??WHAT SHELL,DO YOU USE 3 INCH,OR 3 1/2??
04-13-2004 | 04:27 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Typical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 887
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From: In the hills of ,West Virginia west virginia USA
??WHAT SHELL,DO YOU USE 3 INCH,OR 3 1/2??
..REASON FOR ASKING IM THINKING OF GOING BACK TO THE 3 INCH MAGNUM
SHELL FOR TURKEY HUNTING,PICKED UP A 870 EXPRESS WILL JUST ABOUT
SHOOT ANYTHING,#6,#5,#4...KILLED ALOT OF TURKEY WITH THREE INCH
MAG..WAY MORE THAN WITH 3 1/2 SHELL..
..THANKS..
SHELL FOR TURKEY HUNTING,PICKED UP A 870 EXPRESS WILL JUST ABOUT
SHOOT ANYTHING,#6,#5,#4...KILLED ALOT OF TURKEY WITH THREE INCH
MAG..WAY MORE THAN WITH 3 1/2 SHELL..
..THANKS..
04-13-2004 | 07:42 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,907
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From: SW Michigan
RE: ??WHAT SHELL,DO YOU USE 3 INCH,OR 3 1/2??
Totoe,
I pulled this excerpt from an article by Dave Henderson, entitled Myth of the 3 1/2, on the Ithaca gun site, www.ithacagun.com
I'll stick to my 3 inch HiVel by Winchester before I destroy my shoulder. Guys will argue it's only 6-10 shots per year, but I don't feel like obliterating my tendons in my scapula just to kill a turkey, especially with the highly advanced shells hitting the market...
I pulled this excerpt from an article by Dave Henderson, entitled Myth of the 3 1/2, on the Ithaca gun site, www.ithacagun.com
Recoil is definitely a consideration with the ultimate big bore turkey guns.
Consider that the average 2-ounce, 3-inch 12-gauge load -- the most popular load sold -- shoves the butt of a 7-pound pump gun into your shoulder at 19.265 feet per second for a measured recoil of 43 foot pounds. Most readers will be able to coordinate these figures with experience and know that 3-inch turkey loads certainly get your attention at ignition. By comparison the Barnes Ballistic Program shows that the renowned hard-kicking .375 H&H magnum rifle loaded with its optimum 270-grain hunting load (used on cape buffalo) only develops 39.5 foot pounds of recoil.
Now folks, let's consider the big boys. The 3 1/2-inch turkey load in the 7-pound, 12-ounce Mossberg 835 or Remington 870 Express Magnum pump develops a whopping 60.3 foot pounds of recoil, hitting your shoulder at a speed of 22.31 feet per second. For comparison that's 6 foot pounds more than a .416 Remington Magnum with a 700-grain bullet -- the gun's suggested load for elephants!
The 10-gauge, given its roomier bore and hull and greater gun heft but identical-sized load, is far less punishing despite a 60 fps velocity advantage over the stoked-to-the-limit 3 1/2-inch 12 gauge. A 2 1/4-ounce 10-gauge load fired from my 11-pound Ithaca Mag-10 develops 48.7 foot pounds of recoil at a speed of 16.88 feet per second. That's no love pat but is considerably less formidable than the long 12.
Consider that the average 2-ounce, 3-inch 12-gauge load -- the most popular load sold -- shoves the butt of a 7-pound pump gun into your shoulder at 19.265 feet per second for a measured recoil of 43 foot pounds. Most readers will be able to coordinate these figures with experience and know that 3-inch turkey loads certainly get your attention at ignition. By comparison the Barnes Ballistic Program shows that the renowned hard-kicking .375 H&H magnum rifle loaded with its optimum 270-grain hunting load (used on cape buffalo) only develops 39.5 foot pounds of recoil.
Now folks, let's consider the big boys. The 3 1/2-inch turkey load in the 7-pound, 12-ounce Mossberg 835 or Remington 870 Express Magnum pump develops a whopping 60.3 foot pounds of recoil, hitting your shoulder at a speed of 22.31 feet per second. For comparison that's 6 foot pounds more than a .416 Remington Magnum with a 700-grain bullet -- the gun's suggested load for elephants!
The 10-gauge, given its roomier bore and hull and greater gun heft but identical-sized load, is far less punishing despite a 60 fps velocity advantage over the stoked-to-the-limit 3 1/2-inch 12 gauge. A 2 1/4-ounce 10-gauge load fired from my 11-pound Ithaca Mag-10 develops 48.7 foot pounds of recoil at a speed of 16.88 feet per second. That's no love pat but is considerably less formidable than the long 12.
04-13-2004 | 09:15 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,966
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From: Harford Co Maryland USA
RE: ??WHAT SHELL,DO YOU USE 3 INCH,OR 3 1/2??
The 3" shells have killed quite a few turkeys over the years. After sighting my gun last week--during a nice day when I wore a t shirt--I was very glad I wasn't shooting anything over 3" magnum shells. I've been shooting for quite a long time and let me tell you, THAT HURT!
04-13-2004 | 09:34 AM
#6
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 863
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From: West Central Illinois
RE: ??WHAT SHELL,DO YOU USE 3 INCH,OR 3 1/2??
i experienced the kick from a 3 1/2 in turkey load for the first time this past weekend while patterning my benelli, i plan on using the less punishing 3 inchers, from what i've heard the 3 1/2 perform worse than the 3 inchers as far as a tighter pattern goes, and they hurt like the devil.
04-13-2004 | 06:25 PM
#10
Typical Buck
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 703
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From: Alabama
RE: ??WHAT SHELL,DO YOU USE 3 INCH,OR 3 1/2??
This is my first year to have my 835 and I've been shooting 3 1/2", but I've been thinking of going back to the 3" shells. After reading the post from Strut&Rut, I'll definitely be changing next year.