[Guest]

Even with the use of a 3 1/2" 12 gauge or 10 gauge what is the max effective range that one can cleanly bring down a duck. I recently had a friend tell me that he was dropping geese at 70 yards. I found this very hard to believe. After all we are talking about steel shot.

 

[CanvasHack]

I don't like em outside of 35---If they are working the decoys, I bring them into about 20 yards---on a pass shot---I think to take one "cleanly"---no farther than 35---that's just me though---I shoot a 12 G 3.5"

 

[Guest]

THATS WHY WE HAVE ALL OF THE SKY BUSTERS. 70 YARDS IS A JOKE.
I AGREE WITH THE OTHER DUCKMAN, BRING EM IN CLOSE BEFORE YOU POP EM. 40 YARDS IS A VERY LONG SHOT OVER THE WATER, AND ALL YOU WOULD PROBABLY DO IS CRIPPLE ONE. IF YOU ARE ANY GOOD, CALL EM IN CLOSE BEFORE YOU SHOOT.
OR DON'T CALL AT ALL AND LET THEM KEEP ON COMMING.

I DON'T AGREE WITHE THE 3 1/2'S ALTHOUGH I KNOW ALOT OF PEOPLE DO. TO ME THAT WAS ONE OF THE WORST THINGS THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO THE SPORT. IF THEY ARE TOO FAR FOR A 2 3/4 OR A 3 THEN THEY ARE TOO FAR TO SHOOT AT.

 

[timmey9]

I have hunted near some other hunters who have taken 80 yard shots and dropped a bird, but every time its a cripple. They shoot a a bird too far away and disrupt everyones chance at a good shot then spend 20 minutes chasing it and again ruining everyones chance at another flock. The farthest i ever shoot is 40-45 yards. Anyfarther and all you will have is a cripple. I use the 3.5's for geese but never when they are farther away than 45 yards. So the 70 yard shots are possible, but just dumb. Use the new shells to reduce the number of cripples. Or don;t buy tham at all and save money to buy better decoys to get better shots.

 

[webfoot1]

If someone actually thinks that a 3 1/2 12 gauge gives you a more effective killing DISTANCE. Thay need to go back to school. All that it gives you is MORE SHOT. I own the Winchester Shadowgrass SX2 3 1/2 12 gauge. I love it. When shooting divers I feel the extra shot comes in very handy. I feel more confident that with the xtra shot I can kill a bird before crippling it. I'll be the first to admit I've popped off a few shots at birds close to 50 yards. Most of the time I miss, sometimes I GET LUCKY. 45 yards is the max in my opinion.

 

[Guest]

THERE YA GO.................KEEP EM UNDER 45 YARDS. WITH A LITTLE PATIENCE THEY WILL COME CLOSER.

AS YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED, I AM NOT A FAN OF THE 3 1/2, AND OR USING HEAVY SHOT FOR DUCKS. ONE OF MY HUNTIN BUDDIES USES 3 1/2 FOR EVERYTHING, EVEN TEAL. HE SWEARS THATS THE ONLY WAY TO GO. WHEN I FIRST GOT BACK INTO DUCK HUNTIN A FEW YEARS AGO I WENT WITH HIM AND AT THAT TIME I THOUGHT I TOO NEEDED A 3 1/2 OR AT LEAST A 3. AFTER TRIAL AND ERROR I WENT BACK TO 2 3/4 AND SOMETIMES 3. MY SHOOTING IMPROVED 90 PERCENT. AS I HAVE STATED BEFORE, I SHOOT ONLY # 6'S NOW INSTEAD OF THE 2'S AND 3'S THAT SOME PEOPLE CLAIM YOU MUST HAVE. IF YOU HAVE NOT TRIED THE 3 INCH 6'S OVER YOUR DECOYS YOU ARE MISSING OUT.

RECENTLY ON A TEAL HUNT I DROPPED TWO OUT OF THREE OVER THE DECOYS WHILE THE OTHER BOYS DIDN'T HIT A FEATHER WITH THEIR CANNONS. THE TWO DROPPED DEAD ON THE SPOT AND THAT WAS WITH 2 3/4. HARD TO BELIEVE TO MOST BUT TRUE. GIVE IT A TRY JUST ONCE AND YOU WILL BE HOOKED. WINCHESTER (XPERT) MAKES A GOOD
2 3/4 6 SHOT, AND ESTATE MAKES THE 3 INCH 6'S. FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TRIED ESTATE IN THE PAST AND GAVE THEM UP: FEDERAL BOUGHT OUT ESTATE AND NOW THE SHELLS ARE MADE TO THEIR SPECS. IF YOU HAVE NOT TRIED ESTATE IN A WHILE GIVE THEM ANOTHER TRY. KENT FASTSTEEL ALSO MAKES A 3 INCH #6 BUT I CANNOT FIND THEM IN MY AREA SO I HAVE NOT TRIED THEM

GOOD LUCK...............AND GIVE THEM A TRY.

