Is there really any benefit going to a 10 gauge over a 31/2” 12? Never had a 10 but from all I hear they recoil quite a bit but don’t add too much when shooting turkey or geese.I’ve heard one shot a few times and that boom was something atleast to me. Any experience or am I missing something? Best to stick with 3-31/2?
10 gauge vs 12 gauge 31/2”
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Chuck R.
Member
I've owned and hunted with both.
Generally with steel the payloads are close and the 10Ga increased weight made the recoil about the same.
IMHO, the 10GA killed geese better, due to the pattern, but I got more doubles and a few triples with the 3.5 12GA due to the maneuverability. Just a lighter faster gun.
I really did like how the 10 crushed geese over decoys though.
Generally with steel the payloads are close and the 10Ga increased weight made the recoil about the same.
IMHO, the 10GA killed geese better, due to the pattern, but I got more doubles and a few triples with the 3.5 12GA due to the maneuverability. Just a lighter faster gun.
I really did like how the 10 crushed geese over decoys though.
mcb
Member
From my experience using my Browning BPS 3.5-inch 12 gauge, primarily as a Turkey gun when using 3.5-inch shells. In theory for a given payload weight of shot the 10 gauge should pattern a bit better and more even than the 3.5 inch 12 due to the shot column being shorter and fatter as it leave the barrel/wad. I think that benefit has been minimizes with modern choke tubes and modern wads but its still there and will make a difference in some setting. That said a 3.5 inch 12 gauge has a lot more versatility given they can still shot 2-3/4 and 3.00 12 gauge.
Jerry M
Member
With the price, the lack of available of 10 ga shells and number of choices available in shotgun models I'd choose 12 ga for my waterfowl and deer (where SG's required) hunting.
Good Luck
Good Luck
entropy
Member
I was conversing with a fellow trapshooter about this just yesterday. He said the SP-10 was great to have in the blind, but his Maxus was the one he carried for pothole shooting.
My own .02; I bought an 870 Super mag for turkey and ducks, and traded it back the next year for a regular 3" 870. The difference wasn't worth the prices of the shells.
My shoulders are hurting just thinking about this.
I tried a 12 gauge with 3 1/2 shells for duck and goose hunting and I didn't notice enough difference to deal with the extra recoil versus 3" shells.
For the OP, I would got with the 12 gauge since you can always find 2 3/4" and 3" shells.
I tried a 12 gauge with 3 1/2 shells for duck and goose hunting and I didn't notice enough difference to deal with the extra recoil versus 3" shells.
For the OP, I would got with the 12 gauge since you can always find 2 3/4" and 3" shells.
eastbank
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i don,t hunt waterfoul any more, but i do hunt turkeys alot with a rem 870 12ga 3" mag and over the last years i have been useing the tss loaded shells. last year a friend got me a box of 5 new apex shells loaded with 2-1/4 oz # 9 tss shot at 1190 fps. i shot this bird at 47 yards and it never moved. in the last 7 years i have killed 6 turkeys with 7 tss shells. i see no need for a 12 ga 3.5" or a 10ga shotgun for my hunting.
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As mcb stated, the old rule of thumb says that equal weight/volumes of shot should pattern better out of the larger bore. Fewer deformed pellets being the main reason. In really olden times the 10 ga was popular for trap using the 1 1/8 ounce load.
I personally have chucked the 3 1/2 inch 12 and find that with careful loading I can get as good or better patterns with 3". I don't hunt geese any more but do hunt turkey and on my own land lead is legal.
My arthritic hands and shoulders think me for not abusing them more than necessary. A Benelli pump was horrific with 3 1/2" Turkey loads. Now, an 11-87 with 3" is way more pleasant.
I dont think there would be a significant difference between a 12 and 10 with the same payload out of similar weight guns. Unless the 10 was a semi-auto.
I personally have chucked the 3 1/2 inch 12 and find that with careful loading I can get as good or better patterns with 3". I don't hunt geese any more but do hunt turkey and on my own land lead is legal.
