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Q:
what size shell do you use when it comes to waterfowl hunting 3 inch or 3.5?
Question by lefthandedshooter. Uploaded on April 30, 2011
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Answers (18)
It depends on where I am shooting. River pass shooting I use 3" , fields I use 3.5" because I know they are gonna setup outside my decoys and the occassional goose is gonna make a visit. If I am puddle jumping or hunting flooded woods though I stick to the 2.75's becasue most of my shots are gonna be right on top of me. I generally change out my chokes as well. Full on the river ex-full in the field and modified full in the woods.
Don't hunt waterfowl anymore, but I don't shoot anything except 2.75 ammo. It accomplishes all my desired tasks. Turkey, dove, squirrel and the occasional pond jumped mallard.
Bubba
P.S. - the Mallard is always a drake. I'll eat the bird, but I'm actually after the "drake tails"! LOL!!
Bubba
I recommend everyone shoot 3.5 inches until they are more likely not to want to get up at 3am on a freezing cold morning because they didn't have much fun last time, their shoulders are sore, they ears are ringing, and the weather is not ideal, and leave some extra birds for me to pick off.
P.P.S. - there is no reason for 3 and 3.5 inch ammo.
Bubba
i would use a 3.5, it gets the job done.
3
3in. all ya need.
Dawgz is right I have killed plenty of Ducks , Pheasant & turkey with 2 3/4 & 3" no need for 3 1/2, it was a marketing ploy to sell bigger guns and shells. AND Make orthopedic surgeons richer.
DITTO~Moishe&Dawgz!!!!!
Moishe has got it right. New cartridges are made to sell new guns. I expect we will be seeing 3 3/4 inch shells shortly.
Strange , isn't it how 2 3/4" shells worked for 100 years and now they are barely adaquite.
Waterfowling is the only time I see the 3.5 as reasonable. It helps make for good pattern density with large steel shot.
ed j the reason why i never mentioned it cause i have yet to fine a 2 3/4 steel shot for waterfowl .
3" shells are more than adequate. I have some 3 1/2's in inventory and two shotguns that shoot them, but when that stock is gone, no more 3 1/2".
I have found 3" steel entirely adequate for the waterfowling I do. I thought with the advent of 3.5" shells there may have been merit in some of the lead offerings for turkey hunting, but found that 3" shells, as a rule, produced better patterns. An important key with steel is velocity, as Ontario Honker has alluded to in the past and I agree. Therefore I will opt for 1 1/8 oz loads that are faster than 1 1/4 oz steel. 2 3/4" worked well until the communist mandated the use of steel in the US. Steel requires a longer shot column and thus there is not enough room to drive any kind of shot charge with reasonable velocity at safe pressures.
Usually 2.75 in for duck occasionally 3 in for longer shots and almost always 3 in for goose. Also with 2.75, you can shoot all day without your should getting sore. I once went through 1.5 boxes of shells in one day of duck hunting and only killed 2 ducks lol.
For teal I use 2 3/4in steel dove loads because they work great and cost effective. For bigger ducks and geese I use 3in steel.
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I recommend everyone shoot 3.5 inches until they are more likely not to want to get up at 3am on a freezing cold morning because they didn't have much fun last time, their shoulders are sore, they ears are ringing, and the weather is not ideal, and leave some extra birds for me to pick off.
It depends on where I am shooting. River pass shooting I use 3" , fields I use 3.5" because I know they are gonna setup outside my decoys and the occassional goose is gonna make a visit. If I am puddle jumping or hunting flooded woods though I stick to the 2.75's becasue most of my shots are gonna be right on top of me. I generally change out my chokes as well. Full on the river ex-full in the field and modified full in the woods.
Don't hunt waterfowl anymore, but I don't shoot anything except 2.75 ammo. It accomplishes all my desired tasks. Turkey, dove, squirrel and the occasional pond jumped mallard.
Bubba
P.P.S. - there is no reason for 3 and 3.5 inch ammo.
Bubba
3
3in. all ya need.
Dawgz is right I have killed plenty of Ducks , Pheasant & turkey with 2 3/4 & 3" no need for 3 1/2, it was a marketing ploy to sell bigger guns and shells. AND Make orthopedic surgeons richer.
DITTO~Moishe&Dawgz!!!!!
Strange , isn't it how 2 3/4" shells worked for 100 years and now they are barely adaquite.
For teal I use 2 3/4in steel dove loads because they work great and cost effective. For bigger ducks and geese I use 3in steel.
P.S. - the Mallard is always a drake. I'll eat the bird, but I'm actually after the "drake tails"! LOL!!
Bubba
i would use a 3.5, it gets the job done.
Moishe has got it right. New cartridges are made to sell new guns. I expect we will be seeing 3 3/4 inch shells shortly.
Waterfowling is the only time I see the 3.5 as reasonable. It helps make for good pattern density with large steel shot.
ed j the reason why i never mentioned it cause i have yet to fine a 2 3/4 steel shot for waterfowl .
3" shells are more than adequate. I have some 3 1/2's in inventory and two shotguns that shoot them, but when that stock is gone, no more 3 1/2".
I have found 3" steel entirely adequate for the waterfowling I do. I thought with the advent of 3.5" shells there may have been merit in some of the lead offerings for turkey hunting, but found that 3" shells, as a rule, produced better patterns. An important key with steel is velocity, as Ontario Honker has alluded to in the past and I agree. Therefore I will opt for 1 1/8 oz loads that are faster than 1 1/4 oz steel. 2 3/4" worked well until the communist mandated the use of steel in the US. Steel requires a longer shot column and thus there is not enough room to drive any kind of shot charge with reasonable velocity at safe pressures.
Usually 2.75 in for duck occasionally 3 in for longer shots and almost always 3 in for goose. Also with 2.75, you can shoot all day without your should getting sore. I once went through 1.5 boxes of shells in one day of duck hunting and only killed 2 ducks lol.
Post an Answer