10 ga. or Not

[3fowln]

I am probably going to buy a new shotgun for this season. I was seriously looking into a Browning Silver 12 ga. 3 1/2 in. But...a Browning Gold 10 ga. 3 1/2 in. caught my eye. It's a pretty sweet gun! I can't decide what to do. Are the days of the "Big 10" over? Am I really going to get better results with the 10? Doesn't every blind or pit need at least one big gun it it? Decisions. Decisions. Decisions. Thanks for any input.

[quackhead]

A 3" 12 ga is more than what I need. My buddy uses his SBE2 with a 3.5 for turkeys. I personally think a 10 is a little overkill. Having the 3.5" in a 12ga is nice for shooting geese at a distance but other than that, what do you do with it??? Just my 2 cents

[rushcreekganderlander]

A 10 GA makes a hell of a nice turkey gun as well. I used to use my dad's old single shot 10 gauge when I first started hunting geese and turkeys. I don't think you actually need a 10 gauge these days but there isn't anything wrong with having one. I've wanted to get a 10 ga pump for years but just never have. I occasionally hunt with a guy that shoots a 10 ga at geese and he puts the hurt on them.

[Marshall Hintze]

stick with the 3 1/2 twelve gauge. It is a much more versitile gun that can be used for just about anything. The 10 gauge is nice but for long shots only really or for turkey hunting. I would stick with the twelve gauge but not a browning :lol:

[jstbob]

I was a brownig freak until last year I was using a bps while dove huntin, the end of the barrel blew off for no reason the coke tube and everything. It was a factory defect browning didnt care it cost me $380 for a new barrel. While waiting at gander mountain I seen a benelli nova for only $320. I've also been having problem with my gold. Im not sayin dont buy a browning but service sucks. It could cost you alot of money in the long run.

[kingkilla]

i would say if your only hunting geese and turkey go with the 10 g, but if your duck hunting to then go with a 12g. or why dont you just buy both of them?? :D

[goosehunter64]

As was mentioned...the 3 1/2 is more versitile.
People get into their pea sized brain...that bigger is better....farthest thing from the truth.
Gang on me...I'm ready :lol:

[jstbob]

3.5 is the best thing they come out with. I can go pheasant huntin in the morn goose in the evening and ocasionally deer in between. I,ll stand by 3.5 over 2 3/4 anyday. For geese that is I use 3 in for everything else. I would use 3in for dove if it wouldnt blow them apart or even be a little cheaper.

[nitrousneil]

get a twelve ga. the bullets are cheaper and everybody carrys shells for them i can reach out and poke a goose and kill him dead in one shot at a pretty reasionable distance.

[Drake691]

I would go 12 Ga. 10 is just to much power. what happens if some teal fly by, I don 't even want to see what kind of mess that leave. Plus a waste of a bird

[waterfoiler1187]

if you buy a 10 ga. have fun paying for shells.

[boomer]

I hunted with a 10ga for 3yrs for my only waterfowl gun. I never had a bird that was no more tore up than being shot by 12ga. I shot #2 at ducks and geese. Even took on a couple late season pheasant hunts just a pain to carry but nice when the birds flush way out there.

[Killer Miller]

Are the days of the "Big 10" over?

In my opinion, yes the days of the big 10 are over. With all of the after market choke tubes and increasingly effective shotshells, a 12 gauge or even a smaller bore shotgun are quite effective on waterfowl.

As for turkey hunting, stick a Primos Tight Wad tube (or a different aftermarket turkey tube) in the end of your shotgun and go pattern some Federal turkey loads with the flight control wads. They absolutely smash turkey heads wide open! :lol:

[huntinPIKE04]

if you want a 10 then get one....a 10 is not absolutly necessary....but all the new chokes and tubes for 12 guages and shells are mostly available for 10s as well....plus 10s have more shot and that means more of a chance to cleanly kill birds....plus they are really fun to shoot !


ryan

[T shot]

If you want a 10 ga then buy one.It doe's not matter what anybody else thinks of them.Yes shells do cost abit more, who care's.Not all that long ago a 10 ga was the standerd for waterfowl hunting

