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Difference between 3" and 3 1/2"


Sask boy

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I sent message earlier regarding purchasing a new Benilli and after reading back I noticed that I had a spelling mistake on my browning.

I have shot 3" steel for just a few years as we did not have to use it up here. We can still use lead for upland game most of the time we use 2 3/4" except when we go for pheasant then I use 3" lead.

I was wondering how much difference there is between the 3" & The 31/2 " regarding range and knock down power.

Most of the time I do not have to worry as we use field decoys but sometimes we do some pass shooting during mid day and then go back to the decoys for the evening shoot.

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You'd have one sore arm after a day of 3.5'' lead shooting...

 

If you're shooting lead I can't see why you'd want anything bigger than a 3''. It's when you're shooting steel and you can hear the shot hitting feathers and the geese are still flying, than it's nice to have the extra load.

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Originally posted by r-teej:

You'd have one sore arm after a day of 3.5'' lead shooting...

 

If you're shooting lead I can't see why you'd want anything bigger than a 3''. It's when you're shooting steel and you can hear the shot hitting feathers and the geese are still flying, than it's nice to have the extra load.

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Originally posted by r-teej:

You'd have one sore arm after a day of 3.5'' lead shooting...

 

If you're shooting lead I can't see why you'd want anything bigger than a 3''. It's when you're shooting steel and you can hear the shot hitting feathers and the geese are still flying, than it's nice to have the extra load.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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  • 1 year later...

All I have noticed, is that the 3-1/2s put more pellets in the bird. 3" seem to have a little bit higher velocities, only about 50 fps though. I use 3-1/2 #2 and #3 winchester HV for ducks and geese, but I do mostly pass shooting. When I want a little extra range, 3" winchester supremes seem to outdistance the 3-1/2 HVs. Hevi shot though seems to out do them all, 3" or 3-1/2. My brothers 10 gauge does awesome for high flying geese, and I have never seen a 3" 10 gauge shell, I do believe they used to make it though.

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think the dealer ment to say 10ga 3.5" or 2 7/8"

 

I hunt big water alot with hard competion. We cheer when the prey gets over the decoys. so I shoot 3.5 alot. 1 5/8 of steel doesn't hurt anymor then the old 1 1/2 duckloads of lead.

 

i use all 4 sizes on ducks and 3-3.5 on geese and turkey and other animals. yea dad has a 2.5" 12 and sometimes we whip out the old dubbles and hit the field.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Another variable between the 3" and 3.5's shells is the pattern results.

 

From a SBE II and BPS I have always gotten better pattern with the 3" shells. This is with factory, BrileyX2 (LM, MOD), and Terror.675 choke tubes.

 

From pattern board results, I do not use 3.5" shells anymore.

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For turkey, I use only 3.5". The 3.5" patterns are so much better than 3" in my guns. The recoil does not bother me much as I don't shoot more than 100 or so turkey loads per year.

 

For waterfowl, I rarely use 3.5". The main reason is that the birds are usually so close that I don't need many extra pellets. I'm also shooting many cases of waterfowl shells per year, so I don't really need the extra recoil.

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Mudhen, what shells do you normally use for waterfowl?

 

I shoot all sorts of shells:

 

3" Hevi Steel #4's

EM Hevi Shot #6's

Rem Hevi Shot #2, #4, #6's (not anymore though)

3" Fed Steel #2's & #3's

 

For the upcoming season, I will probably order several cases of EM Hevi Shot in #2, #4, & #6.

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I shoot Hevi Steel at small ducks like teal and widgeon. They work well on early season sprig too.

 

It's not an overly powerful load, but it seems to get the job done most of the time.

 

I use heavier shot for later season birds.

 

mudhen - CA

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