My arthritic hands and shoulders think me for not abusing them more than necessary. A Benelli pump was horrific with 3 1/2" Turkey loads. Now, an 11-87 with 3" is way more pleasant.
I dont think there would be a significant difference between a 12 and 10 with the same payload out of similar weight guns. Unless the 10 was a semi-auto.
tactikel
Member
in theory the 10 ga should pattern better. I’ve got a Mossberg 835 3.5”. It’s overbored with choke tubes which makes dialing in a goose load a breeze. Pattern each load you may hunt with. 10 ga died when 12 ga 3.5” came out due to cost, weight, ammo choices. BTW I swap a ported 21” barrel and use mine for Turkey.
Gerd33
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- Oct 24, 2021
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I have an Ithaca Mag 10 that I acquired about 20 years ago that I've used for turkey.
Being that it is a semi-auto and weighs about 14lbs the recoil isn't that bad with it, lugging it around is another matter.
I wouldn't get a 10ga now though just due to lack of shell availability.
Being that it is a semi-auto and weighs about 14lbs the recoil isn't that bad with it, lugging it around is another matter.
I wouldn't get a 10ga now though just due to lack of shell availability.
Riomouse911
Member
The biggest thing about the 10 ga, no pun intended 
, is the lack of ammo. I can’t even recall the last time I saw a box of 10 ga shells on the shelf of a LGS, and no food for your beast means it’s a 14 pound paperweight.
Heck, even 3” .410 has been tough to find over the past 3 years.
I haven’t shot a10 ga, and would probably never need one, but your circumstances are different and a 10 ga may be the cats meow for you. If you can handle the recoil, and can find a source of gun and ammo that won’t leave you bankrupt, I say give one a whirl.
Stay safe.
, is the lack of ammo. I can’t even recall the last time I saw a box of 10 ga shells on the shelf of a LGS, and no food for your beast means it’s a 14 pound paperweight.Heck, even 3” .410 has been tough to find over the past 3 years.
I haven’t shot a10 ga, and would probably never need one, but your circumstances are different and a 10 ga may be the cats meow for you. If you can handle the recoil, and can find a source of gun and ammo that won’t leave you bankrupt, I say give one a whirl.
Stay safe.
Unless you are a high volume goose hunter there isn't much need for either 10 ga or 3.5" 12's. With steel you need to go up about 2 shot sizes larger than what you'd normally use, and it is hard to get enough big steel shot pellets in a 2 3/4" or 3" shell.
That is exactly what the 3.5" 12's were intended for. There are other non-toxic shot options that will do just fine in a 3" 12 ga, but they are much more expensive. For the guy who waterfowl hunts mostly for duck with the occasional opportunity for a shot on a goose a 3" 12 ga is more than adequate. Use steel for ducks and switch to the expensive loads for the occasional shot at a goose.
If you're the kind of guy who burns through a case of steel shot in a season shooting geese at long range a 3.5" 12 is a great choice, you couldn't afford that much of the expensive non-toxic shot. Looking at paper ballistics a 10 is even better. But not by much and certainly not enough to justify the negatives.
Turkey are a different animal; literally and figuratively. Yes, they are a big bird, but you're aiming for the head of a stationary target. With today's ammo and tight choke tubes I'm convinced a 20 ga is the ideal turkey shotgun ga and even a .410 is a legitimate gun.
When wing shooting you need a wide pattern to make hits and you want a short shot string. None of that is necessary for turkey. A 20 choked down tight with 1 1/4 oz of small #8 or #9 shot will put plenty of pellets into a turkey's head at some crazy long ranges. The long shot string would be a handicap on a moving bird but is not a problem at all with a stationary target.
Another thing. I've owned a few 12 pumps that would take 3.5" shells. When loaded with steel shot recoil from a 3.5 is brisk, but manageable. I tried some 3.5" turkey loads in mine. From a 7-8 lb shotgun recoil is just a bit less than 458 WM from a typical 9-10 lb rifle. There isn't a turkey out there that I want bad enough to deal with that much recoil.
