Is there a major upside to 3 1/2 inch shotguns? I noticed that most shotguns stop at 3. Is there a reason for this?
Is there a major upside to 3 1/2 inch shotguns? I noticed that most shotguns stop at 3. Is there a reason for this?
3 1/5 inch magnum shells hurt...
Yes, they do hurt. The biggest advantages I see is payload size and retained energy down range. I shoot a lighter 3 1/2 in. turkey load that is two ounces of #5's @ 1300 FPS. Same load in a 3 inch goes 1120 fps. That said, my 12 year old boy has killed 2 turkeys with a 20 gauge shooting a 3 inch, 1-1/4 oz. load going 1180 fps and the birds were just as dead.
It is not any fun sighting in, but I never feel recoil when I am shooting at a turkey or goose.
I agree with the previous posts. 3.5 inch magnums are quite a handful, for the most part, unnecessary.
The only reason I can think of is to get full load delivery an extra 15-20 yards (geese, maybe coyotes), these magnums will make experienced rifle shooters flinch in my experience. In most shotgun-use scenarios, the extra recoil is not worth the energy downrange (overkill)
Is there a major upside to 3 1/2 inch shotguns? I noticed that most shotguns stop at 3. Is there a reason for this?
3 1/5 inch magnum shells hurt...
Purple, then blue, then grey, then that weird greenish yellow...Yes, they serve a valid purpose: Making your shoulder turn a deeper shade of purple, and doing it much faster!