[NEbillcollector]

Everyone has an opinion, so heres mine. If I were to buy a gun for waterfowling and turkeys only, it would be a 10 Ga. In my opinion a 3 1/2" 12 Ga. does not compare. I'm tossing around buying a new gun also, so Ive been talking to a lot of people, waterfowl hunters, people in the industry, researching the net, etc.
This is what I've come up with. A 3 1/2" 12Ga. does not have any major benefits over a 3" shell. They do hold more shot, but usually shoot the same velocities (or within 75fps), therefore NOT having more knockdown power. The more shot does however, get constricted too much in a 12 Ga. bore and cause inconsistant patterns. That's why there are so many 100-150 dollar choke tubes on the market now. Pattern a 3 1/2" shell with a stock choke tube and then do the same with a 3" shell and see which is more consistant.
I know there will probably be a bunch of 3 1/2" guys on here going crazy but see for yourself. With that being said, a 3" 12Ga. is plenty of gun but if want more knockdown POWER, then go with the 10 Ga. I think I'm buying the 10Ga. I was just talking with my buddy this past weekend about the whole 10 Ga. thing and he made a very good point, " ain't no such thing as too dead".

[HRK]

The only thing the big 10 has over a 12 is more payload, depending on with 12 you shoot makes a differance. Most imported 12's run a barrel diameter of (.725) to (.731) and X2's/X3's and Golds run most of the time (.740) while the Mossbergs run a 10ga diameter of (.775) Ive tried Pattermasters in a SBEII and an X2 and Gold and didnt like the patterns at all. Now i'm not bashing them, they just didnt work for me. My Brileys patterned very well with the loads I tested. A 12 with the right high velocity load will still perform like a 10, but you need to pattern some differant loads to see what your gun likes the best and on paper.

[TeamA.T.C.]

I don't think you need a 10. If 3 1/2 can do this, you don't need any more
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t253/hampster_rancher/IMG_0683.jpg

[3fowln]

26 or 28 inch barrel? Patternmaster or not?...on a 10 gauge...

[3fowln]

The questions in the previous post are in relation to the possible purchase of the bigger gun...not in relation to the doughnut shaped goose in the picture posted before the my last post. Clear as mud?

[GR8HNTR]

jstbob. I can't believe that browning wouldn't stand behind the gun. A couple of years ago I had an 870 exress do the same type of thing. The end of the barrell split, from the choke up. I cut the end of it off and sent it to remington, just told them that I wanted to know why the barrell split. I wasn't shooting anything big as far as shot went. It was the improved choke and shooting BB shot. They called and wanted the rest of the barrell. They had no idea as to why it done what it did. They sent me back a new barrell at no charge. I couldn't believe it! ! I had the gun for over 12 years as well. I told them that I have had it for twelve plus years, they didn't care. SO I have nothing but good to say about remington! ! !

[jstbob]

That was nice of remington to do that, It wasnt only bein chargd $400 for the barrel I also waited 4 months before a reply The season was about to start I wanted the gun back. I called them and told them I bought the gun from Gander Mountain so the store was sopose to take care of the bill. After 100 phone calls they sent the gun to Gander in feb. after the season. The store said theres no garentee on the gun cause it was 5 years old. So Im done wit gander mountain and browning. Its bennelli from here out.

[rushcreekganderlander]

I can't believe Remington did that for you. My buddy's 1187 barrel broke on opening day of duck last year and Remington wouldn't replace it. He sent the gun in and they charged him $180, I think, for a new barrel. Mossberg replace one of my barrels for me for free. I was shooting steel thru a full choke and it got stuck...sent me a new barrel no problem.

[deadduck6]

NO 10 BORE FOR THIS LITTLE MAN.....MY 150 LB CANT HANDLE IT.
IM SKEERED AND I SAY IM SKEERED.... :D
MY 2 CENTS....A 3'' 12 IS ALL YOU NEED.
I HUNT AND EAT EVERYTHING I KILL,A GOOSE WITH A HOLE THE SIZE
OF A SPARE TIRE IS BASICALLY COYOTE BAIT.....