That is exactly what the 3.5" 12's were intended for. There are other non-toxic shot options that will do just fine in a 3" 12 ga, but they are much more expensive. For the guy who waterfowl hunts mostly for duck with the occasional opportunity for a shot on a goose a 3" 12 ga is more than adequate. Use steel for ducks and switch to the expensive loads for the occasional shot at a goose.
If you're the kind of guy who burns through a case of steel shot in a season shooting geese at long range a 3.5" 12 is a great choice, you couldn't afford that much of the expensive non-toxic shot. Looking at paper ballistics a 10 is even better. But not by much and certainly not enough to justify the negatives.
Turkey are a different animal; literally and figuratively. Yes, they are a big bird, but you're aiming for the head of a stationary target. With today's ammo and tight choke tubes I'm convinced a 20 ga is the ideal turkey shotgun ga and even a .410 is a legitimate gun.
When wing shooting you need a wide pattern to make hits and you want a short shot string. None of that is necessary for turkey. A 20 choked down tight with 1 1/4 oz of small #8 or #9 shot will put plenty of pellets into a turkey's head at some crazy long ranges. The long shot string would be a handicap on a moving bird but is not a problem at all with a stationary target.
Another thing. I've owned a few 12 pumps that would take 3.5" shells. When loaded with steel shot recoil from a 3.5 is brisk, but manageable. I tried some 3.5" turkey loads in mine. From a 7-8 lb shotgun recoil is just a bit less than 458 WM from a typical 9-10 lb rifle. There isn't a turkey out there that I want bad enough to deal with that much recoil.
Micro
Member
I have both and have hunted with both. Here's my opinions.
10 gauge advanatges:
They tend to shoot a more even pattern. I find on average the pellets form a more uniform pattern with smaller blank areas than a 12 gauge 3 1/2".
They tend to have less felt recoil. 10 gauge guns are usually heavier than 12 gauge guns and that helps with recoil.
In my subjective opinion, 10 gauge is less ear splitting than a 12 gauge 3 1/2".
If you like rifled slugs, the 10 gauge rifled slug is nearly double the weight of a 12 gauge rifled slug.
10 gauge disadvantages:
Much fewer load choices, so much less versatility.
Tend to be heavier, in some cases, much heavier.
There are 10 gauge loads out there that are actually lighter than some 12 gauge 3 1/2" loads. I see no point in getting a 10 gauge unless you wanted to shoot the very heaviest loads available, or unless you just wanted one.
I think when it comes to very heavy loads, the 10 gauge handles them better than the 12 gauge.
And as far as just wanting a 10 gauge, that may be the best reason of all for getting one. I mean, how can you not love this?
Or 2 5/8 ounces of #9 TSS
10 gauge advanatges:
They tend to shoot a more even pattern. I find on average the pellets form a more uniform pattern with smaller blank areas than a 12 gauge 3 1/2".
They tend to have less felt recoil. 10 gauge guns are usually heavier than 12 gauge guns and that helps with recoil.
In my subjective opinion, 10 gauge is less ear splitting than a 12 gauge 3 1/2".
If you like rifled slugs, the 10 gauge rifled slug is nearly double the weight of a 12 gauge rifled slug.
10 gauge disadvantages:
Much fewer load choices, so much less versatility.
Tend to be heavier, in some cases, much heavier.
There are 10 gauge loads out there that are actually lighter than some 12 gauge 3 1/2" loads. I see no point in getting a 10 gauge unless you wanted to shoot the very heaviest loads available, or unless you just wanted one.
I think when it comes to very heavy loads, the 10 gauge handles them better than the 12 gauge.
And as far as just wanting a 10 gauge, that may be the best reason of all for getting one. I mean, how can you not love this?
Or 2 5/8 ounces of #9 TSS
I had an 835 back in the day.
For steel on geese.
Then bismuth came out and I dumped it and went back to an 1100 magnum.
Way better.
I did get an 870 Supermag (in case I gotta go back to steel on geese) but run reg 3" turkey loads for spring gobblers.
