What size shotgun shells do you use?

B

brian ziegler

Member
I know a few guys that shoot 3-1/2" shells and they swear by them. I just have a hard time beleiving the extra pellets is worth the damage to my shoulder, especially when they cost about a buck a shell. What do you guys think? Does it increase the distance you can shoot? I usually buy whatever 3" shells are on clearance because i honestly havnt seen a difference in performance between them and the more expensoive loads. So what do you guys shoot and why?

This seems like a question that may have been asked before so sorry if i offend anyone by making a repeat question.
Thanks,
Brian
 
I prefer 3" loads, light and fast as I can get. In my opinion, speed kills when it comes to steel. Get the birds over the dekes, name of the game. We've seen some of the layout guys who post here shooting 28 ga on sea ducks and making clean kills. Those birds can carry shot. I don't use 3 1/2 shells, I'd use 2 3/4 if they had the same speed at the 3's
 
The 3.5" shells do not shoot farther - they only hold more pellets. As your pattern opens up, the extra pellets help "fill the gaps" at 40 yards.

To save money, I like to shoot fast 3" shells verses the more expensive 3.5" shells. When it comes to knock-down power, speed kills (which means more kinetic energy). Just let the ducks decoy and shoot'em in the lips:)
 
3", 1 1/4oz #3s, in 1400-1450 FPS. Estate & Rio makes a great load. Last year I I bought some Federals from Rogers Sporting Goods that cost $99 delivered.
These have all worked well for me.
My partner used to shoot 3.5, doesnt waste his money any more.
 
A friend, shooting a Browning BSS that was chambered for 2 3/4" only, was making kills every bit as far as my 3" gun. Now I only shoot 2 3/4" and have not lost any range or increased my cripple rate.

With the money you save on 2 3'4" shells, you can buy the better quality sardines!
 
I see no need for 31/2" shells. Any shot that I call in one of our pits for geese is usally less than 15 yds. For Scoter and Eider the shots are longer, but remember we're trying to kill a duck. Not a Terraducktyl. I buy Winchester Expert 23/4" #4 for duck and 3" #2 for geese.Mainly because they're the cheepest I can find. Lots of guys bring the 31/2's out. I am impressed with where I find the wads 75-80 yds out, but I just don't see them kill the birds out farther than anyone else. When birds are dropped that far out I feel its more of a lucky shot than the skill of the shooter. Anything beyond 50 yds, the leeds become outrageous add a 25 kt wind to it and its impossible
 
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Brian,
Mark who posted here quite a bit in the early days, hunted with 2 and 3\4 inch number 5 steel.

You should have heard the howl about how it couldnt work.


His secret?

When they are landing on top of you that is all you need.


If you see some one cutting loose the 3 and a 1\2 shells they are "Outside the Decoys"


It depends on what you are into.

I would look long and hard at a patterning board before I would buy a 12 ga in the long shell. You need 110 or more even pellets in a 30 inch circle at the range you plan on shooting to get a clean kill. Dosnt matter what it comes out of. Then you have to get that circle centered on the bird, not the fringe.

I own a SxS ten ga. and hand load for it, but only for the nostalgia. Not for knocking them down at 70 yds.
 
12 ga 2 3/4
I've never shot a 12 ga 3 inch shell. After shooting a few 3 1/2 inchers I decided I never want to do that again. Maybe in a semi-auto they would be OK.
For me Kent Fasteel 1 1/16oz loads shoot a lot like the old time 1 1/4oz lead loads I grew up on so see no need to change. Any duck inside of 40 yards that lives is my fault... and as tight as it shoots for me 45 is in range. Pace off 45 yards and it is farther then it sounds.

Tim
 
I typically shoot 3", #3, 1 1/8, 1450 ft/second. I do shoot 2 3/4" when I have them on hand. I never shoot 3 1/2" as I don't currently own a gun chambered for them.

I have noticed a big difference in how some brands pattern and suggest patterning your gun.
 