 

[Guest]

I hunted the Horicon area a few years ago - the so called guides would set guys up in a plywood box painted green in the center of a harvested field, then let them blast away at huge ranges. (We used a modest set of three dozen decoys and had geese at twenty yards! All clean kills.) In an adjacent field a guy hit one and it sailed a quarter mile - he never even left the "box" - I went and got it for him and he claimed it wasn't his. Not surprising that he would say that, because unless you are super lucky to break a wing at 70 yards, you never know you actually hit something.

Sometimes it is not just skybusting, but poor shooting skills - and usually a combination of both! Then add into the equation the new heavy loads and 3 1/2" or 10g, the guy who can afford the gun and a camo jacket with a dozen decoys in his bass boat.............. you know where I'm going with this!

 

[IthicaMag10]

i shoot a 10 guage Xtra full choke # 2's and when i go duck huning i go to get my limit buy the time all the ppl i go with empty there guns on ducks 25-30 yards im just gettin done with my first shot 10 guages are good if u know ur pattern i have no problem taking 60-65 yard shots knowing i can shoot them that far lets me realize i have more time to pick out the better shots and most of all the GREENHEADS

 

[DUKHTR]

obviously we have a different style of hunting - I can hit birds at 60 yards too - but why? NO ONE can tell me that they can kill the same numbers at 60 yards that I do at twenty! It will not happen. No debate necessary. Loss of down range energy, lead, plus every other variable is too much at that range to be consistent.
Keep your 10 ga - but do not think you are a better shot and do not think you can extend your range just because of a larger shot payload!

 

[Huntinracer]

Actually if you go to a bigger shell or larger gauge the shot will carry further with more energy because their is alot more mass flying throught the air at once. I shoot 3" #3 and 4's, I like to get alot of shot out to my targets so i dont cripple them.

 

[phillipstd]

I was recently looking at some of my books, and a 10 ga 3.5 and a 12 ga 3.5 shells hold almost exactly the same shot and powder, and close to the same pressure, almost all the 12 ga were faster though, even with the same shot and powder, doesn't realy add up, but then what is the point of shooting a 10 ga, if you can get the same shot out faster, same pattern and cheaper, maybe you should look into that, I think if your shootin that far away, your wasting shots anyway's, you caint tell me your taking three on a go around at 70 yards when I know it's possible to get three at 20, if so maybe you should be on t.v. instead of this website.

 

[Huntinracer]

the pressure and what not doesnt matter the more shot as in weight, the higher the weight the further the travel before power is lost. If you dont believe me look it up in hunters education books!!!

 

[phillipstd]

10 ga 3.5 12 ga 3.5
same shot same shot same mass and weight
same powder same powder same energy
about same pressure about same pressure maybe different pattern
more expensive cheaper that's what I see,
I'll find the book and post the
recipe

 

[Huntinracer]

i know the 10 ga and 12 ga are about the same. but there is a difference in 2 3/4 and 3 1/2. Thats what im sayin.

 

[DUKHTR]

I believe for steel shot anyhow, that speed is more of a factor in down range energy transfer at point of impact than amount of pasyload. All the payload gets you is more shot flying in the air. If you can hit a target with 2 3/4" shells, what need is there to go with 3 1/2"??!!! Get out on the range and fix your shooting before relying on the shot shell.

 

[Huntinracer]

momentum is what u want and get rid of the 3 1/2 inch any ways. the most i wanna shot is 3 and that aint very often.

 

[DUCK MAN]

HOW FAR CAN A 10 GAUGE SHOOT

 

[h2ofwlr]

10 ga will shoot same as 12 ga.

so is the question how far to pellets go? Or effective killing range? pellets will go hundreds of yards will the coarser shot. effective killing range varies. About 40 yds for the small shot to 60 yds for the large shot. remember that this is if you are even capable of shooting these distances===most hunter can NOT shoot well past 35 yds--so it is not the ballistics--but ones personal shooting skills that limit most hunters.

 

[Thundersnow]

AMEN, H2ofwir

You hit the nail on the head!

 

[noise1]

A BB pellet in 10 Ga and a BB pellet in a 12 Ga are the same mass. Momentum is equal to mass multiplied by velocity. So if your shooting BB in a 10 Ga and BB in a 12 Ga and the velocities are the same, the downrange energy for that pellet will be ths same. The only difference is you can stuff more pellets into a 10 Ga hull. The best shells I ever shot for goose were 2 3/4" 1 3/8 ounce copperplated BB handloads. These things were real bangers. When I shot a goose with those even at 40 yards the pellets went right through and the goose dropped like a rock. (No gliders ever) I haven't found a shell that will do that since the ban. I'm going to mess around with some BB bismuth, my MEC and my chrony during the summer!!