[legacyshooter]

The biggest advantage of a 10g is the shorter shot string. It puts more pellets on target faster than a 12g can. In theory more pellets on target the faster the kill. With the chokes around today both guns can pattern wonderfully. Both shells can carry the same payload and most likely fly at the same velocity. I think the days of the big 10 are far from over. I would never get rid of my 10g. It has its place in waterfowling just like everything else. Some people like it and some don't. Try one you might like it. They are heavy but, the recoil in the autoloaders is less than my sbe. try one you might like it.......Just my 2 cents

[Beretta_hunter_forlife]

There is no need for a 10ga. 12 can slaughter just about anything!

[Johns4killen]

I think the days of a 10 gauge are far from over, I agree a 12 gauge works all right but so do shell decoys and plastic calls, Its all in what you want for equipment. I shoot a sp 10 with a patternmaster and love it. Even with that combo I never blow holes like you guys are talking about.I think a lot of the guys that claim their 12 gauges shoot the same, have never shot a 10 because In my experience there is no comparison. Shell aint that much worse either I buy them for 17.99 a box at scheels.

[RIVER RAT]

i own 3 3 1/2 in 12 ga and 2 BIG 10 ga. each has its own place. the big 10 is far supior. buy what you want. as far as that goose goes i think someones shot rusted together. i shot a canada last year with t shot at 10 ft (12 3.5) and it didnt look near that bad. and yes the meat was still good. i would bet the farm that most of the people saying you dont need a big 10 doesnt even own one. this is from a person that has been shooting both of these guns for about 15 years. again buy what you want. in the end it is a good idea to have both of them. i could go on and on about stories between the two of these guns. one time my buddy bought one (10 ga)the next day after seeing mine in action. :mrgreen:

[HRK]

i would bet the farm that most of the people saying you dont need a big 10 doesnt even own one.

Wheres the farm? you lost the bet :lol: Nah, seriously you can keep it. I used to own a Gold 10 and I would give the farm to get it back. Not because it would out shoot my 12's. I still hunt with someone who shoots a 10 for honkers and a 12 for ducks and there have been many times we went head to head 12 vs 10 for honkers with the same results at the same distances....like Ive said before the only advantage to a 10 is a larger payload, not speed or knockdown power, look at the ballistics on both shells there almost equal in speed and again the 10 is just a larger payload. The reason I would take my 10 back is the weight factor and the way they feel and swing, I preffer a heavy gun 8lbs or more. most of todays waterfowler guns only tip the scales at around 7.4lbs in an auto loader, To me thats just to light and feels like a tinker toy, not to mention they kick more being so light. So anyone who would like to have me down for a hunt with my 12ga 8lb auto loader vs your 10 Please let me know , I'd love to go head to head against your 10 again just for fun and a great hunt because we'll both be stonin birds side by side...

[David]

I have a BPS 10 taht I bought to turkey and waterfowl hunt with. It is a good gun but man it is heavy!! I have killed lots of thunderchickens in the spring and fall and lots of gooses but I had to drill a hole in the end and put some training wheels on it so I could drag it around.

[RIVER RAT]

i would bet the farm that most of the people saying you dont need a big 10 doesnt even own one.

Wheres the farm? you lost the bet :lol: Nah, seriously you can keep it. I used to own a Gold 10 and I would give the farm to get it back. Not because it would out shoot my 12's. I still hunt with someone who shoots a 10 for honkers and a 12 for ducks and there have been many times we went head to head 12 vs 10 for honkers with the same results at the same distances....like Ive said before the only advantage to a 10 is a larger payload, not speed or knockdown power, look at the ballistics on both shells there almost equal in speed and again the 10 is just a larger payload. The reason I would take my 10 back is the weight factor and the way they feel and swing, I preffer a heavy gun 8lbs or more. most of todays waterfowler guns only tip the scales at around 7.4lbs in an auto loader, To me thats just to light and feels like a tinker toy, not to mention they kick more being so light. So anyone who would like to have me down for a hunt with my 12ga 8lb auto loader vs your 10 Please let me know , I'd love to go head to head against your 10 again just for fun and a great hunt because we'll both be stonin birds side by side...there is one for sale at dhc for 525. i sugest you pick it up if you want to stone birds side by side with me. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: i know this could be an on going dispute between the 2 of these guns and i would be glad to hunt with ya to prove this theory. the biggest thing that i believe is that the BIG 10 will consistantly kill more birds at that 5-10 xtra yards. the key word here is consistantly. :wink:

