Anyone else think maybe 3.5 inch might become a thing of the past once people become more educated on what some of these new shells can do and evolve even more over time? Or will there be enough people that don't care about recoil,like overkill,(nothing wrong with it/ just my opinion i use to like it also)and a bunch that simply won't pay the price,but will keep shooting 3.5 in lead and maybe Htl if its easily available...Only curious. In time I've gravitated from 3.5 12g to 3in 12g to thinking more 3in 20g especially after seeing the way my Sons 20g patterned.
Nope. If the 3" tss will kill at 80 then the 3.5" will kill at 95. Not saying it's true as I have no idea and don't care to find out but that logic will follow. Way more people are interested in killing turkeys and not hunting them.
Y'all can shoot all the 3.5s you want..... I ain't that big a boy to endure hurting my neck and shoulder due to the recoil. It is not worth it.
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I quit shooting 3 1/2's a 6-7 yrs ago. My gun shoots better patterns with 3's.
Newest shotguns I own. Don't know what a 3.5 looks like.
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What we have to realize, 3.5's weren't developed for turkey hunting. They are were developed to give us enough capacity to shoot ducks, geese and swans with the dreaded steel shot. It has evolved into turkey hunting but with Hevi-13 and TSS, we don't have to shoot 3.5's, it's our choice. Will 3.5's become extinct? Not in the near future IMO. Waterfowl hunters have 3.5 Hevi shells at their disposable at a decent price but very few will spend $10 a shell to shoot TSS. With turkey hunting and TSS, I can see hunters putting pressure on TSS manufactures to give them more options in the 12 guage 2 3/4 and 3 inch shell range. IMO, anyone that shoots .410 or 20 guage, will definitely benefit from TSS but with 12 gauges it's over the top overkill.
My 12 ga. Shoots patterns better with 3's.
If they made a 4" shell there are people that would shoot it. There is a perception that bigger is better and/or will shoot farther but educated hunters know better.
Until I can't handle the recoil of a 3.5" shell I'll continue to throw 2.5oz of shot at turkeys. Bigger is better for me.
3.5 inch isn't going anywhere.
I'll stick with the 20ga
I gave away all of my 3 1/2 shells - turkey and waterfowl. I just use the bead on my barrel for turkeys so I don't take long shots anyway. Shoot a 3" load of 6s to kill them as far as I can hit them. Tried 3" HeviX for ducks and geese last year and that will probably be my load from now on. That stuff really works!
I have 3 an 835, 11-87 and a Super X-2. none have been hunted since I started loading and shooting TSS from my 20 ya.
x2 on the post about if they made a 4" mag....it would make a ruccus
hate to say it , but my 20ga shooting #9 tss will do any and everything a 12 ga 3-1/2" will do with factory loads in a lighter and less kicking package.
Quote from: BottomLand54 on January 30, 2018, 05:51:12 AM
Y'all can shoot all the 3.5s you want..... I ain't that big a boy to endure hurting my neck and shoulder due to the recoil. It is not worth it.
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Already done it...don't recommend it.
Quote from: Gobble! on January 30, 2018, 08:54:40 AM
Until I can't handle the recoil of a 3.5" shell I'll continue to throw 2.5oz of shot at turkeys. Bigger is better for me.
2.5 oz of 9's
Ol Gobble creates a bug free zone between him and the turkey!
Bought a lot of different boxes of shells to find what shoots best in my gun and the 3.5 did terrific in my gun. Kick I don't know, when I check for sight in I use a bench. And only need that one shot to kill the turkey and being so excited don't feel nothing. :fud:
never felt my 3.5" had much of a kick to feel the need to go to a 20 gauge
Can't see the 3.5 going away. I'm fine with my 3 inch. My new duck and goose gun is even 3 and lower.
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Quote from: Spitten and drummen on January 30, 2018, 10:38:42 AM
hate to say it , but my 20ga shooting #9 tss will do any and everything a 12 ga 3-1/2" will do with factory loads in a lighter and less kicking package.
Exactly
My 70 yr. old single shot 2 3/4" seems to kill them just as dead as my young friend's 3 1/2".
I go to the chiropractor already so whatever damage I do from the few 3.5" shells I shoot he corrects on a regular basis.
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Quote from: idgobble on January 30, 2018, 12:39:59 PM
My 70 yr. old single shot 2 3/4" seems to kill them just as dead as my young friend's 3 1/2".
Love the picture. I just bought a H&R single shot 12G full barrel. Always wanted one since I was 13 and my friend had one. Finally got it.
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Probably be around for a while.
I personally haven't used one in years,went 20 gauge a while back and see no need for anything else.
Can handle the recoil but just don't want to!
I'll never own another.
As someone else stated, 3.5" will
Continue on due to waterfowlers and steel shot. Tss is legal for waterfowl, but when you are shooting 25+ rounds per hunt there aren't many guys who can afford that haha. Steel is bad enough.
I've dropped back to a 3" for now. I'm not saying I'll never shoot 3.5" again but as long as I'm getting the pattern I'm currently getting with a 3" I'm sticking with it.
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Not going anywhere soon.
Not going anywhere any time soon, I don't think.
3.5" shells, in my experience, will USUALLY out perform any other lead shotshell given proper choking. Run them through a gas gun and the recoil is a non-issue. HTL raises the bar. But not everyone is enthusiastic about the exorbitant price tag.
