What is the diff between 3" and 3.5 " pls? Is it worth the extra bother to get a 3"?

Tks, W.

I've never understood the need for the 3", so I am totally baffled that someone bothered to create a 3.5" shell. My assumption is that it has something to do with the perceived size of one's male appendage and the age-old practice of one-upsmanship.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
I've never understood the need for the 3", so I am totally baffled that someone bothered to create a 3.5" shell. My assumption is that it has something to do with the perceived size of one's male appendage and the age-old practice of one-upsmanship.

In the old days (pre lead ban) I would agree. However I read somewhere that the extra powder space is needed to throw the lighter steel as fast as possible for bird shooting. As well, because steel is lighter than lead more space is needed to contain a given weight of shot. In any event, if somebody has some answers about the upsides and downsides of 3" v 3.5" 12 ga. I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by wretch:
What is the diff between 3" and 3.5 " pls?

Tks, W.

OK, I'll bite. Answer = 1/2" Why would I use steel shot? To hunt ducks or geese?

I'll go to Argentina and hunt first!
We pay good money to increase the flock and they charge to shoot them. That's called international sharing?

Wretch -- OK I'll take a stab at it.

The 12ga 3 1/2" shell is 1/2" longer than the 3" shell, it kicks more, it is more expensive, it kicks more, it can carry a heavier payload, it kicks more, it can shoot loads too higher velocities, it kicks more, it is rated too a higher Max Allowable Pressure (MAP)(14,000 psi) than the 12ga 2 3/4" and 3" loads (11,500 psi), it kicks more, it's loads are similar to 10ga loads, and yes it is much more deadly because it kicks more!!!

I don't know exactly why "they" can up with it but the marketing and sales dept.s have been happy. I think you are paritally right about the steel shot thing. Since we tend to use larger pellet sizes with steel a larger hull capacity allows for more large pellets and potentially maintaining longer effective killin' disances with nontoxic steel shot. "They" also probably liked the fact they could make a 12ga that would perform similar to a 10ga and as a bounse (the marketing bunch likes this one) hunters could have one gun that would still accept shorter 12ga loads for other stuff too.

To me, it is a long-range (50-70 yard) specialty goose gun for large (BBB or larger) steel pellets. Out to 50 or even 60 yards, even 3" steel loads are effective on geese if you use the right load, pellet and choke for the situation. The 3 1/2" has a larger payload/more pellets but that doesn't always mean more pellets in the down-range pattern. You would have to do some pattern work to make sure it is really putting more pellets in the pattern at those longer ranges. Some patterning I did with turkey loads showed no improvement in patterns at 50 yards with 3 1/2" loads and in fact some of the 3" loads actually put more pellets in the pattern!

There will be some that don't agree with my summary and many waterfowl and turkey hunters love'em and thats OK, but I don't see much need for them. I certanly believe in having good effective guns/loads/chokes/patterns but "firepower only gets you so far, ultimately your hunting and shooting skill will determine your success!!!"

Good luck.

Here we go again....

With 2 1/4 oz of lead and a super extra full turkey choke the 3.5s are marginal.

Back in the olden days 3 inchers were the magnums. Along comes steel shot and there simply wasn't enough room in the case for the less dense shot. Enter the 3.5. Fast forward 20-30 years. Most folks have atleast experimented with heavier than lead shot or have read articles. Yes 3.5s will hold ridiculous amounts of shot, but you simply don't need its capacity anymore.

SAVE YOUR MONEY AND YOUR SHOULDER Buy a good shotgun in 2 3/4 and if you feel undergunned shoot Hevi-Shot. Even in the best gas opperated 3.5s you will start to flinch cuz it KICKS!!! Hevi-Shot will do anything you need to get done with a 12 ga using 2 3/4 shells.

Andy B

It depends on what you're shooting and where. Someone didn't just one day wake up and say, "Hell, let's make a 3 1/2 inch steel 12 ga load".....they did it in response to problems with shooting enough steel shot, fast enough for reasonable killing power at maximum ranges. In general a 3 1/2 inch shell is better for maximum performance on ducks and, especially, geese, but they cost more and have somewhat higher recoil. Comparing apples to apples, 3 1/2 inch hevi-shot costs $2.80/shot and has 1 3/8 ounces shot @ 1500 fps, 3 inchers cost $2.50 and have 1 1/4 ounces shot @ 1550, and 2 3/4 inchers cost $2.20 and have 1 1/4 ounces shot @ 1300......using larger amounts of shot at higher velocities can allow the hunter to use a more open choke or kill further.....the physics of it are clear. The difference is even more striking when using pure steel which is substantially cheaper per shot.....I've noticed a clear difference in 1 3/8 ounces of steel compared to 1 1/4 when using larger shot sizes, but it depends on your shooting situation. You can always load down to a 2 3/4 with a 3 1/2 inch gun but you can't load up in the opposite direction......take a pass shooting situation where they are coming over at 50 yards plus and you'll think the 3 1/2s are light. OTOH decoying timber ducks can easily be killed with minimum steel loads......

