Goose guns

I think that an investment of target loads and a trip to your local trap range would do a hell of a lot better than jumping on the 3.5 inch bandwagon! Way too much idiotic skybusting and needless wounding of geese makes my skin crawl!!!
 
canvasback said:
I would suggest the gun makers have won this round when "young-ish" hunters (I'm 58 and have hunted waterfowl since I was 15, only ever with 2 3/4" chambers) think/feel that somehow a 2 3/4" chambered gun is somehow inadequate for hunting geese. "Better get out there and buy one of the new and improved".....sound like an ad for Tide.

At least the OP is asking.
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I am older than you and hunted a bit longer and remember the LEAD days and wish they never left.
That is what you are comparing LEAD 2 3/4 to steel which is apples and oranges
I will never forget the first year they switched to steel it almost stopped me hunting birds since it would not kill and I was using 3" BB, cripples everywhere. In fact I switched to bismuth for three years after then started reloading my own steel since the factory stuff was trash back then

The steel has come a long way over the years once they realized speed kills and lead wads are no good for steel shot but still not as good as even a 2 3/4 lead
Bottom line if the OP is not taking close shots under 30 yards yes he is at a disadvantage shooting 2 3/4 steel loads with today's ammunition
Cheers
 
Challenge makes a 2 3/4" 1 1/16oz 1500fps shell that comes in BB, 2 ,4 and does every thing I want it to do . the plain and simple fact is if YOU shoot at birds that are in YOUR range and YOU put the shot pattern on the bird . there is a high % chance you will kill that bird in the air . to go with that you need to do some pattern work to find a good choke and shell combo .
 
3macs1 said:
I am older than you and hunted a bit longer and remember the LEAD days and wish they never left.
That is what you are comparing LEAD 2 3/4 to steel which is apples and oranges
I will never forget the first year they switched to steel it almost stopped me hunting birds since it would not kill and I was using 3" BB, cripples everywhere. In fact I switched to bismuth for three years after then started reloading my own steel since the factory stuff was trash back then

The steel has come a long way over the years once they realized speed kills and lead wads are no good for steel shot but still not as good as even a 2 3/4 lead
Bottom line if the OP is not taking close shots under 30 yards yes he is at a disadvantage shooting 2 3/4 steel loads with today's ammunition
Cheers
Click to expand...

I found no difference at all the first year we were mandated to non-toxic loads and the ammo available then had not undergone the speed craze. I shot Winchester 1 oz#2's that first year and pummeled birds easily. Shoot within your own and your load/guns limitations and birds die cleanly. All the whiners about not being allowed lead shot that I ever knew couldn't hit a bear in the ass with a scoop shovel or exercise range restraint and wounded as many with lead as with steel. The ammo and gun are only as proficient as the aiming system behind it!!
 
3macs1 said:
I am older than you and hunted a bit longer and remember the LEAD days and wish they never left.
That is what you are comparing LEAD 2 3/4 to steel which is apples and oranges
I will never forget the first year they switched to steel it almost stopped me hunting birds since it would not kill and I was using 3" BB, cripples everywhere. In fact I switched to bismuth for three years after then started reloading my own steel since the factory stuff was trash back then

The steel has come a long way over the years once they realized speed kills and lead wads are no good for steel shot but still not as good as even a 2 3/4 lead
Bottom line if the OP is not taking close shots under 30 yards yes he is at a disadvantage shooting 2 3/4 steel loads with today's ammunition
Cheers
Click to expand...

That may all be true but it's never been a problem for me. Why? Because as soon as I realized how crappy steel was I switched to Bismuth and then Tungsten. Costly but still a manageable expense as a percentage of my annual costs relating to hunting.
 
So...we just ran a thread railing about the virtues of the 10ga and how it absolutely kills geese stone dead out to 70yards. Now we are discussing how the 3.5" 12 ga is way overkill and you only need 2 3/4" shells.

I agree with the rule of thumb "know your gun and shoot within its limits". I just wonder about all the apparent contractions.

I suppose at the end of the day, we all have opinions. Often, that's all they are.
 
the spank said:
I found no difference at all the first year we were mandated to non-toxic loads and the ammo available then had not undergone the speed craze. I shot Winchester 1 oz#2's that first year and pummeled birds easily. Shoot within your own and your load/guns limitations and birds die cleanly. All the whiners about not being allowed lead shot that I ever knew couldn't hit a bear in the ass with a scoop shovel or exercise range restraint and wounded as many with lead as with steel. The ammo and gun are only as proficient as the aiming system behind it!!
Click to expand...

Those were the years I would spend weeks hunting in pei and it even made the local news there since they had never seen so many wounded birds in town around summerside. You would pound a bird to watch it fly away and fall out of the group many fields over
The cripples we found just setting up our spreads from previous hunts was unreal
The steel was terrible because it was basically using all lead components at that time and we were clueless what chokes we should be using for it
Not sure why you didnot see it and I am not talking taking long shots here. Any how I seen enough that year to switch to bismuth or I was done waterfowl hunting
Cheers
Oh yes I could hit a bear in the ass in those days as well as the guys I shared the blind with. All were seasoned trap and skeet shooters
 
dilly said:
So...we just ran a thread railing about the virtues of the 10ga and how it absolutely kills geese stone dead out to 70yards. Now we are discussing how the 3.5" 12 ga is way overkill and you only need 2 3/4" shells.

I agree with the rule of thumb "know your gun and shoot within its limits". I just wonder about all the apparent contractions.

I suppose at the end of the day, we all have opinions. Often, that's all they are.
Click to expand...

Not to disagree with the apparent contradictions but....this thread was about whether a 2 3/4" gun could be suitable as a goose gun. The answer, as noted by many here, is yes.

