3" vs 3.5" shotshells for duck hunting

dgdm said:
I figure the 3.5 inch gives me some good power
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What it gives you is more weight, and more powder to move the extra weight.

The only advantage a 3,5 gives you is more pellets down range, period.

All of Win. turkey loads be it 2 3/4 or 3 or 3.5 travel at a velocity of 1300 fps 3 feet from the barrel.
 
Hunting skills are much more important than big shells. We hunt in farm fields here for many species of waterfowl. For me, good scouting is #1 priority. Blind and decoy placement is next. A well fitted shotgun is next. Calling is handy sometimes. Gauge, shot type/size and choke are in last place.

I might use steel shot as large as BBB's for Greater Canadas and small as 4's for ducks, but mostly BB's & 2's, and usually I don't bother with 3"" shells any more. I have a 3" 12 ga. gun but it doesn't fit or handle as well as my 12 ga. 2-3/4" Win Mod 12. You can't kill 'em if you don't hit 'em!

FWIW, I now do almost all my field shooting with 12 ga. 1-1/16 oz of #1's, Kent Fasteel. I shoot 100-200 Snows, Greater & Lesser Canadas, Mallards and misc. other waterfowl each year with that.

On my last hunt last season, I killed 7 lesser Canadas with 9 shots with a 16 ga. and 1-1/16 oz of #5's, Kent TM. Get 'em in range and you don't have to reach with big, expensive, hard-kicking and noisy shells!!!

If you have no other option but to pass shoot, 3 or 3.5" shells with big shot may have some value though. Please pattern your gun, cultivate the willpower not to shoot beyond 45-50 yards and have fun.
 
Recoil, waaah waaah! Too Expensive, waaah waaah! You guys are just talking stupid.:popCorn:
A 3 1/2 inch gun and 3 1/2 inch shells are not that much more if any more expensive than a 3 inch gun and shells!
More pellets means more energy and they kill better....period!:bangHead:
And 3 inch heavy shot will recoil MUCH HARDER than 3 1/2 inch steel!:eek:
Did you guys completely miss the part about the 3 1/2 inch guns having LONGER CHAMBERS AND LONGER FORCING CONES??? This means that the 3.5's have less recoil than a 3 inch gun shooting 3 inch shells through both.:slap:
Quit your whining and get a real gun. I'm serious.
 
BIGREDD said:
Recoil, waaah waaah! Too Expensive, waaah waaah! You guys are just talking stupid.:popCorn:
A 3 1/2 inch gun and 3 1/2 inch shells are not that much more if any more expensive than a 3 inch gun and shells!
More pellets means more energy and they kill better....period!:bangHead:
And 3 inch heavy shot will recoil MUCH HARDER than 3 1/2 inch steel!:eek:
Did you guys completely miss the part about the 3 1/2 inch guns having LONGER CHAMBERS AND LONGER FORCING CONES??? This means that the 3.5's have less recoil than a 3 inch gun shooting 3 inch shells through both.:slap:
Quit your whining and get a real gun. I'm serious.
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Hey :dancingbanana: ,there must be other threads begging for your opinion.:rolleyes: This one wasn't.:wave:
 
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Bottom line ,plain and simple . Use 3 1/2" BBB for geese and 2 3/4" 1oz of #3 for ducks and you will have no problems. Try to buy a shell that travells over 1500 fps because when it comes to shooting water fowl with steel..........SPEED KILLS
 
If it were me... buy the 3.5" gun and then shoot whatever shells you wish out of it. You can always shoot the lighter loads if you wish, but if you have a 3" gun, you will never shoot the 3.5" shells.
 
BIGREDD said:
Recoil, waaah waaah! Too Expensive, waaah waaah! You guys are just talking stupid.:popCorn:
A 3 1/2 inch gun and 3 1/2 inch shells are not that much more if any more expensive than a 3 inch gun and shells!
More pellets means more energy and they kill better....period!:bangHead:
And 3 inch heavy shot will recoil MUCH HARDER than 3 1/2 inch steel!:eek:
Did you guys completely miss the part about the 3 1/2 inch guns having LONGER CHAMBERS AND LONGER FORCING CONES??? This means that the 3.5's have less recoil than a 3 inch gun shooting 3 inch shells through both.:slap:
Quit your whining and get a real gun. I'm serious.
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Do you really believe that load a C**p?
 
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I wouldn't fire BBB at my neighbors dog (and I REALLY hate that thing). If you're going to buy 3.5 inch BBB suck up the few extra dollars and but 3 inch 2 hevishot. The cost per dead bird will be about the same but you'll cripple less and shoot fewer shells.
 
Johnn Peterson said:
Hey :dancingbanana: ,there must be other threads begging for your opinion.:rolleyes: This one wasn't.:wave:
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Whats your opinion... if you want to debate my statement then how bout some facts??? thats what I thought...:bsFlag:

Win/64 said:
Do you really believe that load a C**p?
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What do you believe.... or are you just being you again?:(

bill c68 said:
If it were me... buy the 3.5" gun and then shoot whatever shells you wish out of it. You can always shoot the lighter loads if you wish, but if you have a 3" gun, you will never shoot the 3.5" shells.
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Now that is a logical and intelligent answer....:D
 
BIGREDD said:
Whats your opinion... if you want to debate my statement then how bout some facts??? thats what I thought...:bsFlag:


Prior to your noteworthy "waaah waaah get a real gun" exhibition of intelligence:rolleyes: , my interest delt with the option of using Bismuth vs opening the chokes of my AYA 10ga. 'real gun' SxS to handle steel.
"If I want to debate your statement"? What statement? :confused: Nothing you 'stated' pertained to my concerns dealing with 10ga. reload options, or is of any other interest to me. Sounds more like you've been giving yourself a wedgie with your new pantyhose,:dancingbanana: rather than giving a credible statement of some value.
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deke said:
Throughout the past years, I have really began to enjoy duck hunting.

