3" vs 3.5" shotshells for duck hunting
- Thread starter deke
- Start date
Go and buy yourself a 3 1/2 inch gun and decide whatever you feel is best to shoot out of it. At least it gives you an option. I shoot 3 1/2 loads at geese and 3 inch at ducks, thats what I like. Although I have dropped geese with 3 inch. Some like the 3 inch for everything and some like the 2 3/4 inch for everything. Each to their own. At about 15 bucks a box for 3 1/2 inch steel, WHO CARES, it was still cheaper than to shoot 3 inch lead at about 24 bucks a box. Oh and by the way, CDNGUNNER, are those ever dinky looking primers on those things.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
In 'most' cases, you're right. For shotshells loaded with Bismuth, $$$$$$$$$$.bill c68 said:
Depending on where you get your bismuth and how much you buy. I did the math, for me it was going to cost just a bit more than buying factory loaded steel. Can't remember the exact price, but $1 per shell sounds about right.Johnn Peterson said:
Yuri Orlov said:Except for cost and recoil.
+1!!!
A good recoil pad and a semi auto and it's nothing. I normaly go threw about 25 3 1/2" in a hunt and never feel sore or get a bruise the next morning. Cost is only about $5 more.
Excellent thread,have been listening for 30 years about which shell is best which load 2/34 or 3 now its 3 or 31/2 .All your arguments are well founded and have good logic behind them.Probably the best is going to a trap /skeet club and getting your shooting skills and gun skills brushed up.My .02 I shoot quite a few ducks and used to shoot a lot of geese, 3 inch winchesters @1550 work pretty good ,geese because we have to pass shoot them I use 31/2".Personal preferance ,works for me
- Location
- London,Ontario
Good thread. Good advice!
I got me an 870 SM this winter which is 3 1/2, I have shot 3" just for kicks with clay but yet to try 3 1/2. I am very excited for spring to come around to warm things up a bit so I can experiment with different brands,shot load and shell size trying to get the tightest patterns, also with clay.
Used 2 3/4 1 1/8oz #6 for grouse last fall which seemed to do the job just well. Never had the time to get out duck hunting unfortunately though. But I will this year
again, great advice here guy's
I got me an 870 SM this winter which is 3 1/2, I have shot 3" just for kicks with clay but yet to try 3 1/2. I am very excited for spring to come around to warm things up a bit so I can experiment with different brands,shot load and shell size trying to get the tightest patterns, also with clay.
Used 2 3/4 1 1/8oz #6 for grouse last fall which seemed to do the job just well. Never had the time to get out duck hunting unfortunately though. But I will this year
again, great advice here guy's
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
Yeah, like with any number of rifle calibre's, it's hard to know where to draw the line. I do know that with my AYA 10ga. 3 1/2" and 2 1/4oz. handloads, pass shooting with a lot of lead it's amazing how far away you can bring 'em down. I've never used any of the bigger 12ga loads but I would imagine they reach out pretty good as well. Then towards the other end of the scale, one of my favorite upland bird guns is an old english straight stock SxS that takes 2 1/2" Eley shells. I guess for the most part, it's a matter of preference & choice.Cletus said:
The more calibre's and guages the better. LeePeterson said:
when you shoot a 1000 rounds a season though it adds up. That said, if I lived in an area where the chances were few and far between I would use the biggest payload I could get. Being in Alberta however, I can pick my shots and allow birds to pass if they are outside my shells capabilities. Just remember, if you can't hit crap with 2.75", 3.5" isn\t going to make you any better. Very few shotgunners can reliably hit anything beyond 40 yards.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
When I contacted Ballistic Products Inc. they listed Will Bilozir in Dewinton Alberta as their Canadian distributor. I haven't contacted him yet as to price but where do you get your Bismuth from and what price? In an older catalogue of theirs, 2004-5, Bismuth is listed at $79.95 for a 7# jug, Hevi-Shot $86.99 for 7lbs compared to chilled lead @ $21.38 for a 25lb bag.bill c68 said:
U.S. $'s
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Defintely way more expensive than loading lead.Johnn Peterson said:
We were going to do a group buy, I think 5 (or 7) jugs of shot was the most you could fit into a box without going over CPs size for cheap shipping.
