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Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
#6965582
11/19/17 02:41 PM
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Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,021
pertnear
OP
"Demolition Man"
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OP
"Demolition Man"
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,021 |
When I was a Texas kid growing up & someone said bird hunting that meant Doves. I loved shooting doves. When I was old enough I bought a Remington 1100 12ga with interchangeable choke tubes. I installed the modified choke tube & never touched it as I shot mannnny doves.
I'm an old guy now & just recently a friend of mine has talked me into a combination geese & sand-hill crane 2-day hunt. I was always curious about the "ribeye of the sky" birds so now I hope to find out. When I told my friend that my 12ga only shoots 2-3/4" shells he said that won't do - I need as a minimum 3" or better yet 3-1/2" shells. With the modern ammo out there now, can't I put on my full-choke tube (if I can find it) & buy some adequate 2-3/4" HV loads? Any suggestions short of borrowing a bigger gun? BTW: we'll be hunting by lying down in a field(?)
TIA for suggestions on the gun & or ammo I need.
"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” - George Orwell
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: pertnear]
#6965625
11/19/17 03:21 PM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 23,830
beaversnipe
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 23,830 |
Buy some 2 3/4 tungsten matrix nr 3 You will be fine
Last edited by beaversnipe; 11/19/17 03:23 PM.
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: pertnear]
#6965668
11/19/17 04:20 PM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 5,045
David Maas
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 5,045 |
The quality of the available 2 3/4" no-tox loads are plenty to take anything you are after.
The problem is that most people don't have the patience to wait for the birds to get into range.
Remington has a great 2 3/4" Nitro Steel #2 load @ 1375fps that will suit your needs just fine. Rogers has them on pre-order and you can get back $100 from Remington with their fall rebate.
I would be willing to bet, that with the amount of trigger time with your 1100, you will just fine vs trying to adapt to another shotgun.
NRA Endowed Patriot Life Benefactor GOA Life Member TSRA Life Member NSCA Life Member
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: pertnear]
#6965692
11/19/17 04:44 PM
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28,032
Navasot
Hollywood
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Hollywood
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28,032 |
If you wana pay the price heavy shot will make up the difference.. ranch use to buy it for us while guiding so used it and never thought it would be that much difference.. and they were only 2 3/4 6 shot.. no way Ill ever buy them myself though i like to shoot
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: David Maas]
#6965718
11/19/17 05:19 PM
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,489
Guy
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 35,489 |
The problem is that most people don't have the patience to wait for the birds to get into range.
This. If you are hunting with your buddy and he is shooting 3 and half inch, you need the same so you can keep up with the other skybusters.
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: pertnear]
#6965729
11/19/17 05:27 PM
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Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 391
Pintail711
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 391 |
I would shoot high brass lead at cranes.. your 1100 can shoot 3".. My dad has a 1100 on the barrel it says "2 3/4" but you can run 3" shells through it fine.. I don't know if that's something you want to try or not.
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: pertnear]
#6965926
11/19/17 11:19 PM
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 694
Windrider
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 694 |
Ive hunted geese successfully with a 20ga with he tungsten 4s and was not disadvantaged against the big guns.
Get you some #4 HeviShot 2 3/4 shells for the hunt and you will have every inch of the distance of 3.5 BBs at a fraction of the recoil. Its just one hunt.
On the other hand, goose hunting can be quite addictive.
Im just not a big fan of buying a new gun during hunting season, especially for a special hunt. Too much can go wrong.
Thought for the day: Ducks were almost hunted to extinction long before camo was invented.
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: pertnear]
#6966027
11/20/17 01:13 AM
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Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 5,045
David Maas
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 5,045 |
The only difference between the length of the shell is the amount of the payload.
A pellet does not know if it is being launched from a 410 or a 10ga.
Don't hesitate to use the gun you are familiar with and never use a shell in a gun unless the barrel is marked as such.
