2 3/4 for geese ducks

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Originally Posted by Fox

Identical pellet energy, just less pellets

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Take notes boys and girls, this is real information.

2 3/4" shells work just fine, as long as you do your part.

- N.

Thanks guys i think it will be good i ususlly shot blind side BB 3 inch but will give the u/o a try

Get'm in close and shoot them in the face :)

Good luck

They work just fine, don't worry about it and have fun.

#2 are fine thats what I use for both duck and goose. Like others said know your distances and shoot them a bit closer

Well said.

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Originally Posted by Fox

Identical pellet energy, just less pellets.

If you hit the bird it will die, 1/8oz difference, that is 9 pellets if you are shooting BB, very little difference there.

I know that some people say the 3 1/2in shell gives you more range, unless you are going to a larger shot size that is total garbage. The same pellet size at the same speed gives the same energy at the same range but you do have fewer pellets which, depending on your gun, may or may not give you a thinner pattern.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fox

Identical pellet energy, just less pellets.

If you hit the bird it will die, 1/8oz difference, that is 9 pellets if you are shooting BB, very little difference there.

I know that some people say the 3 1/2in shell gives you more range, unless you are going to a larger shot size that is total garbage. The same pellet size at the same speed gives the same energy at the same range but you do have fewer pellets which, depending on your gun, may or may not give you a thinner pattern.

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While I agree with most of this, you do have a longer range with a 3 1/2 of the same shot size as you maintain pattern density quite a bit farther than a 2 3/4 inch. Yes the pellets have identical energy at the same distance but a 2 3/4 inch does not have enough pellets to make it effective at longer ranges. If I was using 2 3/4 inch I would probably drop a pellet size or two to have even better pattern density at shorter ranges since I would not really utilize the energy contained in larger shot size since I do not have enough pellets to maintain pattern density :)

Buy shells with more powder, price will double however, but the shot will go further. Just use what you have and have fun, as was mentioned. Buy a 10 ga, omg some of those shells are $$$.

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Originally Posted by Hunterbob

Buy shells with more powder, price will double however, but the shot will go further. Just use what you have and have fun, as was mentioned. Buy a 10 ga, omg some of those shells are $$$.

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Pattern density is far more important, its no good to have all kinds of killing power at 60 yards if your pattern is not adequate.

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Originally Posted by skeeter1

While I agree with most of this, you do have a longer range with a 3 1/2 of the same shot size as you maintain pattern density quite a bit farther than a 2 3/4 inch. Yes the pellets have identical energy at the same distance but a 2 3/4 inch does not have enough pellets to make it effective at longer ranges. If I was using 2 3/4 inch I would probably drop a pellet size or two to have even better pattern density at shorter ranges since I would not really utilize the energy contained in larger shot size since I do not have enough pellets to maintain pattern density :)

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The problem is that guys take BB steel in a 2 3/4in and say 20 yards then take BB steel in a 3 1/2in and say 50 yards, no way is it ethical to do that.

The reason behind the original 3 1/2in 12ga shell was to keep the same number of pellets as the lead version while holding the same energy too, this was why they used to say you would have to go up 2 shot sizes but that was with steel shot around 1050-1200fps, now we are shooting steel at 1500fps, that extra speed on the smaller pellet maintains the energy to about the same distance as the slower steel shot.

I just hate the "longer range" argument as a blanket statement but what you said here is very true, more pellets in the core of the pattern but I do know some 3in and 3 1/2in loads that pattern worse than a 2 3/4in load in the same gun, in that case the 2 3/4in shell would have an effective pattern further out than the heavier loads.

The funny part is that with how we hunt geese in layout blinds and how close they get in I have no problem with #2 2 3/4in shells on up to 3 1/2in T steel shells, the speed does not matter at 10 yards, the pellet size does not matter and the number of pellets does not matter.

I actually have a couple boxes of 16ga steel to bring out for ducks this year, maybe geese too :)