[Steve Nickerson]

I have used a Browning BPS 10 for years and that thing is awesome. I love the way the heavy gun shoulders and swings which virtually eliminates recoil. Who feels recoil when your locked on geese anyway???? I have a extra one that could be for sale if anyone wants to see what it is like!! I'll take a BIG 10 anyday for geese , turkey , ducks , deer(buckshot). PURE FUN AND KILLIN POWER.

[mallard mauler]

i am in agreeance with alot of you guys that say not to go with a 10 ga. it seems like such overkill other than turkeys what do you do with it? and furthermore if you cantget them in close enough to kill them with a 12 ga. than you need to look at something else is wrong like maybe calls or decoys a bigger gun is not going to make you a better hunter

[marshgunner]

I have shot a 10 ga. for 10 years at ducks and geese. I have also shot ducks and geese with a 12ga. In my opinion, the 10 kills them clean every time. Do you need a 10, do what you want and don't look back.

[gcs71]

i am in agreeance with alot of you guys that say not to go with a 10 ga. it seems like such overkill other than turkeys what do you do with it? and furthermore if you cantget them in close enough to kill them with a 12 ga. than you need to look at something else is wrong like maybe calls or decoys a bigger gun is not going to make you a better hunter

All of us dont live and hunt in major flyway states. We dont see many huge migrating flocks here with wave after wave of birds passing through.We are stuck with mostly resident geese and after a few weeks the geese have seen it all. It takes all your skill to get them to even look at your spread. So yes--there are times and conditions where a 10 gauge and the added horsepower can make or break a late season hunt. A bigger gun may not make you a better hunter but a smaller gun doesnt guarantee that your hunting skills will improve either. I think Bob Ruark said it best to sum up this thread " Use enough gun, not too much but enough". So let the hunters and the areas they hunt dictate whether a 10 is too much or enough. good luck everyone this season.

[Max4Gooser]

I am a two guns in the boat blind kind of guy. I shoot a Browning BPS 10 gauge with a 26" barrel and factory modified tube. and it patterns great and kills geese dead. I have killed several ducks with it also witth out tearing them up like people always say. I also allways had a Benelli Nova in the blind that I primarily shot ducks with but also shoot geese with and it works just fine. This year I will be leaving the nova behind and taking my new SBEII with PM in its place. I will probably use it most all the time and keep the big browning as a back up.

I love my 10 gauge, and will not part with it, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend one to anybody looking for a new waterfowl gun. I love the 3.5" 12's . I agree with what someone else said. "Their is no such thing as too dead". Really aout the only drawback I see to a 10 gauge is the shells are getting harder to find, and they routinely cost 5-10 bucks a box more than an equivalent box of 12 gauge 3.5"s do.

If you want a 10 gauge then buy a 10 gauge. You won't be dissapointed in its performance, and the same can be said about the 3.5" twelves. In the end buy the gun that is right for you, and don't worry about what others have to say about it.

[SMHvaBoy]

10ga for geese, no problem, i have a friend that i hunt w/ almost everytime i go out. who carries a 10 ga. and i have personally seen him drop geese out to 80 yards. well beyond what my nova w/ 3 1/2's could touch.. so if u wanna go big.. go big.. you can stand to hold off and left everyone shoot then clean up w/ the big gun of the blind.. it never hurts to have back up when you are trying for those last few birds to fill a limit..

[3fowln]

I bought the Browning Gold Light 10 gauge and put an extended Patternmaster on it. I can't wait to see how it does. I know the geese can't either. I figured that I have enough 3 1/2 inch 12 gauges. Thanks for all of the info! Next summer I'll have to pick up that 12 gauge Browning Silver Semi-Hump.

[SMHvaBoy]

picked up a BPS 10 ga. yesterday at gander mountain, fell in love will be returning to purchase..