NRA Endowed Patriot Life Benefactor GOA Life Member TSRA Life Member NSCA Life Member
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: pertnear]
#6966064
11/20/17 01:47 AM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 18,554
ducknbass
THF Celebrity
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THF Celebrity
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 18,554 |
With sandhills you don't need non toxic. The hunts will generally be separate as cranes and geese don't feed together. Take a good lead for the sandhills. The geese will likely be shortnecks. Ie small birds a good 2 shot will be fine.
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: pertnear]
#6966172
11/20/17 03:39 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,937
Sniper John
gumshoe
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gumshoe
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,937 |
If you don't have access to a bigger gun, go with what you got. For your 2 3/4 I would take both #1 steel for the decoying geese and take some #2 hevi shot or tungsten loads for the cranes, larger geese, or if you find longer shots required. One thing to consider. If you shoot well with your shotgun, you might be better off with it. You might not shoot well with any load using someone elses shotgun that your not familiar with or that does not fit you. When hunting big birds, shoot bird heads.
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: pertnear]
#6966222
11/20/17 04:44 AM
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,943
Ben Lilly
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 2,943 |
I wouldnt pass up an opportunity to buy a new shotgun.
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: Ben Lilly]
#6966269
11/20/17 06:53 AM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,937
Sniper John
gumshoe
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gumshoe
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 20,937 |
I wouldnt pass up an opportunity to buy a new shotgun. Good point Ben. Also a lot of times with field goose hunts, no one is really sure who shot what. You could just be the guy that yells "I got it" every time a goose starts to fall.
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: pertnear]
#6966307
11/20/17 12:21 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 917
DUKFVR
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 917 |
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: Guy]
#6966350
11/20/17 01:03 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,387
john paul
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,387 |
The problem is that most people don't have the patience to wait for the birds to get into range.
This. If you are hunting with your buddy and he is shooting 3 and half inch, you need the same so you can keep up with the other skybusters. The problem is that a lot of time sandhills are tricky to get in close. With that being, said my friend was rolling them with 20 gauge #5 pheasant loads a couple weeks ago over the decoys.
I'm with GK because I like salty old dudes.
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: pertnear]
#6966531
11/20/17 03:09 PM
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,817
Wildphilhickup
Veteran Tracker
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Veteran Tracker
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 2,817 |
Hunted Witchita Falls a couple years ago chasing ducks and geese with a 12 gauge, 2 3/4", using 1 1/16 ounce #2's.
Why 1 1/16 ounce? Higher Velocity. 1550fps.
A bunch of hogs came into a wheat field I was hunting. 3 shots => 3 Dead Hogs.
MILL CREEK HONEY BEE FARM, LLC millcreekhoneybeefarm @yahoo.com
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: Sniper John]
#6967544
11/21/17 03:17 AM
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,223
jnd59
Pro Tracker
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Pro Tracker
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,223 |
Hence my frustration with guided hunts. I've hunted geese when I was never really sure I brought down a single bird. Nobody's fault really. Just the nature of the beast unless everyone agrees to batter up or first pitch. As to the original post, dance with the one that brung ya, but go ahead and get a new gun. Once you hunt geese your going to buy it anyway:)
No matter how high a duck flies a hammer still breaks a window.
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: Pintail711]
#6967927
11/21/17 03:50 PM
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28,032
Navasot
Hollywood
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Hollywood
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 28,032 |
I would shoot high brass lead at cranes.. your 1100 can shoot 3".. My dad has a 1100 on the barrel it says "2 3/4" but you can run 3" shells through it fine.. I don't know if that's something you want to try or not. Not all 1100s were able to shoot 3 inch some were specific to 2 3/4
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Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells?
[Re: pertnear]
#6967952
11/21/17 04:04 PM
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Joined: May 2017
Posts: 5,198
Smokey Bear
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 5,198 |
Your shotgun is fine. Ask your buddy what range shots to expect. Pattern your shotgun at the anticipated range. Find a choke and shell combination that patterns tight enough to shoot heads and necks with big enough shot to penetrate breast bones and knock em dead. For a one time hunt, tungsten matrix, hevi shot, and bismuth, in that order, will give you a decided advantage. All three are pricey.
Smokey Bear---Lone Star State.
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