3 1/2" vs 3" vs 2 & 3/4" Experiences

[Triple B]

I have shot alot of turkeys over the years with 2 3/4 inch shells.Sporting Ammo has a 2 3/4 inch custom turkey load in 12 ga that I have used that has 1 1/2 oz of shot in 4's,5's and 6's.I stoned a big tom at 51 yds. with that shell,because he hung up and would not come closer and was out in the open.I had  already patterened that shell out of my Benelli,and I knew what it would do. My buddy had a constuction wheel in his truck,and we measured it exactly to the yard.2 3/4 and 3" shells are plenty enough to kill a turkey.Just find a shell that your gun patterns well and likes, and you will be good. Good luck to you,once you put one on the ground you will hooked for life.

[Terry]

Shooting 3-1/2" at the range sucks, but I never feel it when shooting at turkey. I figure the added number of pellets is worth one sucky day at the range.

[zelmo1]

I am a believer of the pattern and shooting reasonable distance. Many turkeys are taken with a 20 gauge, even the stoutest 3" 20 ga loads won't outperform a 12 ga 2 3/4" premium load. I say shoot what patterns best in your gun and you are comfortable with. Put your time in at the pattern board and then be confident with your choice. Good set ups and good calling and scouting are more likely to help you than splitting hairs about what shell to use. Good luck. BTW, I shoot 3.5" Longbeard XR #5's. I will never switch unless they stop making them. Great patterns at the range and live birds. Longest bird this year was 52 yards, stoned him. Good choke, good ammo and practice.

[BowBendr]

I am a believer of the pattern and shooting reasonable distance. Many turkeys are taken with a 20 gauge, even the stoutest 3" 20 ga loads won't outperform a 12 ga 2 3/4" premium load.

Completely disagree....a 1.5 oz load from a 12 gauge is no better than a 1.5 oz load from a 20.
We also try to limit our discussions of talking about shots over 40 yds here on the forum........

http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,46964.0.html

[Marc]

I am a believer of the pattern and shooting reasonable distance. Many turkeys are taken with a 20 gauge, even the stoutest 3" 20 ga loads won't outperform a 12 ga 2 3/4" premium load.

Completely disagree....a 1.5 oz load from a 12 gauge is no better than a 1.5 oz load from a 20.
We also try to limit our discussions of talking about shots over 40 yds here on the forum........

http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,46964.0.html

For turkey hunting I would agree.  In fact, I find it a bit easier to get a 20 gauge to pattern a bit tighter...

Now for wing shooting, it has been argued that much of that pattern density is actually strung out in a shot string...  It is generally considered that a 12 gauge does actually have an advantage over the 20 gauge, because the shot-string is shorter in the 12 ga...  This is of no concern for turkey hunting, cause for all practical purposes we are generally shooting at a stationary target, so the shot-string has no effect.

Although a 1.5 oz load in a light 20 ga. is going to belt ya pretty good...

[d.winsor]

Shooting 3-1/2" at the range sucks, but I never feel it when shooting at turkey. I figure the added number of pellets is worth one sucky day at the range.

Try These the next time you pattern, it takes the sting out of it       http://www.midwayusa.com/find?dimensionids=10706


I guess the only difference between the 12 gauge and the 20 gauge in the same weight of shot is that the 12 gauge would have a shorter shot string.  It would probably be a benefit for most of the shot to get there at the same time, instead of strung out.   

[J Hook Max]

 It's great that there are bigger and better shells available than in the past.  I started turkey hunting when only 2 3/4 inch shells were available. We did use magnum loads. Then the 3 inch shells came along and now the 3 1/2 inch loads.
I would guess that each gives you about another five yards of killing range. The same with using a ten gauge. About another five yards.
That said , if you don't try and shoot at turkeys that are too far , it normally is not a problem. The last two that I missed were actually too close. Easily done with todays shells and chokes.

[mgm1955]

Skeeter is right on. My gun will shoot 3 1/2" but I always use 3", I like my shoulder. Try different loads/choke combos out and find the one your gun likes. The new ammo is deadly out to what most would consider an ethical range and then beyond. Pattern your gun out to your shooting limit and then stick with that combo. You will be confident when you pull the trigger and that's as important as what you ultimately decide to shoot.

[Bigeclipse]

Hello Fellow Hunters,

This is my first post and wasn't sure if this should go under 12 gauge forum or this one but I felt it fit better in this one.

I have been a deer hunter since I was 14 years old going out with my dad. I have bagged a few deer over the years and this will be my first ever turkey hunt. I am going over to Eastern Washington and our season starts April 15th. My buddy and I are going over to hunt with an establish camp of Old Timer's who have hunted the area for quite some time. My buddy has gone the last two years so he has a general lay of the land, but for me this will be all new territory.

So when my buddy first asked me to go I told him I would love too. We go pheasant and dove hunting together every year and he knew that I only had an old Remington 1100 that only shoots 2 & 3/4 shells and a fixed choke. He says "If you want to go Turkey Hunting you have to get a gun that shoots 3 & 1/2" shells." Without a whole lot of research into turkey hunting (I researched guns) I went out and bought a Benelli Super Nova pump. This was back in January.