I believe the 3.5" is safe for quite some time to come.
I don't think they'll become extinct. There's no NEED to shoot a 70# bow but so many still do it. Nothing wrong with it.
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I cant wait until they come out with a 4" ..3 oz TSS #9 should leave a mark :drool:
Quote from: KentuckyLB on January 31, 2018, 11:08:12 AM
I cant wait until they come out with a 4" ..3 oz TSS #9 should leave a mark :drool:
On your shoulder for sure.... :icon_thumright:
I have a lifetime supply of Mag Blends in 3.5" Limbsaver pads make a big difference.
I've never felt the recoil when shooting a turkey. Sighting in is a different story.
This isn't a good place to ask. There's turkey nuts here.
The average nimrod isn't gonna shoot tss or any other expensive load.
They're gonna buy whatever is cheap. They're also gonna buy big shells. Look at all the high brass 6s hunting over pointing dogs guys use. They're afraid they might miss and the shot might "get away".
A 28 is more than sufficient and low brass at that. Go to the state game lands and see what's being carried. It's not 20 ga tss that's for sure. 3-1/2" is going nowhere real quick unless the manufacturers make getting shells problematic
Quote from: Spitten and drummen on January 30, 2018, 10:38:42 AM
hate to say it , but my 20ga shooting #9 tss will do any and everything a 12 ga 3-1/2" will do with factory loads in a lighter and less kicking package.
That's the point though...as soon as 3.5 TSS comes out mainstream hunters will be all over it just like hevi shot. Did you watch the shot show video? The makers of the new tss shell even stated reports of 75 yard kills and further. Remember, our average hunter is not on oldgobbler and wants to put a longbeard down with the least amount of work. If someone tells them they can easily take a bird at 75+ yards using the new tss shell in their 3.5in gun they will be all over it in my opinion. This is America where many believe bigger is better. That's why you see more 3006, 300 win mags, and 7mm rem mags in the woods these days when these hunters are only shooting deer at 100 yards maybe 200 max. At those ranges, 243 is plenty of gun or 7mm08. Even. 308 is overkill at those ranges but you still see the big guns sold at high volumes. Same will be true with the 3.5in shotguns in my opinion.
I thought the 10 ga would go extinct , but looking arround there a few new turkey loads being offered ...it will linger on I suppose even though some models have been discontinued
The 3.5 /12 chamber will never die .....remember it was originally conjured up as a solution for waterfowl hunters , with the forced regulation of steel shot the payloads took a hit so the extra volume a 3.5 afforded and higher pressure rating .....3.5 was in huge demand
I ran out and got a mossberg 835 , and stuffed those federal 2.25 lead loads in there like everyone back in 1988ish and started beating up my shoulder
Some companies like browning , and Benelli were at the vanguard of the shell innovation .....some people may not remember this benelli had a 3 inch black eagle , and a 3.5 inch super black eagle ...man did my dad want one bad ....
The vast majority of turkey hunter do thier shopping at local shops or walmart .....those places don't always carry the very latest in chokes, ammo , quality calls. Custom decoys eyc..so yes the very serious fanatics will buy up the latest and greatest amo etc....but winchester and federal are cranking out LEAD turkey loads by the TRUCK LOAD , lol
I have disdain for the long shot cheerleaders in industry positions ,shoot what you want ...that's fine , use sound judgment. ....but peddling a long shot product to individuals who will likely use it on game that would have otherwise carried over to the following season could and will have environmental price to pay
Yep kinda surprised at the 10 , new loads who would have thunk it?
Do you need it or a 3.5 12 gauge? Heck no. But people like it and will buy even the new super loads at a higher cost. It is all about the longer range for most for sure.
That 3.5 12 gauge changed a lot of guys turkey killing and won't be forgotten anytime soon.
Too much of a beating for me though! So is 300 mag .But they sell.
20 guage will do just fine. So does 25.06 and 6.5 creed .
The vast majority of 3.5" shells are used in waterfowl hunting... Mostly steel loads.
The higher density ammunition is pretty much price prohibitive to shoot in the higher volume of waterfowling, and steel shot remains the most popular choice. So, 3.5" shells are here to stay...
And as far as turkey hunters, as long as someone believes that a 3.5" shell will kill a bird 6" further than a 3" shell, someone will also buy them...
Personally, I have no use for the excessive recoil...
Does not take much to kill a turkey. 3.5 is over kill, not sure about TSS but it also sounds like overkill unless used in a 20 ga. Many experienced turkey hunters are down sizing once they realize the advantage of a good clean pattern, reduced recoil and still being able to harvest a turkey cleanly. Just my 2 cents.
Quote from: mtns2hunt on February 04, 2018, 07:20:13 PM
Does not take much to kill a turkey. 3.5 is over kill, not sure about TSS but it also sounds like overkill unless used in a 20 ga. Many experienced turkey hunters are down sizing once they realize the advantage of a good clean pattern, reduced recoil and still being able to harvest a turkey cleanly. Just my 2 cents.
Agree. Hevi-13 took us to new heights but TSS is definitely overkill in 3 and 3.5 inch 12 gauge guns. In the future, turkey hunting will get a bad reputation because some will see and brag about how far they killed a bird or worse how many birds were wounded and got away. Call them in close, listen to the spiting, drumming and gobbling and look them in the eye before you shoot them in the face. Good luck to all this spring.