do I NEED a new shotgun?

H

heronfish

CGN frequent flyer
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Just looking for opinions here.
Geting prepared for a fall goose hunt with a few friends. Fire I might as well prepare now rather than react then.
now to my question. I hope you will humor me, I'm sure this has been asked before.
I currently own two shotguns suitable for waterfowl.
A ithaca 37 with a fixed mod choke and a 2 3/4 chamber that I've used to jump shoot ducks
and
a browning auto 5 light 12 with Invector chokes.
The guys I would go with all shoot 3.5 inch bb loads. And claim it's what is needed for long shots.
do I need to step out and spend a pile of money to keep with the joneses or will my old humpback do the job in the goose field.
 
When the super mags first came out my hunting buddy just had to have one - was supposed to be the best thing to come along in years for "reaching out", especially since we also had to shoot "steel" (remember the debates and chicken little discussions on that).

Anyhow, we took his brand new 870 super mag out to the skeet range and did some shooting with our (typical) 2 3/4 and 3" loads.

He then pulled out a box of "goose rounds" - 3 1/2" double B max loads and threw a few down the tube.

Launched the clay and he let rip.

He held the gun out to me saying "you gotta try this".

Well, since I appreciate keeping my arm in my shoulder socket, after firing two rounds I decided that 3" shells were more than enough :)

I still don't own a super mag and have no desire to ever own one (a 3 1/2" Turkey load generates 70 lbs of recoil, roughly the same as a 378 Wby Mag - and I wouldn't take one of those to the range and "pop" off a few dozen shots either).

Do you need another shotgun - sure. Does it need to be a super mag? only you can answer that. Have you shot a few strings with one?

If the recoil doesn't bother you, go for it. But for me I want my waterfowl hunting to be "enjoyable" and having to ice my shoulder after going out for a few birds just doesn't rank up there with "pleasurable things".

Besides, in a couple of years the 4" Mega-Mag will probably come out and you will be able to get a new 3 1/2" for half the current price :)
 
Real question is, do you Want a new shotgun?

Personally I bought a mossberg 935 semi for waterfowl because it takes up to 3.5" shells. I love it, and if recoil is a concern keep in mind a semi has much less felt recoil than a pump. Personally I don't notice it, but recoil has never really bothered me.

My only mistake was selling my trusty 30yr old wingmaster and a couple yrs later I'm on the hunt for a new or new to me upland gun.

I guess my take would be if you want a new shotgun, buy one that takes 3.5" shells. If you don't really want a new one, dance with the one you brung. :)
 
If the cat man says 2 3/4 steel is good enough, it's good enough. Going to keep hunting for a browning auto 5 magnum but the old girl can go goose hunting.
I did grab a new a5 off the shelf at bass pro. That is definitely not my grandfather's a5. He would have called It plastic junk.
 
heronfish said:
If the cat man says 2 3/4 steel is good enough, it's good enough. Going to keep hunting for a browning auto 5 magnum but the old girl can go goose hunting.
I did grab a new a5 off the shelf at bass pro. That is definitely not my grandfather's a5. He would have called It plastic junk.
Click to expand...
My partner uses an 1100 with 2 3/4" ammo and has absolutely no problem cleanly killing birds with it out to the same distances as the 3" guns.
We hunt over decoys , mind you, and if I am not using a 20 gauge I am often shooting them with Bismuth and black powder in brass cases! :>)
If the load patterns well and you know how to shoot , birds will die - shoot lousy with a gun that throws lousy patterns and , well , you know the story! LOL!
However, this would mean that you don't get to buy a new gun- WHAT am I thinking??!!
Cat
 
yup go buys some real good top shelf waterfowl loads for your a5 and have at her ,we killed many birds before all the magnumitis hit todays shooters ,all we has was 2.75 inch full or mod chokes guns .and my gramps and his dad and my dad all killed plenty of birds ,Dutch
 
heronfish: Be careful! There is a rule on CGN that you can't use the word "need" in the same paragraph as the word "gun". :p

My limited experience with a 3 1/2" is firing one shot from a friend's big, fancy something-or-other semi. Good heavens this day and black night! He is twice as big as me, and I am 5'10", 220 lbs, and he couldn't shoot more than a half dozen rounds. Jayzuz, I would hate to fire a pump with 3 1/2". b:
 
Need and want do not corrolate. I have learned that.
Do I need 3 270s or 4 Husqvarnas or a dozen deer rifles? No, but that's beyond the point.
I definitely want bigger, newer shotguns but do t know I'd I want to spend a couple thousand to decide that goose hunting isn't my game. At least I know now that the old auto will let me start and decide if I want to throw both feet in.
 
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