I guess. I'll put my neck out and not be on the page as everyone else. I am one of those young shooters who exclusively shoot 3.5" 2 shot. I shoot 1 & 3/8th to 1 & 9/16th typically 1500fps+. I have to confess knowing there are extra pellets gives me a boost of confidence when birds come in. I do not take long shots, and do my best at calling birds in as close as possible. A 40 yd shot is veeerry far and I don't even try anymore.
When I started hunting about four years ago I used to shoot 3" 4 shoot. I wounded and lost more birds than I like to admit. I can remember hearing the shot strike the birds and they kept on flying. This has not been an issue since I moved to 3.5".

I'm planning on joining our local gun club and start shooting trap. I know it has more to do with me than the steel shot. The 3.5" 2 shot helps me make lethal kills. Wish I could get away with 3" shot but I can't right now...

The most important part is a quick and humane kill, regardless if it comes in the form of 2 & 3/4" 4 shot or 3.5" BB.
 
I will say that on Snow Geese, 3 1/2" shells dropped birds where 3" shells were not...

That being said, I normally shoot Kent 3" #2... I have always preferred #1's and #3's.... but they are hard to find.

I recently fell in love with Federal Black Cloud 3" #3's..... Birds fell like rain.... Just like advertised... Cabelas only had #3's in 2 3/4" when I went back to get more.... SO we will see if the small shell makes a difference.
 
After seeing post of guys killing ducks clean with very small shot i had to give it a try. I have been shooting 2 3/4 loads in 4's and 6's out of a improved cylinder. The 4's are the 1550 fps varity and the 6's are the 1oz 1350 fps light game loads. This weekend i shot only the slow 6's and killed 1 mallard, 2 spoonies, and 1 teal clean. I also shot two small type geese with bb's that brought them down but not well. Expecting a water swat on both geese i went after them loaded with the 6's, when each bird got up and tried to fly i totally executed both birds with 1 load each. Each shot was about 20/25 yards and those 6's just flattened both birds. I am really sold on the small shot loads only thing i would like different would be if i was able to get the 6's in a faster load say 1550 or so.

Chris
 
I have to admit I spent a whole season shooting 3 1/2" back when my son was living at home . You see, he was less than full-time employed and his 870 only shot upto 3". Anyone getting the picture on that.
So, I thought it would save me money and give me extra pellets per volley. I never thought to pattern it until after the season. What I saw on paper convinced me never to waste my money on 3 1/2" shells again (well, except turkey and the right choke anyway).
The 3 1/2" paper test showed big holes in the pattern that did not happen when I patterned 3". Maybe they have better wads etc now, don't know. It just seems like they were very sporadic in the test I did in the pasture.
Now if I had put enough time and money into the idea, I might have found a better choke/shell combo but, my son found fulltime employment and the point was lost.
 
Brad,
another part of good shooting is the recovery from the recoil of the first shot.
Like it or not your brain can do the math on the forces generated and the it dosnt like the big numbers a heavy fast shell generates. Some 12 ga recoil numbers are astounding with the lighter guns. In the range of the Heavy African big game double guns.
Paper in a 4 foot wide roll is your friend in the off season. When a shell looks good and even on a circle it works in the field most times.
It might surprise you what comes out of the shells you shoot in your gun.
 
I have a bunch of friends that are fanatical hunters. They hunt something year round.
They shoot more ducks or geese in a season than I'll shoot in a lifetime! The only shells
they shoot are 2 3/4'' Kent Fast Steels in 4 shot. They are all good shots and let the birds
work. They're number of cripples are very few.
I think that says it ALL!! John
 
I shoot 3" 12ga-#3&2's I usally have a 3.5" with me, but it's a 10ga. with BBB. Not shure why I do it any more, I kill most geese with the 12. Back in the lead days I carried an Ithica mag 10, it loved a buffered copper plated load of BB's, it had the pattern & power to do geese in to 70yds, IF I could do my part, thats a long way out there!!! I don't shoot enough anymore to do the long range thing.
 

Mostly 3 inch, 1 1/4. #4 and #6 in tungsten shot, #4 and #2 in steel. I reserve the tungsten for sea ducks and late season birds that tend to be father and more heavily feathered.

Early in the season for teal I shoot some 2 3/4 #6's.
 
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