After a haitus of over twenty years I have resumed ( on a limited -opportunity basis ) goose hunting. In the meantime my old goose gun (Browing A5 with long tube ) was stolen. I have a Browning O/U that and have used 3" Heavi-Shot and Bismuth in it.

I have been wondering if a 3 1/2" would offer much advantage. Seems I read somewhere that using Heavi-shot, Bismuth, etc., in a 3" shell somewhat evens the field a bit.

So, might a 3 1/2" provide 10yds, 15 yds, (etc.) extra reach or is the trade-off with recoil not worth it?

I'm mostly a rifle and handgun shooter, so am a bit out of my comfort zone here. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

If I were given the choice, I'd pick a 2 3/4" heavy shot load over any steel 3 1/2" load out there.

If I were buying a new gun for geese, it'd be a 10, certainly not a 3 1/2" 12 abomination..... JMO, Dutch.

I would be buying one of the current 12 ga autos Browning,Remington, Berretta or better yet find one of the japanese made A5'S that were steel compatable and use heavy 2 3/4" or 3" shells.

The 3 1/2 inch shells were designed to hold more steel shot and actually turn steel into a HALF WAY decent duck/goose load.

I'm not current on what lengths hevi-shot is offered in, but if they offer a 3 1/2 inch shell, it would almost certainly be better than a shorter one. I'm not familiar with the new "hevi-steel" so don't know how it compares to hevi-shot. Bottom line is, you certainly won't be undergunned with a 3 inch gun and premium shells but if you're going to use straight steel then 3 1/2 inchers are worth considering for any kind of long range shooting.

BTW, no, that extra half inch is ABSOLUTELY not going to give you an extra 15 yards over the best 3 inch shells, but it might give you 5. When you're shooting on the margins, every little bit helps.

The 10 ga was markedly superior for longer ducks and geese when lead was usable. I doubt the difference is so obvious nowadays. For one thing, the shell companies don't "push" their research and dev on their 10 ga offerings because the market is so small.

Get a 3 1/2 inch 12 ga. from Benelli or Beretta. These guns, with the proper loads can do anything a 10 ga. can do without the extra weight of hauling around a 10 ga. I have a Benelli SBE I and the recoil is not bad at all. I have also heard that the new Beretta's are good guns. Either one would be a good choice for geese

Thanks, all, for the advice. Think I'll stick with my 3" Hevi-Shot for the time being.