Kinda kick myself for not buying a used SP10. clean except for a nasty scratch on wood buttstock.
Dang my OCD.
For steel on geese.
Then bismuth came out and I dumped it and went back to an 1100 magnum.
Way better.
I did get an 870 Supermag (in case I gotta go back to steel on geese) but run reg 3" turkey loads for spring gobblers.
Kinda kick myself for not buying a used SP10. clean except for a nasty scratch on wood buttstock.
Dang my OCD.
Scout21
Member
I only have experience with a 10 gauge shooting 00 buckshot. Due to the way the pellets stack you get the same amount of pellets in a 10 gauge 3 1/2 inch shell as you do a 12 gauge 3 1/2 inch shell. I checked both of Federal's offerings of 10 gauge 00 buckshot and 12 gauge 00 a while back and they're both 18 pellets at 1100 FPS, so there is absolutely no terminal difference between the 3 1/2 inch loadings.
There is a noticeable difference when you're talking about slugs. Standard slugs in 12 gauge weigh an ounce or an ounce and an eighth whereas 10 gauge slugs commonly weigh 1 3/4 ounces.
Birdshot is a little weird. In factory loadings sometimes the 12 gauge loadings and 10 gauge loadings are the same, sometimes the 10 gauge has more shot and/or velocity, and oddly enough sometimes the 12 gauge has more shot and velocity.
If you're enamored by the 10 gauge go for it, but practically speaking there are few situations where it would make a major difference.
There is a noticeable difference when you're talking about slugs. Standard slugs in 12 gauge weigh an ounce or an ounce and an eighth whereas 10 gauge slugs commonly weigh 1 3/4 ounces.
Birdshot is a little weird. In factory loadings sometimes the 12 gauge loadings and 10 gauge loadings are the same, sometimes the 10 gauge has more shot and/or velocity, and oddly enough sometimes the 12 gauge has more shot and velocity.
If you're enamored by the 10 gauge go for it, but practically speaking there are few situations where it would make a major difference.
Micro
Member
Honestly, both a 3 1/2" 12 gauge and a 10 gauge are both "wants" these days.
TSS has killed the need for a 12 or 10 when it comes to turkey or waterfowl hunting. The 12 and 10 are still superior to a 20 when it comes to steel shot. But the trend is towards TSS and I don't see that slowing down.
If you are into handloading, you will always be able to stuff more into a 10 gauge than a 12 gauge 3 1/2" But when it comes to factory loads, it's a wash with pros and cons with either.
TSS has killed the need for a 12 or 10 when it comes to turkey or waterfowl hunting. The 12 and 10 are still superior to a 20 when it comes to steel shot. But the trend is towards TSS and I don't see that slowing down.
If you are into handloading, you will always be able to stuff more into a 10 gauge than a 12 gauge 3 1/2" But when it comes to factory loads, it's a wash with pros and cons with either.
Gordon
Member
I keep my MEC reloader set up for 10 gauge and still have abig box of 10 gauge Pattern Driver wads for it and maybe 20 pounds of steel BBs left for my Ithaca 10 gauge since steel shot was mandated . I have not gone after Waterfowl in a few years but am going this year with a grand son under Oregon's "Mentored" provision . I DO go Turkey hunting most years in Calif (still on large ranches in Central Ca) and now Oregon and the 10 gauge Ithaca Mag Ten with counter coil slays them like nothing else for me with that BB load I use out of it. I also have for 35 years a 10 Gauge AYA "Matador" ex goose gun that was expertly cut to 20" and a big new white front bead installed . I load that with 000 buck and have fooled with rifled slugs from it when I was younger. Now it is just a home defense tool and I don't want to shoot it much because the wrist of the gun looks like the grain would be prone to cracking with a lot of use, I have a 12gauge Russian 18" Lupara to play with anyway. I also have a 10 gauge beautiful little 15" Pedersoli coach gun muzzle loader that is fun and seems to take the same plastic pattern driver wads with no big issues and alot safer in dry areas than the flaming organic wad collums it spews .
