Are 3.5" worth the pain? ????

[Cutt]

Just out of curiosity, how many of you 3.5 inch shooters are over 50 years of age?  I believe with age comes a desire to avoid self-inflicted pain.

54 here, like I stated some auto loaders are not that bad. Some of you using light pumps with 3in. High vilocity rounds probably get beat up more than I do with 3.5. This is what I noticed going to an auto loader, and I'm sure the sure shot stock makes a big difference too.

[ilbucksndux]

I shoot a few 3 1/2 duck loads every year(not many cause I really have no need for them) and dont notice them at all.Of course I'm shooting them thru a gas gun. When I shoot/did shoot a auto gun at turkeys I didnt notice it really,even when patterning . When I went back to the 870 I noticed the kick. Do I flinch bad enough to not shoot them ? Dont want to take the chance when I do alright with 3's.

[snapper1982]

No they are not worth it. For all you people saying you shoot them for higher pellet count. Why not handload tss. A lead #6 2-1/4 oz load is 506. I have an average of 630 pellets in my 1-5/8oz tss load that will pattern tighter and hold its tight pattern further. All this from a 20 gauge. So for you guys that say you want the extra pellets I say why are you not loading tss and getting more pellets with less recoil.

[Yoder409]

Just out of curiosity, how many of you 3.5 inch shooters are over 50 years of age?  I believe with age comes a desire to avoid self-inflicted pain.

I'll be 50 a month after our spring season closes.

In my guns..............YES, they are worth it !!!!!!!

Now................. I shoot them out of a SX2 and an SX3.  So the recoil is not at all hateful and is a non-factor.  But if I had a little 870 Super Mag or a NEF 3.5" single and I got great patterns AND got the snot kicked outta me............ I'd still do it.  Granted, I've never been very recoil sensitive.  But I also don't seem to be getting any smarter with age either.     

[MShillhunter]

I hardly feel the kick of 3.5 while shooting a bird. Shooting at a target is a different story. So I prefer to have them just in case. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

I did take a gobbler at nearly 65 yards Tuesday afternoon with 3.5" longboard XR. I don't like shooting that far but he didn't leave me much of a choice.

Choice is pretty simple, don't shoot.

Don't take the chance on wounding an animal. Let him walk and get back on him in the morning. As for the 3.5 in shells, in my 870 and Stoeger 3500, I use the 3.5 because they throw more pellets down range and pattern fine but I will say that my Win 1300 has killed more birds using 3 in shells than both my 870 & Stoeger 3500 combined.

I misjudged the distance a little on him, but knew that I had a set up that could reach out there. He was stone dead.  Where I hunt you may not get the chance on him again, so I took it.   Sorry to ruffle some of you boys' feathers, but I was pumped to take him.   Good luck to y'all the rest of the season

[snapper1982]

I hardly feel the kick of 3.5 while shooting a bird. Shooting at a target is a different story. So I prefer to have them just in case. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

I did take a gobbler at nearly 65 yards Tuesday afternoon with 3.5" longboard XR. I don't like shooting that far but he didn't leave me much of a choice.

Choice is pretty simple, don't shoot.

Don't take the chance on wounding an animal. Let him walk and get back on him in the morning. As for the 3.5 in shells, in my 870 and Stoeger 3500, I use the 3.5 because they throw more pellets down range and pattern fine but I will say that my Win 1300 has killed more birds using 3 in shells than both my 870 & Stoeger 3500 combined.

I misjudged the distance a little on him, but knew that I had a set up that could reach out there. He was stone dead.  Where I hunt you may not get the chance on him again, so I took it.   Sorry to ruffle some of you boys' feathers, but I was pumped to take him.   Good luck to y'all the rest of the season

Not getting the chance again is part of the game. Welcome to the forum and you may want to read the rules before you go off posting about any shot over 40 yards on here.

[WNCTracker]

 I got the same pellet count with 3" and 3.5" longbeards in all 3 sizes. The recoil isn't a factor but a few bucks for the same pattern didn't makes sense. And this was with an 835.

[Cutt]

So for you guys that say you want the extra pellets I say why are you not loading tss and getting more pellets with less recoil.

For as many shells as I shoot a year, no need to get into reloading, and I have other hobbies I put more time any money into. So I basically buy the best pellet count/pattern available, which works good enough.

[MShillhunter]

I hardly feel the kick of 3.5 while shooting a bird. Shooting at a target is a different story. So I prefer to have them just in case. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

I did take a gobbler at nearly 65 yards Tuesday afternoon with 3.5" longboard XR. I don't like shooting that far but he didn't leave me much of a choice.

Choice is pretty simple, don't shoot.

Don't take the chance on wounding an animal. Let him walk and get back on him in the morning. As for the 3.5 in shells, in my 870 and Stoeger 3500, I use the 3.5 because they throw more pellets down range and pattern fine but I will say that my Win 1300 has killed more birds using 3 in shells than both my 870 & Stoeger 3500 combined.

I misjudged the distance a little on him, but knew that I had a set up that could reach out there. He was stone dead.  Where I hunt you may not get the chance on him again, so I took it.   Sorry to ruffle some of you boys' feathers, but I was pumped to take him.   Good luck to y'all the rest of the season

Not getting the chance again is part of the game. Welcome to the forum and you may want to read the rules before you go off posting about any shot over 40 yards on here.

Once again, I apologized for ruffling feathers. Only reason I posted anything was to say I was glad to have the extra pellets.   Hope I didn't get off on the wrong foot with some here. Seems to be a place with a wealth of knowledge.