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It gives you more shot pellets, which can give you better pattern density and better kills, but I think you already know that. It gives you the same payload as a 10 gauge.
It has nothing to do with 'bad enough shot'; a miss is a miss whether it's a 2 3/4" or a 3.5". But a well-patterned 3.5 will put more pellets in the brain/spine than a 2 3/4" or 3", which can result in cleaner kills. |
13 birds, only one of which was killed with a 3.5--the rest with a 3". none of them seemed to complain about the size of shell I was using. do you prefer 250's or 300's in your .375 H&H when you're going after coues deer? |
ArmedFerret, I have no idea what makes you so adamantly against, to the point of ridicule, the 3.5" turkey guns. Whatever makes you feel better. You must have really got walloped.
I've killed plenty of turkeys with 2 3/4", 3" and 3.5" 12 ga., and one with a 3" 20 ga. with modified choke. Of course a 3" will work just fine for turkey. It has for years. I had an SP10 and didn't like it because a) it was heavy and b) mine didn't pattern worth shit. So rather than have a 10 ga. that I'd only use for turkey, I sold it and bought a shotgun that will do everything from dove and rabbits to goose and turkey.
When it comes to hunting turkey, it's all about how many pellets you can put in the head/neck area. I've never heard of anyone complaining before about having TOO MANY shot in the kill zone. If it gains me an extra 10 yards effective range, or that extra couple pellets keeps a bird from getting away wounded, I'm all for whatever gives me the edge to harvest the game cleanly.
There is no law saying that you have to shoot 3.5" out of a Super Mag. It shoots 2 3/4" and 3" just fine. However, for hunting, I wouldn't buy a .30-06 that was incapable of firing any '06 cartridge with a bullet that weighs over 160gr., even if I never
plan on shooting a 220gr. bullet.
I fired a handful of shells to see which ones patterened best, bought plenty of them, and shoot maybe two a year at a turkey. I can handle it. If the day comes that I can't, I'll shoot 3" turkey loads out of the same gun.
For the OP, if you plan on occasionally hunting anything that you'd like to have a 10ga. for, the 3.5 will allow you to get that performance out of your 12 ga. just by buying the shells and will save you from buying that 10 ga. for occassional use. You don't have to use the big shells if you don't want to. For home defense, though, it's totally unnecessary and you won't practice with it as much as you should.