Why do you use a 10 gauge?

[mcw3734]

I was the same way growing up hunting them in the late 70's and and 80's and couldn't wait to get a 10. I've had a Ithaca Mag 10 and BPS 10 built by Mark Bansner and they were shooters, later picked up a sp10 in bottomland. Great memories carrying those guns. With the advancement in shells I moved on to 20's and 12's. I fully intend to pick up another Sp10.

Sounds like you typically hunt with a 12 or 20 now? If so, why did you switch (weight, $hells)? Would you now only hunt your 10 gauge for sentimental reasons?

I love my SP-10. But I'll admit, I'm halfheartedly shopping for a 20 gauge 11-87 to be used as a backup for turkey and other game. I wonder if I'll fall in love with it and make it my primary turkey gun.

[the Ward]

Using my Bps 10 exclusively this season. My new 24" barrel and Indian creek .710 came in, so hopefully i can get a good day and get out to pattern it. I have a good variety of lead ammo to try out, should be fun!

[Lika]

I don't find hunting with a 10 gauge ridiculous at all. Any lead turkey load and a half decent choke will get you plenty good 40 yard performance. Recoil will be less than most 3.5 12 gauges firing the same ammo. Weight wise, there is only about a pound or so of difference between my bps and an 835 mossberg, which is a top turkey gun. I think the biggest drawbacks to 10 gauges is they will always be and feel bigger and bulkier than other gauges. Everyone loves light slim guns, myself included. That and ammo companies not keeping up with developing better loads like they have done with other gauges. My 10 is mostly used for goose hunting anymore, where it never fails to impress me.Paper ballistics are great and all, but my experience in the field has proven this gun to me. Hunting turkeys with it is like having an old classic car in the garage. Yea it has drum brakes and no air conditioning, but when you take it out for a spin, you can't wipe the smile off your face!

The reason ammo companies don't upgrade the 10ga ammo is because of old guns that came with 3.5" chamber  like over a 100 years ago and would not be safe with higher pressures ammo-just to mention My 835 with 28" barrel Is 7lb,my bps 10ga with 28" barrel is 11lb
10ga pumps and especially autos are the sweetest shooting guns with serious loads  -sxs 10s not so much even though they weight 11lb also
I use them all extensively -
10ga is like a barbell but it's so effective especially with big lead and steel pellets (12ga looks similar on paper but that's where it ends )and 10 is always a pleasure to shoot others not so much with heavy loads


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[Lika]

I love them, period I own 4.I don't care what the guys that can't handle the weight or recoil say ,I know they have gun envy.

Recoil??

I have shot a few 12 gauge pumps that were jut as bad or worse, particularly the 835s.

Definitely -try Winchester 1300 with heavy 3" ouch
I don't find that bps 10ga kicks anywhere close to any of the 12ga pumps 3" or 3.5 with heavy loads and I shot most of them 


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[Lika]

There is no load made commercially that hits harder in the shoulder than the Magblends out of the 10 gauge. 3.5" 2 3/8th oz...period. I've shot everything made. There isnt much! lol.


I imagine the 12 gauge 3.5 magblends 2 1/8oz or 2 1/4oz out of the ulti 835 would be absolute brutal as well.

They both make the fillings hurt. In my opinion.

Maybe it's a fit thing -but 835 with basically  the same load kicks way way more -guns are at least 3pounds difference mine 835 is 4lb lighter than my 10ga bps and i Filled both guns composite stocks with silicone


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[Lika]

I bought an sp-10 in the early 90s brand new. Bought a short rifle sighted barrel for it right away and have hunted with it ever since. Started with lead 4s and progressed to nitro heavy shot blends. Had a bad experience with them several years ago. I will leave it at that.
Started loading 2 1/2 ounces of 7.5 tss and got an Indian creek .690 for it a few years ago. Absolutely awesome gun. Pure killing machine. Several of my hunting buddies shoot the same gun and load and all are in absolute awe with it.
This season I added a sumtoy mount and a vortex venom. Wow, this is a game changer.

Beautiful to hear -i have to start loading The same exact thing


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[Old Gobbler]

I've had a sp10 23"  since 95 ...brand new and have used primarily ever since , they shoot great

Everyone complaims about the weight , I find this odd because its not a quail gun ....turkey guns are basically a stationary  target shotgun with extremely heavy recoil shooting at a small object (head and neck)  the weight makes for a very stable shot and soaks up recoil


The current trend is for folks to go towards 20 and .410.shotguns ...have at it , makes you happy go for it , I used a .410 extensively as a youth on small game and when I began turkey hunting a 20 , I couldnt get farther away from.either one of those and dont even look in the rear view mirror about that ...thats my personal preference,  I also like smooth peanut butter and I think those who like crunchy are "nuts"

The 10 gauge seems to be living on borrowed time and borrowed money in the industry...on paper the tungsten based shot and the advent of 3.5 12 gauges spell doom for the 10 gauges market share ...but on a chilly morning when you lift that 11 pound 10 gauge up on a huge goose or lower the hammer on that Gobbler...you will know what people in the know ...know that the 10 gauge has tremendous killing power

[7shooter]

I was the same way growing up hunting them in the late 70's and and 80's and couldn't wait to get a 10. I've had a Ithaca Mag 10 and BPS 10 built by Mark Bansner and they were shooters, later picked up a sp10 in bottomland. Great memories carrying those guns. With the advancement in shells I moved on to 20's and 12's. I fully intend to pick up another Sp10.