With taxes and shipping it was still going to cost $130 ish for 7 lbs. Expensive yes but still have the price of buying pre loaded bismuth or TM.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
Just received a price quote from the distributor, $143.98 for a 7 # jug, plus about $25.00 for shipment of three jugs.bill c68 said:
Roughly $3.00/shell for my 10ga, 3 1/2", 2 1/4oz loads., just for the shot.
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Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
In all likelihood I'll order some as well. While it does seem a little on the pricey side, I'd rather go that route then modifying the chokes on my 10ga. SxS to allow for steel shot.bill c68 said:
MauserMike
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
I think its a common misconception - how far a pellet travels downrange depends on its shape and its mass.
Lead (and many lead substitutes like Hevi Shot) are heavier than steel. For a given powder charge, they carry farther down range. For given size shell, you can carry a higher number of smaller, heavier lead pellets downrange than steel. Keep in mind that high brass loads add less range than you think, especially when you consider the next point.
As for shape - soft materials like cheap lead shot deform. The deformation depends on how soft they are, how powerful the charge is and how restricted the column of shot is. I.e. 3.5" shells in 12ga are extremely restricted - the shot load in the bottom of the shell is subject to extreme forces. Deformed lead slows down faster, patterns poorly, and is the cause of shot stringing, i.e. shot lagging behind the main column. Stringers will miss behind your moving target. Stringing really only shows up when you shoot patterns at moving targets - not easy for most of us.
That all said, I think 3" Hevi Shot shell is the best compromise for waterfowl hunting. Hevi shot is almost as hard as steel, so you don't get much in the way of shot stringing. Its as dense as lead so you can pack enough smaller shot in to get good patterns that carry far enough down range.
My 2 cents. BTW, I highly recommend you check out the book "Shotgunning: Art and Science" Although its old (1970's), its the best treatment I have come across on this subject. A lot of really excellent work presented by the author.
Lead (and many lead substitutes like Hevi Shot) are heavier than steel. For a given powder charge, they carry farther down range. For given size shell, you can carry a higher number of smaller, heavier lead pellets downrange than steel. Keep in mind that high brass loads add less range than you think, especially when you consider the next point.
As for shape - soft materials like cheap lead shot deform. The deformation depends on how soft they are, how powerful the charge is and how restricted the column of shot is. I.e. 3.5" shells in 12ga are extremely restricted - the shot load in the bottom of the shell is subject to extreme forces. Deformed lead slows down faster, patterns poorly, and is the cause of shot stringing, i.e. shot lagging behind the main column. Stringers will miss behind your moving target. Stringing really only shows up when you shoot patterns at moving targets - not easy for most of us.
That all said, I think 3" Hevi Shot shell is the best compromise for waterfowl hunting. Hevi shot is almost as hard as steel, so you don't get much in the way of shot stringing. Its as dense as lead so you can pack enough smaller shot in to get good patterns that carry far enough down range.
My 2 cents. BTW, I highly recommend you check out the book "Shotgunning: Art and Science" Although its old (1970's), its the best treatment I have come across on this subject. A lot of really excellent work presented by the author.
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I am always surprised by peoples lack of enthusiasm for the 3.5 inch 12 gauge. As far as cost I shoot the cheap winchester HV's and they are about $1.50 more for a box than the 3", pretty insignifigant. We shoot a lot of geese and it brings them down nice. Now I have hunted beside people who outshot me with 23/4" shells (was having a real bad day) and I have made some real nice shots, trippled on some geese this year so you are right the shooter is more important than the shell. But answer me this, if you could buy a rifle that would shoot 30.30, 30-06 and 300 win mag interchangeably with no adjustments needed or no loss in accuracy would anyone buy one of the three listed or would they get the do it all? People I are often searching for the do it all rifle caliber but the do it all shotgun gets a lot of criticism. I figure the 3.5 inch gives me some good power for geese and turkeys and I still use 3" for small ducks. Also I figure the resale will be better if I was to ever sell.
Dave Mossberg 935 for a year and a half with no regrets.
Dave Mossberg 935 for a year and a half with no regrets.
