I am trying to decide on a gun. I patterned two guns with 2 3/4 inch shells and they both shot equally well. While i was looking at the barrel of one gun i noticed it also had 3 inch capabilities while another did not. Now i am wondering should i go try 3" shells. Will this make a big difference. Just wondering is it worth another $20.

Definitely worth the extra $20 IMO. Especially if you are buying it for a turkey gun. A lot of guys would argue that you need 3 1/2" shells to turkey hunt with but for sure, I would go with the 3" magnum shells, they' ll lay a turkey out cold!

I would say go the extra distance with the 3" ,it is worth the eatrx $20.00.
the 2 3/4 will take a bird just as dead,if you get him close,(that is the name of the game;getting them close).but some want get that extra 10 yards.thats when the 3" comes in handy.
I shoot a BPS 3" 12 ga. would not trade it for anything.love it.
had a 3 1/2" and sold it,and went back to the BPS 3" .

just my 2 cents,there are 98 more!!

my 870 Express actually patterns 2 3/4 1 1/2 oz loads better than 3" loads at a longer distance. I am confident of mine out to 45 yards. In fact have made one shot kills of 42, 45, and 47 steps. And the 2 3/4 is not as hard on the shoulder.

If you check the velocity charts, you' ll see that 2 3/4" shells hit harder than 3" shells. They have just as big a powder charge as a 3" shell, just less shot. My experience has been the same as Bennie. My gun patterns the shorter shells as well as the taller ones. If you get good patterns, stick with the shorter shell. However, its nice to have options.

From a technical point of view the reason for the 3" shell is all about space and/or room to fit the extra components into a hull. It doesn' t always happen because every gun is an entity unto itself, but usually a 3" shell will put more shot in a pattern than a 2 3/4" shell because normally they contain more shot to begin with. While it is true that the 3" shell due to the heavier payload will sometime shoot at a slower velocity than a 2 3/4" that isn' t always the case, and the difference in velocity in not enough to worry about.

If your going to hunt turkeys and geese I would certainly encourage you to buy the 3" chambered gun. It just gives you so many more options for specialized loads. 2 3/4 will work and work well. In fact that is what I shoot most of the time. But the extra shot in my pattern at the 40 yard mark is a plus especially in the turkey hunting world when the margin of error can be very small.

As far as a 3 1/2" 12 gauge. They hold no interest for me. If I want to use a 3 1/2 inch shell I will use my 10 gauge. I HAD a 3 1/2 inch twelve gauge but did not feel the performance I was getting with the 3 1/2" shell vs the 3" shell was worth the pounding I was taking. I still have to find a home for two or three boxes of 3 1/2" T-shot from that beast.

I realize not everyone will feel the same way I do but that is okay too.

I agree with most of those responding to this, spend the money. It doesn' t hurt to have the extra capability and flexability. I also shot a 1100 with 2 3/4" , and have not had a problem with killing turkeys, but I may have made longer shots knowing that I had more lead to throw.