Sounds like you typically hunt with a 12 or 20 now? If so, why did you switch (weight, $hells)? Would you now only hunt your 10 gauge for sentimental reasons?

I love my SP-10. But I'll admit, I'm halfheartedly shopping for a 20 gauge 11-87 to be used as a backup for turkey and other game. I wonder if I'll fall in love with it and make it my primary turkey gun.

I switched primarily for the weight savings.  Lot easier to hold and carry a 5.5 pound benelli 20 or 7 pound benelli 12.  If i carry a 10 now it's for sentimental reasons, i still have some of the 3 ounce Nitro 4x5x7.5 copper loads.  That was a deadly combo. 
 

[Lika]

I've had a sp10 23"  since 95 ...brand new and have used primarily ever since , they shoot great

Everyone complaims about the weight , I find this odd because its not a quail gun ....turkey guns are basically a stationary  target shotgun with extremely heavy recoil shooting at a small object (head and neck)  the weight makes for a very stable shot and soaks up recoil


The current trend is for folks to go towards 20 and .410.shotguns ...have at it , makes you happy go for it , I used a .410 extensively as a youth on small game and when I began turkey hunting a 20 , I couldnt get farther away from.either one of those and dont even look in the rear view mirror about that ...thats my personal preference,  I also like smooth peanut butter and I think those who like crunchy are "nuts"

The 10 gauge seems to be living on borrowed time and borrowed money in the industry...on paper the tungsten based shot and the advent of 3.5 12 gauges spell doom for the 10 gauges market share ...but on a chilly morning when you lift that 11 pound 10 gauge up on a huge goose or lower the hammer on that Gobbler...you will know what people in the know ...know that the 10 gauge has tremendous killing power

Definitely true -
It probably has all to do with bigger bore having less shot string and burning powder more efficiently


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[Shady valley birds]

I've had a sp10 23"  since 95 ...brand new and have used primarily ever since , they shoot great

Everyone complaims about the weight , I find this odd because its not a quail gun ....turkey guns are basically a stationary  target shotgun with extremely heavy recoil shooting at a small object (head and neck)  the weight makes for a very stable shot and soaks up recoil


The current trend is for folks to go towards 20 and .410.shotguns ...have at it , makes you happy go for it , I used a .410 extensively as a youth on small game and when I began turkey hunting a 20 , I couldnt get farther away from.either one of those and dont even look in the rear view mirror about that ...thats my personal preference,  I also like smooth peanut butter and I think those who like crunchy are "nuts"

The 10 gauge seems to be living on borrowed time and borrowed money in the industry...on paper the tungsten based shot and the advent of 3.5 12 gauges spell doom for the 10 gauges market share ...but on a chilly morning when you lift that 11 pound 10 gauge up on a huge goose or lower the hammer on that Gobbler...you will know what people in the know ...know that the 10 gauge has tremendous killing power

i just got my sp10 and iv got it almost setup the way i want it and buddy it shoots! 50yds is no problem at all and coming from a 3.5" 535 the recoil is almost non comparable. Hope people like apex keeps making shells cause I'm hooked on the 10!

[tha bugman]

Life is short. Hunt with what makes you happy.


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[lowoctane]

Life is short. Hunt with what makes you happy.


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AMEN!!!

[Sir-diealot]

When I first heard of them back in 96 when I was pretty much just starting out turkey hunting (Had only been deer hunting since 92 or 93) I wanted one in the worse way because simply put I wanted the massive delivery of payload to the turkey and I liked that all of my friends that got me into hunting were afraid to shoot one.

Now with my second car accident behind me and the after effects of that as well as 3 shoulder surgeries behind me I do not much care to own one, though to be perfectly honest as much as I know it would kill me to do it I would like to shoot one just once.

These days the loads are much better than they are now, I would have ended up with a 10 gauge if not for my car accident but now hunt with my 12 gauge 11-87 and  since it came to me with money I got because my father was electrocuted to death on a construction job I do not really want to use any other gun. Since NY went to rifle hunting for deer I now only use it for turkey hunting, I keep thinking of getting it camo'd but have not as of yet.

[Old Timer53]

I bought  my 10 G BPS new back in 1988. It has always  been a turkeys night mare.  I have got enough Federal Grand Slam #5 to last my life time. It is setup to hammer those Gobblers.   I  have got a claw sling and. 690 Kicks choke.. The kick is really not noticeable  when shooting a turkey.  Back in 2018 I had a total shoulder replacement. Here is a Ms Tom shot with it this past week. 19.5 lbs 10.5 inch beard. and spurs 1.25 inch 

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[Lika]

I bought  my 10 G BPS new back in 1988. It has always  been a turkeys night mare.  I have got enough Federal Grand Slam #5 to last my life time. It is setup to hammer those Gobblers.   I  have got a claw sling and. 690 Kicks choke.. The kick is really not noticeable  when shooting a turkey.  Back in 2018 I had a total shoulder replacement. Here is a Ms Tom shot with it this past week. 19.5 lbs 10.5 inch beard. and spurs 1.25 inch 

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Nice


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