You Guys Now Have Me Thinking..........

[Basstar]

A post on my thread here and a couple of posts on threads I have elsewhere are suggesting that I should just stay with guns shooting 3" shells for waterfowl and not go the 3.5" route.

I am basically new to waterfowl hunting and had assumed that the 3.5 was the chit.

Now, I am thinking that if the 3'' is plenty, even for geese, they would be less expensive, would kick MUCH less, and I have a gun already so could save that expense as well.

HHHHHHHMMMMMMMMM.................

[westkybanded]

3" shells (and 2.75" for that matter) will kill ducks just fine. If I have a choice on big decoying canadas, I'll shoot 3.5s. Otherwise, it's just not really that big of an increase to justify beating yourself to death.

[duckslayer870]

3" shells (and 2.75" for that matter) will kill ducks just fine. If I have a choice on big decoying canadas, I'll shoot 3.5s. Otherwise, it's just not really that big of an increase to justify beating yourself to death.

Banded is right buy quality shells and a choke and find the right size loads that pattern good and you will be amazed at what you can do with 3 inchers.

[RutNBuck]

3" for sure the name of the game is to get em in close with feet down..
and i am sure you'll save $$ in the long run

[Ash12]

3in isnt enough for geese! Im not sure where you live at but around here we have the canda sub speices called giants. Theses are big birds and I personally think it takes a 3 and half to knock them down.... Yeah they kick a little but when the birds are coming in you wont notice

[itallushrt]

2 3/4 and 3 inch work just fine.

If you can't kill them with either then something else is wrong...i.e...

stop taking 50 yard shots and learn to get birds closer.

[westkybanded]

3in isnt enough for geese! Im not sure where you live at but around here we have the canda sub speices called giants. Theses are big birds and I personally think it takes a 3 and half to knock them down.... Yeah they kick a little but when the birds are coming in you wont notice


LOL!!!

If you can't kill your geese with a 3" shell, then you must be at somebody's emu farm..

[CopenHagen]

3in isnt enough for geese! Im not sure where you live at but around here we have the canda sub speices called giants. Theses are big birds and I personally think it takes a 3 and half to knock them down.... Yeah they kick a little but when the birds are coming in you wont notice


No BOOM HEADSHOT???

[steelslinger]

Steel and non tox loads have come a long way. I used 3.5" for several years but haven't shot them in a long time since I started shooting a Pattermaster choke.

From geese to pass shots on ducks, 3" is all I ever shoot anymore. Early woody/teal season I only shoot 2 3/4 (unless I don't have any, then I may shoot a 3").

Keep your shots within 30 yards and you can kill anything clean. I don't even shoot 3.5 on turkeys.

If you can't get the birds within 30 yards, something is wrong and need to figure it out. Some times bird just aren't gonna get within 30 yards no matter what you do. That doesn't justify 50 yard shots on big geese (or ducks in my opinion)

Do some shooting, find a choke and load that works for you and you won't have to worry about the 3.5 hype.

If you insist on more firepower, get a 10ga.

[BadDuck]

Steel and non tox loads have come a long way. I used 3.5" for several years but haven't shot them in a long time since I started shooting a Pattermaster choke.

From geese to pass shots on ducks, 3" is all I ever shoot anymore. Early woody/teal season I only shoot 2 3/4 (unless I don't have any, then I may shoot a 3").

Keep your shots within 30 yards and you can kill anything clean. I don't even shoot 3.5 on turkeys.

If you can't get the birds within 30 yards, something is wrong and need to figure it out. Some times bird just aren't gonna get within 30 yards no matter what you do. That doesn't justify 50 yard shots on big geese (or ducks in my opinion)

Do some shooting, find a choke and load that works for you and you won't have to worry about the 3.5 hype.

If you insist on more firepower, get a 10ga.

You made alot of sense right up until the 10 gauge comment.

[steelslinger]

The 10ga comment was in the context that no matter what, there will always be people that feel undergunned even if they had a 155mm cannon.

[xtrema2]

I like the 3.5" for the same reason that I shoot a .270 for deer instead of a .223. Sure they will both kill deer but the .270 does a little better.

[itallushrt]

I like the 3.5" for the same reason that I shoot a .270 for deer instead of a .223. Sure they will both kill deer but the .270 does a little better.


Ahh the old deader than dead reason. It's a good one! :rolleyes: