Waterfowl Shotgun Help?

new210/22 said:
Since you asking for opinions I’ll share mine. You already own one of the most reliable pumps there is. Get a good barrel with chokes and you are good to go. That is, of course, unless you came not for an opinion but permission to buy another gun? In that case, do it!
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Not asking permission, i'll do what I want haha!

But, i did want some input as others who hunt are probably more knowledgeable than myself when it comes to hunting firearms.
The reason i'm looking into a new shotgun in general is for the weather-resistant coating, as well as barrel length, included chokes, etc. Just a lot less hassle.

That, and i'd have a shiny new toy ;)
 
MOM, 3.5” is not necessary, just gives you more options.


prairie lover said:
ive yet to see a 3 .5 steel beat a certain cheap 3 inch steel on a pattern board. they honestly have no advantage in steel shot, i know guys will argue but the 300+ patterns i have shot do not agree.
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Pattern is based on your choke. 3.5” vs 3” is more charge weight or velocity, sometimes both. Throwing more metal down range or throwing it faster which means reaching out further.
 
Mazeofmystery said:
Not asking permission, i'll do what I want haha!

But, i did want some input as others who hunt are probably more knowledgeable than myself when it comes to hunting firearms.
The reason i'm looking into a new shotgun in general is for the weather-resistant coating, as well as barrel length, included chokes, etc. Just a lot less hassle.

That, and i'd have a shiny new toy ;)
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I can guess where you will be hunting, it’s going to be salty and muddy. You are going to have to clean and strip every trip even with ceracoated or stainless firearms. If you want to hunt with a pump, my money would be spent on a barrel.
 
Nashville said:
MOM, 3.5” is not necessary, just gives you more options.




Pattern is based on your choke. 3.5” vs 3” is more charge weight or velocity, sometimes both. Throwing more metal down range or throwing it faster which means reaching out further.
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Yeah, that makes sense. What do you think the best all-around choke would be? I was thinking either an improved cylinder or a modified choke.
 
We kill hundreds of geese every year, and with the exception of some 3-1/2" loads were bought cheaper than what the 3" loads were selling for, we use 3" , and it works fine for the big Canada geese. The most important factor, is only shooting at geese that are in good range, and then your shooting ability. If you count your hulls when cleaning up after a hunt, and there are three or more hulls per dead goose, you are doing something wrong, and 3-1/2" loads are not going to fix the problem.
 
Mazeofmystery said:
Uh oh. Where would your guess be?
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My guess would be the muddy salty place, obviously. As for choke choice that’s more of a dark art than a science. Different loads will pattern differently out of different guns with different chokes. Trial and error. There are plenty of videos on YouTube about “patterning your choke”.
 
new210/22 said:
My guess would be the muddy salty place, obviously. As for choke choice that’s more of a dark art than a science. Different loads will pattern differently out of different guns with different chokes. Trial and error. There are plenty of videos on YouTube about “patterning your choke”.
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Is it a rule here to not use names or something?

Thanks for the advice, i'll do some youtube research on chokes!
 
stubblejumper said:
We kill hundreds of geese every year, and with the exception of some 3-1/2" loads were bought cheaper than what the 3" loads were selling for, we use 3" , and it works fine for the big Canada geese. The most important factor, is only shooting at geese that are in good range, and then your shooting ability. If you count your hulls when cleaning up after a hunt, and there are three or more hulls per dead goose, you are doing something wrong, and 3-1/2" loads are not going to fix the problem.
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Hopefully i havent gotten TOO rusty with my shot then haha! I know my fishing cast accuracy has gotten good, i wonder if there's any carryover...
 
Mazeofmystery said:
I would prefer a pump, as I like the action being more... deliberate and involved. Do they have a pump model that would be good? Stoegers are made by Benelli i think, right?
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No Stoeger is not made by Benelli, Stoeger is a subsidiary of Benelli , and some people used their imagination to come up with the rumor you just posted
 
Those are all great shotguns.

I run the ultimag as my back up. Its is slippery to pump but grip tape will fix that. It is notably bigger and thicker then my other mossbergs which i like. I dont shoot 3.5” but i like having the option. I had the benelli and really liked it as well but it got traded. My neighbour shoots the winchester and loves it.

Best of luck, neither one is a bad choice
 
stubblejumper said:
No Stoeger is not made by Benelli, Stoeger is a subsidiary of Benelli , and some people used their imagination to come up with the rumor you just posted
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Oh, that's good to know. I thought subsidiary meant a smaller "child company" controlled by a parent company due to being the majority shareholder. Is it different in the Benelli-Stoeger relationship?
 
S1de8urnz said:
Those are all great shotguns.

I run the ultimag as my back up. Its is slippery to pump but grip tape will fix that. It is notably bigger and thicker then my other mossbergs which i like. I dont shoot 3.5” but i like having the option. I had the benelli and really liked it as well but it got traded. My neighbour shoots the winchester and loves it.

Best of luck, neither one is a bad choice
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While it's good to know i may have a decent eye for firearms, this didn't help at all...

Joking of course!!! Thank you!
 
I've owned 3 separate 3.5" waterfowl guns and never got 3.5" shells to pattern as well as 3" shells. This is out of an SBE2, Extrema II, and a Nova. To this day I only shoot 3" shells so my next Waterfowl gun will have a 3" chamber max to slightly cut down on weight.

I use an Affinity 3 20gs for upland and will be trying it this year for ducks. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a 12ga Affinity. The Waterfowl Elite models look promising.
 
Mazeofmystery said:
Oh, that's good to know. I thought subsidiary meant a smaller "child company" controlled by a parent company due to being the majority shareholder. Is it different in the Benelli-Stoeger relationship?
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Just because one company controls another company, doesn't mean that they share parts or assembly lines.
 
squidxm said:
I've owned 3 separate 3.5" waterfowl guns and never got 3.5" shells to pattern as well as 3" shells. This is out of an SBE2, Extrema II, and a Nova. To this day I only shoot 3" shells so my next Waterfowl gun will have a 3" chamber max to slightly cut down on weight.

I use an Affinity 3 20gs for upland and will be trying it this year for ducks. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a 12ga Affinity. The Waterfowl Elite models look promising.
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That's what I did, got rid of two Mossberg 3.5" shotguns and bought a Browning Silver 3" (a colossal upgrade) and it's a zillion times better in every respect including patterns at all ranges with all chokes.
 
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