Good waterfowl shotgun

[Cavman]

I am looking at the mossberg 935 waterfowl magnum. Definitely wanting the 3 1/2 for geese. And i really like that its american made. Any other american made waterfowl shotguns that can take the 3 1/2" shells?

 

[42769vette]

A couple pieces of advise.

1) don't buy into the myth you need 3.5's to kill geese. 3.5's make you feel tough, but often don't kill as well as 3's. I shoot a franchi. It delivers more pellets on bird with 3's than it does 3.5's.

2) I originally bought that same monster for waterfowl. I wanted to be able to shoot clays in the off season. It would run 3.5's great. It would run 3's OK, don't even think about 2 3/4. I see no point in practicing with a diffrent gun than I use so it's now my backup/loaner gun. I called Mossberg to see if it needed fixed. They basically said that gun is only designed for 3.5 inch shells

 

[Expat]

A couple pieces of advise.

1) don't buy into the myth you need 3.5's to kill geese. 3.5's make you feel tough, but often don't kill as well as 3's. I shoot a franchi. It delivers more pellets on bird with 3's than it does 3.5's.

2) I originally bought that same monster for waterfowl. I wanted to be able to shoot clays in the off season. It would run 3.5's great. It would run 3's OK, don't even think about 2 3/4. I see no point in practicing with a diffrent gun than I use so it's now my backup/loaner gun. I called Mossberg to see if it needed fixed. They basically said that gun is only designed for 3.5 inch shells

I have a BPS in 3.5. I have killed more geese with a 2.75 inch than anything, while jump shooting on rivers.

 

[Cavman]

A couple pieces of advise.

1) don't buy into the myth you need 3.5's to kill geese. 3.5's make you feel tough, but often don't kill as well as 3's. I shoot a franchi. It delivers more pellets on bird with 3's than it does 3.5's.

2) I originally bought that same monster for waterfowl. I wanted to be able to shoot clays in the off season. It would run 3.5's great. It would run 3's OK, don't even think about 2 3/4. I see no point in practicing with a diffrent gun than I use so it's now my backup/loaner gun. I called Mossberg to see if it needed fixed. They basically said that gun is only designed for 3.5 inch shells

Thanks for heads up. Veen using my old 870 now for couple years. And buddys that run guns that shoot 3 1/2 just seemd to be able to reach out more. Might be theyre just better too lol.

 

[42769vette]

Thanks for heads up. Veen using my old 870 now for couple years. And buddys that run guns that shoot 3 1/2 just seemd to be able to reach out more. Might be theyre just better too lol.

Choke plays a bigger role than shell length. I personally would recommend going to a semi auto, but I wouldn't get hung up on shell length. I'm not the only one who has a gun capable of 3.5's, that choses to run 3 inch. After my last ordeal with my Mossberg, they can check me off their customer list. I run an Italian gun, but if your wanting American made, maybe look into Remington???

 

[JEBland]

If you want US-made, Ithaca makes a sweet, but not too cheap, bottom-ejecting pump shotgun (good for a blind or southpaws like me). Should be able to find a used 12 gauge with 3" chamber well under current new prices. I don't think that they make a 3-1/2" chamber for the 12. I bought mine with as a 12 ga with two barrels for $700 before transfer fee mid-covid era. I've had a 12 gauge BPS and 12 ga. Ithaca. BPS recoiled less, but I hit better with the Ithaca, YMMV. Certainly a good trade-off for wanting to hunt with it. I'm not a goose hunter (yet), so I can't comment on 3-1/2" 12 vs. 3" 12 for geese.

Ithaca does have a waterfowl model that skips the engraving but is nitrided and synthetic stocked (with a nice solid stock):
https://ithacagun.com/product/model-37-waterfowl/
They do Black Friday sales if you can wait that long. With new prices increasing substantially over the last year and a half, used prices have also jumped.

Just to add to Alan's comment that choke plays a role, so does hardness of shot. Bob Brister did a lot of testing on this back in the day. Hard shot (like steel vs. lead) acts as if it is in a tighter choke downrange due to less deformation of the shot under the pressure of the powder. New specialty loads with a 3" shell and a modern shot probably do just fine.

 

[warren5421]

Never seen the need for a 3 1/2", if the 2 3/4" can't do it go to a 10 ga. as it has a softer recoil than a 3 1/2". I know there are very few good 10 ga out there though. Shells are also a problem but if you load your own you can custom the load to what you are trying to shoot.

 

[Hookeye]

The old rule was going from lead to steel, bump up 2 pellet sizes. This gobbled payload, hence the 3.5" 12 ga.

Before the advent of specialty pellets I found BBB steel in 3.5" usable on geese.

However I was not happy w the shorter range and lack of hitting the deck dead.

Switched to 3" bismuth 2s and killed em like lightning, farther out too.

But back then 18 bucks for 10 rounds. Now its 28 bucks for 10 rounds of bismuth goose ammo.

I have both 3.5" and 3" waterfowl/ turkey rigs. Have yet to try any specialty pellet steel.

If one is to get into a lot of shooting, cheaper shells could be a deciding factor. For the handful of geese in the freezer guys, bismuth might yet make sense.

Do you need 3.5" for geese? If running steel Id make sure thats an option.

If you have a dog and dont mind em running down cripples, maybe reg steel is good enough.

I personally dont want to ground swat wounded birds, run after them, or wring their necks. So reg steel I wont use ever again.

 

[dekeshooter]

I was an early adopter of the 3.5” 12 gauge round and used it nearly exclusively for geese the first 3-4 seasons I owned one. Since then I have realized while I knock down as many geese with the 3” as I do the 3.5”, far more birds hit with the 3” are dead when they return to earth compared to those shot with the 3.5”.

I’m getting too old to chase cripples and I’m way too frugal (most would say cheap) to spend more $$$ for less performance. Therefore, 3” is the answer for me.

 

[Cavman]

Looks like i need to play around with shells more. Ive been goose hunting only past seasons and love it. And the shells i do have i was given too so just been trying to burn those up before dropping money on new ones. Goose is quickly becoming my favorite so not gonna mind investing into more. Thank you everyone for your advice!

 

[42769vette]

Looks like i need to play around with shells more. Ive been goose hunting only past seasons and love it. And the shells i do have i was given too so just been trying to burn those up before dropping money on new ones. Goose is quickly becoming my favorite so not gonna mind investing into more. Thank you everyone for your advice!

In early season I shot #2, in late season I shoot BBB

 

[Cavman]

In early season I shot #2, in late season I shoot BBB

Kinda ignorant to it, why the change up? More fat on the goose?

 

[42769vette]

Kinda ignorant to it, why the change up? More fat on the goose?

Late season the feather's are thicker due to the cold. At least that's what I was told, I'm only 5 years into waterfowl hunting, and that's what the guy who got me into it does. I drop most birds I pull the trigger on, but cant vouch for it having anything to do with the change up. Its kind of one of those, aint broke don't fix deals.

For snow's I only use 3" #2

 

[Expat]

A lot of guys will go to bigger shot later in the season because often the geese are more call and decoy shy and so shots may be longer.