Since then I have been researching and studying everything I could on Turkey Hunting, practicing with my diaphragm calls, and watching every Turkey hunting video I could find. I have noticed that some guys don't hunt with 3 & 1/2 inch shells. They prefer 3" shells.

I went and patterned my gun last weekend with 3 & 1/2" shells. It was a horrible experience as the range I went to only had one pattern board set at 35 yards and there was no real good rest. I did 2 shots resting on basically a 4' pony wall (I am 5' 9"), and one shot standing up. I couldn't sit on the ground as the pony wall would have been in the way. I knew these shells would kick pretty good and wasn't surprised when I was knocked back a little while doing the standing shot. Regardless the experience was unpleasant.

I want to know what your guy's experience's are with 3 1/2" shells vs 3" shells. I bought a 300 WSM for deer hunting. Now I know some of you may say this is a bit over kill however, where we hunt there are very few chances at deer and I have killed 1 deer at over 400yards, so it helped in that regard. My understanding of turkey hunting is that the 3 1/2" shells may give you a little bit more range to go after a bird (Really sucks as I didn't get to test the pattern out to my max distance). I am wondering though how often do you really need to take that distance shot? I would figure if you take the same shot at 35 yards with 3 1/2 vs 3" the same result will happen.

For those guys that hunt with 3" shells have you ever had an experience where you wish you had 3 1/2"? I know some of you will say I only hunt with 3" shells or the opposite. I am looking for hunters that have had experiences with both and I don't want reasons such as the kick of the 3 1/2" shell was why I switched over to 3" shells. I want to know of other reasons as to why you choose which size shell to use.

I also want to know if anybody has ever hunted with 2 3/4" shells. This one is just out of curiosity and whether or not my Remington 1100 would have worked for my first year.

There is a lot of great information on this site and I appreciate all the good advice. Keep it up and good luck this year.

Effective range does not exactly change from a 3.5 inch to a 3inch shell.  Typically all a 3.5inch provides is more pellets. So technically a 3inch shell with a good load and choke combo will outperform a 3.5 gun with a bad load/choke combo.  people need to get out and pattern their shotguns! That being said, I think my next shotgun will be a 3.5incher to give me the option of 3.5s if I want them.  More pellets down range, if patterned correctly, can only HELP so why not?!?!

[shaman]

I shoot a  3" #4 load of lead, and I'm good out to 40 yards or so. 
My youngest son shoots a 2 3/4" #4 lead load and he does pretty well out to about 30 yards.  My son is a better caller than I am, and frequently has them crawling up his legs.

For us, distance is not usually a problem.  I figured it out a few years ago: my average shot over the past 30-some years is 17 yards.  A few of those turkeys have been taken over 40 yards. A lot have been at under 5.  I didn't deliberately make it that way. It just happened.

I hunt a variety of set-ups. Some venues offer views over 100-200 yards.  However, the folds in the land and the trees will often obscure turkeys  until they are close in.  I try and use that to my advantage.  That is,  I prefer a set-up where the turkey is not going to see me until it is too late.

I remember back to a time before choke tubes and purpose-built turkey loads that a good trap gun with a full choke was okay for turkey.  I can also remember when 2 pellets in a dixie cup at a given distance was considered good-to-go.  If you could pull that off beyond 20 yards, you were good to go.

My point is not to come off as an old-school snob, but truth is the fashion  for turkey guns that perform at extreme ranges is just that, a fashion.  Other people are going to see it differently, but honestly I have missed more gobblers inside 15 yards because my pattern was too tight than over 25 yards because my pattern was not tight enough. 

[backwater]

I killed a fair amount of birds with my 2 3/4 " Auto 5 using the Remington Duplex load. 

[jwhunter]

it really doesnt matter. ive killed birds with 2 3/4 dove loads. pattern your gun and call them in close you will have more fun that way..

[Bowguy]

I agree with what was said. My daughters hunt w 20 gauges n the turks aren't any less dead than when I shoot em. I guarantee your 3" 12 has more payload. 3-1/2" shells can be great but bear in mind in some guns as already stated by others the 3" patterns better.
Many times it's because the shot is being rattled in the forcing cone area. That's an easy fix and may help your gun pattern better. Forcing cone is the area where the crimp opens and that rough transition beats the shot up. Even though turkey chokes are tight, the shot should string out slightly by the time it hits that n be fine given a smooth start

[J Hook Max]

I was killing turkeys before I ever fired my first 3" shell. The same as with 3 1/2" shells. That said, todays shells are far better than what we used back then.
It's all in the proper choke for that gun or shell. Also, it's about taking good shots. From what I've seen, each bigger shell gives you about five more yards of clean kills. The same with a ten gauge.

[silvestris]

Pattern density, muzzle velocity and pellet size/composition are the only relevant factors. A particular pellet fired at a particular muzzle velocity retains the same energy at any given distance.  You can gain energy by shooting a larger or denser pellet, but at the cost of pattern density.  Call them close and nothing but pattern density really matters.