I have always used a shotgun with 3" shells and have wondered what I am actually missing by not "upgrading" to a shotgun with 3.5" shells.

Look forward to your comments.

Regards

d.
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Let's get back to the original question. Ducks. 3" vs 3.5".

Unless you're doing nothing but pass shooting at high-flying ducks AND you've got the rare skills needed as a wingshooter to hit them at 40 plus yds, then no you aren't missing out by only having a 3" chamber.

(I regularly use 2.75" steel in a 20 ga for ducks over decoys. Geese who don't come into the decoys, now that's another question.)
 
Grouse Man said:
Unless you're doing nothing but pass shooting at high-flying ducks AND you've got the rare skills needed as a wingshooter to hit them at 40 plus yds,
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x2

The added effective killing range the 3 1/2" shell provides is beyond the effective shooting range of almost all but the best shotgun shooters. Unless you belong to that group or strictly shoot geese that are standing still a few more pellets arent going to help out.


And even if you only shoot 3 inch shells forever the longer chamber/forcing cone on the 3.5 inch guns reduces the felt recoil substantially!!!
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I suppose this is about as measurable as the old CGN debate about a SA rifle being more accurate than a LA rifle because the action is stiffer.........:cool: :cool:
 
Grouse Man said:
Let's get back to the original question. Ducks. 3" vs 3.5".

Unless you're doing nothing but pass shooting at high-flying ducks AND you've got the rare skills needed as a wingshooter to hit them at 40 plus yds, then no you aren't missing out by only having a 3" chamber.

(I regularly use 2.75" steel in a 20 ga for ducks over decoys. Geese who don't come into the decoys, now that's another question.)
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Okay, you got it.:)
The questions on 10ga. reload options are still of interest to me. With lead or copper plated lead Federal Premium I had a lot of fun pass shooting and we could 'pull them down' from a long ways away usually using a shot size a little bigger than standard. If anyone has any experience with options for 10ga. reloads.............................:D
 
Interesting side note for you guys that have no idea what the hell a forcing cone does for felt recoil.:rolleyes:
The new Remington 870's all have 3 1/2 inch chambered barrels regardless of reciever size. They make it very easy to compare felt recoil with a long chamber/forcing cone. Measurable difference? You betcha.:dancingbanana:
I checked the first post John.... he never asked about 10 gauge... which by the way is as dead as Jed Clampett.:wave:
 
Quoting Johnn Peterson


Prior to your noteworthy "waaah waaah get a real gun" exhibition of intelligence:rolleyes: , my interest delt with the option of using Bismuth vs opening the chokes of my AYA 10ga. 'real gun' SxS to handle steel.
"If I want to debate your statement"? What statement? :confused: Nothing you 'stated' pertained to my concerns dealing with 10ga. reload options, or is of any other interest to me. Sounds more like you've been giving yourself a wedgie with your new pantyhose,:dancingbanana: rather than giving a credible statement of some value.[/QUOTE]

Not to get in a pissing match with you sir because that is not my intentions here.
But how do you define your 10 gauge as a "real" gun?
If I am not mistaken, 10 gauge has a wicked kick to it, and shells are hard to come by in the shot you want..
I am sorry to say, but your 10 gauge is just that, a 10 gauge. You made it clear you have to open your chokes to shoot anything other then led correct? so how does this make your 10 gauge a "real" gun in today's hunting world for say umm, waterfowl? Mind you, you can shoot bismuth shells but holy smokes that is going to run you for a 10 gauge if you can even find the stuff locally.

as for reloading. I would highly recommend it for a 10 gauge, not worth it for 12 unless of course you want to load bismuth and save yourself roughly 40% cost on each shell doing it yourself "least this is what I read from a member on here which does this for his 12 gauge"

I would have to say, comparing my 870 super mag in 3.5 I would have to say, my gun is a lot more "real" then your gun in today's world.
No offense, just found it a little :rolleyes:
 
BIGREDD said:
Interesting side note for you guys that have no idea what the hell a forcing cone does for felt recoil.:rolleyes:
The new Remington 870's all have 3 1/2 inch chambered barrels regardless of reciever size. They make it very easy to compare felt recoil with a long chamber/forcing cone. Measurable difference? You betcha.:dancingbanana:
I checked the first post John.... he never asked about 10 gauge... which by the way is as dead as Jed Clampett.:wave:
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No, he never asked about the 10ga, I brought in the question and perhaps I should've posed my questions with a new thread. I just thought it may be somewhat applicable so I'd ask there. SORRY, it won't happen again, "Jed". You have to stop wearing that tight panty hose, "Jed". That's probably the reason that makes you come across as a self professed Walking Encyclopedia Of Misinformation.:dancingbanana:
 
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