So I like the 10 gauge , but yeah, stick with a 12 today . Truthfully unless your 12 gauge , like the underrated Benneli Nova , come with 3.5" chambers a 3" chamber is plenty for any uses. The tungsten shot is awesome in 3" 12 gauge, it even works with 3" 20 gauge as far as I can tell. All my upland hunting the last 25 years has been with 20 gauge 3" (capable but not necessary) with #5 plated shot or #4 Bismuth for Ca. Fiocchi "Golden Pheasant" which I buy by the 250 flat.
So I like the 10 gauge , but yeah, stick with a 12 today . Truthfully unless your 12 gauge , like the underrated Benneli Nova , come with 3.5" chambers a 3" chamber is plenty for any uses. The tungsten shot is awesome in 3" 12 gauge, it even works with 3" 20 gauge as far as I can tell. All my upland hunting the last 25 years has been with 20 gauge 3" (capable but not necessary) with #5 plated shot or #4 Bismuth for Ca. Fiocchi "Golden Pheasant" which I buy by the 250 flat.
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I have both but primarily use the 10 ga. for goose hunting and stick to 3 inch 12 ga loads. I think (non-scientific) that the 10 ga. patterns better. I have both a double 10 and a semi-auto. I don't find the recoil to be uncomfortable for the amount that we typically shoot in a day. Usually maybe 12-15 rounds
MacAR
Member
I have no desire for either one anymore, but shot a 10 gauge at geese for several years. I wasn't unhappy with it's performance in the big double barrel I shot it in; didn't seem to kick quite as bad as 3.5" 12 out of a pump gun but it still rattled your bones. In my youth I carried an old LC Smith 10 gauge hammer gun around and I will say that 2 7/8ths 10 gauge is somewhat under-rated as far as small game hunting goes, and it didn't do to shabby on whitetail deer either. However, 1.25 oz 12 gauge ammo is much easier to find than the old paper shells I was using "back when" and just about as effective. Of course I'm likely in the minority in wanting to use a 10 gauge shotgun for small game hunting!
Mac
Mac
.45Coltguy
Member
I have to ask; Why a 10ga 3.5" shell? For anything? Even 12ga 3.5" shells are overkill for most shotgunning. Possibly for geese up there, but, man.
I get that steel isn't perfect, but there are alternatives in shot. As you can tell, I'm not a waterfowler[any longer], but, 3" shells were enough.
I get that steel isn't perfect, but there are alternatives in shot. As you can tell, I'm not a waterfowler[any longer], but, 3" shells were enough.
WisBorn
Contributing Member
As a THR enabler I vote buy both!
10 gauge for high flying decoy shy geese.
3.5 12 gauge for decoy shy turkeys.
10 gauge for high flying decoy shy geese.
3.5 12 gauge for decoy shy turkeys.
I have an Ithaca Mag10 in the back of the safe that i used to hunt geese with. My buddy I hunted with had one also. We could consistently drop geese at 75 yards when they were skittish, when lead was legal. I saw my buddy drop one at 90 yards once. I have shot a few slugs out of it, just to say that I had, but they serve no real reason unless you wanted to poke a bear from end to end I guess. The gun is pretty much retired, but I did take it out to hunt coyotes with a couple of times. Lead #2's and BB's will drop coyotes running at 70 yards. I have a pretty good stock of ammo for the old girl, both lead a some steel, probably 25-30 boxes that I had picked up when it was available over the years.
rugerman89
Member
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2018
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- 6
I recently purchased a Browning BPS in 10 gauge and have been having lots of fun with it. 10 gauge is definitely more expensive than 12g, but if you hand load that mitigates the cost quite a bit. I'm not a hunter; I purchased the 10 gauge simply because I was intrigued by the uniqueness and power of "the mighty 10" and just knew it would be a lot of fun to shoot and hand load for. From a practicality standpoint, you'd stick with 12 gauge. From an entertainment standpoint, absolutely go with the 10!