My advice, if the gun choices suit you, get a 3 1/2 and shoot what the situation calls for.....

BTW this larger is better is not ALWAYS true, it depends, one of the most killing shotgun shells I've ever run into was the Federal Premium 2 3/4 inch 1 1/2 ounces of copper plated LEAD BBs (the current hevi-shot is probably better but I haven't shot it as extensively)......I've killed dozens of geese and mallards at ranges most people wouldn't believe with that load......interestingly I ran into a few boxes of it for sale in a backwoods store a few months back cheap......it was all I could do not to buy it, but I knew the temptation would be too much.......

Thanks, guys. Especially for the recoil warning.

quote:

Originally posted by Don Slater:

quote:

Originally posted by wretch:
What is the diff between 3" and 3.5 " pls?

Tks, W.

OK, I'll bite. Answer = 1/2"

If that's what you've got to play with ....

My son (young and strong) likes his 835 12ga 3 1/2 with the 10ga overbored/ported barrel--Ouch is all I say.
My buddy has the new Berreta Extrema and the Benelli SBE , he prefers the SBE , I like the Extrema as to swing and recoil.

I prefer my AYA 10ga 3 1/2 for pattern, swing and esthetics, but then it reminds me of my DR's.

I started my magnum craze with an 835 and 24inch barrel it KICKED. I tried the 28 inch ported but wasn't impressed. I had a SX2 and it was tolerable. Then I was given some 2 3/4 Hevi shells. 1 1/8 oz of #4 and #6 at 1300fps. I had no problems pass shooting snows with the #4s to over 40yds. Ducks over dekes the #6 is lethal. Two lawyers I hunted with along with a game warden witnessed 6 snows killed at a lazered 80yds...that was I'll admit a 1 1/4 oz #6 in a 3". The birds were on the ground. The warden said to shoot in the middle, I did. Those 6 birds didn't even flop. These days I'm shooting a Sweet 16 with 1oz Hevi handloads. I pick my shots carefully and have alot more fun, but to each their own.

Andy

Personally, I shoot an 870 with a 3.5" chamber. Is there more recoil? Sure, but I don't normally shoot enough in a day of duck or goose hunting for it to affect me. I pass shoot most of my waterfowl, too, so my ranges are a little longer on average. Could 3" shells make most of the shots I do? Of course. But, 3.5" steel shells aren't THAT much more expensive, I don't shoot THAT many of them, they don't hurt me, and they do the job I ask them to. So why wouldn't I use them? If I'm seriously hunting turkeys, I'll use them for that, too, but a lot of the time (in the fall, anyway) I'm hunting smaller game, too, so I've killed some turkeys with 2 3/4" shells, none of them got away, either. I guess I just like big booms when I pull the trigger to sum it up!

Justin:

There you go......

Some people are more recoil sensitive than others.....some people insist on patterning heavy kicking shotgun loads which tends to increase the perceived recoil.....in my experience, most people who hunt are not very good judges of distance, thus they can use ALL the shot they can get......OTOH, if someone wants to hunt waterfowl with a 28 or .410 it is their choice and can easily be done if the hunter limits his shots......when I think back over the years of hunting that I have done, I hardly ever recall the close in kills, it is the long range ones that stick with your memory......others preferences will differ from mine and I wish them and you continued hunting success.

quote:

Originally posted by wretch:

quote:

Originally posted by Don Slater:

quote:

Originally posted by wretch:
What is the diff between 3" and 3.5 " pls?

Tks, W.

OK, I'll bite. Answer = 1/2"

If that's what you've got to play with ....

Truth be known I'm so old that size no longer matters! I was, in my younger days, often compared to a stud field mouse though!

DS,

Why else do you think I'm so interested in the difference between 3" and 3.5"? :~)

quote:

Originally posted by wretch:
DS,

Why else do you think I'm so interested in the difference between 3" and 3.5"? :~)

I tried a box of 3" shells once.That was enough for me.I'll never try 3 1/2".

Depends on what you are huntin! Upland, waterfowl, or turkeys. They all have there place as far as I am concerned. God Bless, Louis

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Originally posted by youngoutdoors:
Depends on what you are huntin! Upland, waterfowl, or turkeys. They all have there place as far as I am concerned. God Bless, Louis

I can imagine, but do you care to elaborate? My primary interest is waterfowl.