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Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells? #6965582 11/19/17 02:41 PM
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pertnear Online Content OP
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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
Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells? [Re: pertnear] #6965625 11/19/17 03:21 PM
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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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Loved my 4 inches. Well needed.

Originally Posted by bill oxner
Hate Russians. Love happy endings. I saw snot fly. cheers


Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells? [Re: pertnear] #6965668 11/19/17 04:20 PM
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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.


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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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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

Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells? [Re: David Maas] #6965718 11/19/17 05:19 PM
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Originally Posted By: David Maas

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.

Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells? [Re: pertnear] #6965729 11/19/17 05:27 PM
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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.

Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells? [Re: pertnear] #6965926 11/19/17 11:19 PM
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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.


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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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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.


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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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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.

Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells? [Re: pertnear] #6966172 11/20/17 03:39 AM
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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.

Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells? [Re: pertnear] #6966222 11/20/17 04:44 AM
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I wouldnt pass up an opportunity to buy a new shotgun.

Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells? [Re: Ben Lilly] #6966269 11/20/17 06:53 AM
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Originally Posted By: Ben Lilly
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. yingyang

Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells? [Re: pertnear] #6966307 11/20/17 12:21 PM
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Your gun is fine!

Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells? [Re: Guy] #6966350 11/20/17 01:03 PM
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Originally Posted By: Guy
Originally Posted By: David Maas

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.


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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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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.


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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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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:)


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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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Originally Posted By: Pintail711
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

Re: Do I need a bigger gun or bigger shells? [Re: pertnear] #6967952 11/21/17 04:04 PM
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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.


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