plan to hunt bigtime in the future and gets invited to various hunts sometimes, the 3?" gun might be a good choice, as you can still hunt with shorter cartridges too offcourse.
With the 3?" chambered shotgun, you will have a gun that will fit the future needs you might not have discovered yet. Like if you all of the sudden is invited to a lot of waterfowl or turkey-hunts.
I think that you can find a 12gauge 3" shell that's just as good as any 12gauge 3?" - the 3?" just holds a heavier load and more powder.
I think it's all about the shooter, not the cartridges as such.
Personally I shoot just as well with lead, steel, bismuth, tin and wolframshots - perhaps because my guns happened to perform well with all kinds of loads, but might be because I'm a steady shot too.
One of the guns I had, didn't perform well with steel-shot sportingloads, so naturally I didn't use that for claytargetting.
It performed well with a #5 and #3 bismuth huntingload - so that was my prefered duck-hunting weapon.
The benelli I own now, eats up whatever I throw at it (not sportingloads though - it's built for heavy huntingloads, but it will eat 28grams trap/skeet's with no trouble) - patterns are nice with steel and bismuth. It's now my allround weapon, sold the rest.
You can have a billion-dollar gun and ammunition, and shot well with it - because YOU have the ability to do it.
But if you have a billion-dollar weapon that doesn't fit YOU - then a 200$ weapon would do the same trick in most cases.
If you get my drift in this...
It's all about patterning of the shotgun:
Try to borrow a few shotguns, buy a few packs of ammo, different brands and shot sizes - and test each type of shell on it own 9'*9' piece of paper at 35yards. Just look at the patterning and you will see what I mean.
A high-end brand of ammo, can do wonders in one gun - and litterally let an austridge get away unhurt in another shotgun - because the pellets doesn't always cover the area where you aim.
So my advice will always be:
Find a weapon that fits YOU, with the caliber/chamber that you like.!
Test some different cartridges in that gun - find a brand or two in the pelletsizes that you use that performs well in it and go with those brands.
Practise shouldering the gun.
Practise shooting the gun.
Then I'd bet the ducks, goose or whatever - will end in YOUR freezer and on YOUR table.
It doesn't need to be Crappington Super XXXX-bismuthshot, impervious to water and temperature shells at 5$ a piece that you use - a regular and cheap brand can perform better than a highprized commonly used brand.
Happy hunting.
Don't do anything that I've allready done - That'd be just plain STOOOOOOPID.0 -
I don't know which shotguns your looking at that cost $300 more between a 3" and a 3.5". You can buy the Winchester Super X2 right here off of GB for less than $100 between either of them.
AlleninAlaska
Delta Firearms & Supplies
http://canadianfirearmsexchange.com
aglore@gci.net0 -
I have a mossberg 835 I bought it long ago on sale It kills Turkeys dead I also have a rem 1100 3" it kills turkeys dead and I have an old j c higgins in 2 3/4" It kills turkeys dead. I feel when it comes to a shot gun It not about how much lead your packin it's shot placement. The 835 kicks like a mule [B)] with 3 1/2". It much nicer to shoot with 3" also some 3" shells pattern better than 3 1/2" shells and yes I have the old 36" bbl 10 gauge for when I want a turkey dead dead. What it bolis down to If you get a 3 1/2" gun you can all ways shoot 2 3/4"-3"-3 1/2" but you can only shoot 2 3/4' & 3" in a 3". A good 3 1/2" gun is a mossberg in oem cammo..that is if you don't care to have a matching cammo outfit on opening day.
-Rob
The eyes of the hunted are on the side of their head,... the eyes of the hunter are on the front. What do you mean that I am not supposed to hunt?0 -
Personally, I am sick and tired of being stomped by 3" shotgun shells...to the point that if 2-3/4" ammo won't kill it, then let 'em live. And 3-1/2" ammo...good grief! It is not even under consideration.
And the last 3" ammo I bought, I nearly went into shock when I saw the price!
Nope. It's 2-3/4" for me from now on. My game bag may not be quiet as full as the next guy's, but I'll have a lot more fun.
Rafter-S
"What is truth? No wonder jesting Pilate turned away. The truth, it has a thousand faces -- show only one of them, and the whole truth flies away! But how to show the whole? That is the question."
--Thomas Wolfe, "You Can't Go Home Again" (1934)0 -
I have a Benelli Super Black Eagle that shoots 2 3/4" - 3 1/2" shells and I have used all 3 choices extensively and now I only use 3 1/2" on turkeys (and it'll roll 'em). However, mostly because of the cost, and somewhat because of the recoil I typically just shoot 3". On very windy days, or times when ducks and especially geese aren't quite in range, the 3 1/2" will allow you to use a larger pellet size (when legal) and retain the same number of pellets for reduced wounded game shot.
If I were you, I'd shoot 10 or so rounds of 3 1/2" and see if you still want one. I can shoot up to 20 or so per day without much trouble after that, I wish I was shooting a .410. I personally feel the difference between the two is minimal, seemingly less than the difference between the 2 3/4" and the 3" is.0 -
I also shoot the SBE (it handles 2 3/4" to 3 1/2" with no problems)and the 3.5 inchers are a pounder. However I install Edwards Recoil Reducers in all my shotguns and the felt recoil was reduced.
As stated above, fit of shotgun is more important than size of shell.
"If you ain't got pictures, I wasn't there."0 -
Roysha,
I guess the real question is what kind of hunting are you going to do. Unless you frequently hunt for turkey & goose, I'd stick with the 3" or smaller. Last year I bought a Rem. 870 Express in 3 1/2 mag. I figured it was the same price why not get the biggest one avail. & that way I could hunt anything with feathers or bushy tails.
Well I lugged that heavy sob around pheasant hunting for a day, got a nice pheasant with it (using 2 3/4" shells) and sold the gun. Too heavy for me. I'm planning on a nice russian o/u in 3" for my next seasons gun.
Of recent I've had a new shotgun every year. Ok most of them were $300 and under guns but I'm figuring out what I like the best.
Regards,
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If ya get the 3.5 and dont like it the options always there to shoot the 3 inch. but if ya get the 3 inch your up sh@# creek.. I have a 3.5 870 and use 3 inch shells in it turkey hunting just because they patternrd better in it! 0 -
I avidly hunt ducks and turkeys. Killed several turkeys with 3" mags. Killed hundreds of ducks with 3" mags. Killed hundreds of ducks with 2-3/4". Killed nothing with 3.5" mags. BUT I shoot a Benelli Nova that shoots 3.5" mags. I have to have the biggest! 0
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