I don't think anyone is saying there aren't other guns, with different chambering, that aren't great goose guns. But one doesn't "have" to have a 3" or 3 1/2" 12 gauge to shoot geese.
 
canvasback said:
That may all be true but it's never been a problem for me. Why? Because as soon as I realized how crappy steel was I switched to Bismuth and then Tungsten. Costly but still a manageable expense as a percentage of my annual costs relating to hunting.
Click to expand...

Yes I agree and if that works for you cool but even reloading when one shoots flats a year not boxes the costs are way too high
Finding rsi and their reloads was my solution
Cheers

Also where are you getting your bismuth since they took the original stuff off the market a few years back. I know they are making a new composition bismuth the lst 2 years but have not seen any for sale in canada yet either factory ammo or shot for reloading. I been wanting to get some
 
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rembolt said:
Challenge makes a 2 3/4" 1 1/16oz 1500fps shell that comes in BB, 2 ,4 and does every thing I want it to do . the plain and simple fact is if YOU shoot at birds that are in YOUR range and YOU put the shot pattern on the bird . there is a high % chance you will kill that bird in the air . to go with that you need to do some pattern work to find a good choke and shell combo .
Click to expand...

I don't know about today but you would be one of the few using 2 3/4 down this way for geese when I was buried in it
I remember buying all used hulls from three outfitters in pei for about 5 years that they would gather around the blinds over the season
There would be 1000's and 1000's but maybe 5-10% would be 2 3/4 "
Mainly 3" with maybe 10% 3 1/2
Cheers
 
canvasback said:
Not to disagree with the apparent contradictions but....this thread was about whether a 2 3/4" gun could be suitable as a goose gun. The answer, as noted by many here, is yes.

I don't think anyone is saying there aren't other guns, with different chambering, that aren't great goose guns. But one doesn't "have" to have a 3" or 3 1/2" 12 gauge to shoot geese.
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Agreed...
I have a Beretta Extrema. I rather like it. I use 2 3/4" shells, 3", and sometimes 3.5" depending on the bird or beast I am targeting. Also how the birds are decoying . It's human nature to justify your own personal choice of gun to make yourself feel better about your decision. I think much of that factors into responses. Sorry to trail off a bit.
 
3macs1 said:
Those were the years I would spend weeks hunting in pei and it even made the local news there since they had never seen so many wounded birds in town around summerside. You would pound a bird to watch it fly away and fall out of the group many fields over
The cripples we found just setting up our spreads from previous hunts was unreal
The steel was terrible because it was basically using all lead components at that time and we were clueless what chokes we should be using for it
Not sure why you didnot see it and I am not talking taking long shots here. Any how I seen enough that year to switch to bismuth or I was done waterfowl hunting
Cheers
Oh yes I could hit a bear in the ass in those days as well as the guys I shared the blind with. All were seasoned trap and skeet shooters
Click to expand...

I never said you couldn't hit a bear in the ass with a scoop shovel, I said the GUYS I KNEW couldn't and I have seen a few seasoned trap and skeet shooters that were not good wing shooters and could not judge the range of a goose or duck very well though they were far fewer than the AVERAGE waterfowl hunter or as I used to call them the CFL hunters. Hunted fair weather then once the first frost hit and football finals were getting close they went back to their lazy boy recliner.
 
3macs1 said:
Yes I agree and if that works for you cool but even reloading when one shoots flats a year not boxes the costs are way too high
Finding rsi and their reloads was my solution
Cheers

Also where are you getting your bismuth since they took the original stuff off the market a few years back. I know they are making a new composition bismuth the lst 2 years but have not seen any for sale in canada yet either factory ammo or shot for reloading. I been wanting to get some
Click to expand...

I have some of the original bismuth because every time I've ever come across it for sale (on the EE here or elsewhere) I buy it. But I'm getting low. Mostly I've shot Kent TM.

I will admit my waterfowl hunting diminished once I moved from Winnipeg to Southern Ontario in 2010. And more-so since my hunting cabin at Delta Marsh was destroyed by the NDP government in 2011....I mean the 2011 floods, when the NDP government choose to save some areas by diverting water to Lake Manitoba, while offering assurances those affected would be made whole. The "assistance" amounted to 10% of the cost of replicating my place. ####ing socialists! Oh....and that 10% basically covered the cost of adhering to new "anti flood" regulations. Again, ####ing socialists! There are displaced native bands that have been living in motels in Winnipeg since 2011 because of what the NDP did.
 
Get your buddy out and shoot some clays before the hunt just to knock the cobwebs off and get comfortable shooting again. If you hunt over decoys 12ga 2 3/4 will do the job, I've taken geese with 20ga 3" but you need to let the birds come in. If you plan on pass shooting with the 10ga pass 40 yrds your buddy may struggle getting a clean kill.
 
your buddy's biggest issue will be if his 2 3/4 barrel is suited for steel shot or not . Most of those old 2 3/4 only barrels are not , unless they are skeet or IC choked .Full choke and steel don't make a good mix. Removable chokes were not usually found on 2 3/4 " barrels. I have a bunch of nice guns that are full choked and can't/won't use steel in them . Fortunately I have extra barrels now for the 870 and 1100's that take chokes and a barrel for an 1100 that is IC 2 3/4 that I can shoot steel from. The 2 3/4 12 ga is pretty much the same as a 3" 20ga, wait till you can see the feet and have at it.
 
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As many have mentioned, a 2 3/4" gun can and will kill anything that flies if the shooter does his part. If your buddy is head bent on buying a new toy, then so be it. I would never stop someone from buying a new firearm. If he does decide to buy another, I would recommend the Mossberg 935.....Its Legendary :d
 
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