tt123 Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Hi everyone, I'm considering buying myself a pump shotgun. I can get one chambered for either 3" or 3.5", and my first thought is that I might as well have the extra option of using the 3.5", as it can also chamber 2 3/4" and 3" cartridges. I've heard that firing the 3.5" can be a rather painful experience, and that it's not something I'm likely to want to do too much, but I have never actually fired one myself. Are they really so bad? Apart from the recoil and the price of ammunition, are there likely to be any other minuses with using a 3.5" chambered gun? I heard someone say that the long chambers give a lower muzzle velocity if you shoot 2 3/4" or 3" cartridges in them. Is there any truth to this? Thanks in advance for any help. tt123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Unless you go out on the foreshore shooting geese (this is an example so don't shoot me down) it is unlikely you will ever need to use 3.5". My pump is 3.5 as I use a friends homelands on geese on the marsh. The biggest cartridge you would really need for say foxes is 3". Recoil in my sxp, can't rely tell the difference between that and 3", definately not painful. Sorry I can't help with velocity question Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlerob Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 I found the gamebore mammoth steel 3.5inch to be ok the worse I shot was some remmington steel and there where only 70mm 34g and they rattle my teeth no joke and that was through a a Beretta urika and they soak up kick as normal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjimmer Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 I think a semi-auto might be more appropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farma Geddon Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Hi everyone, I'm considering buying myself a pump shotgun. I can get one chambered for either 3" or 3.5", and my first thought is that I might as well have the extra option of using the 3.5", as it can also chamber 2 3/4" and 3" cartridges. I've heard that firing the 3.5" can be a rather painful experience, and that it's not something I'm likely to want to do too much, but I have never actually fired one myself. Are they really so bad? Apart from the recoil and the price of ammunition, are there likely to be any other minuses with using a 3.5" chambered gun? I heard someone say that the long chambers give a lower muzzle velocity if you shoot 2 3/4" or 3" cartridges in them. Is there any truth to this? Thanks in advance for any help. tt123 Get yourself a 3.5". It's the obvious choice. Steel 3.5 " only fire around 42 grams of shot anyway , so recoil is not horrible. Velocity is something you really should not get worried about ,it doesn't make much difference to real life results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonepark Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Hi everyone, I'm considering buying myself a pump shotgun. I can get one chambered for either 3" or 3.5", and my first thought is that I might as well have the extra option of using the 3.5", as it can also chamber 2 3/4" and 3" cartridges. I've heard that firing the 3.5" can be a rather painful experience, and that it's not something I'm likely to want to do too much, but I have never actually fired one myself. Are they really so bad? Apart from the recoil and the price of ammunition, are there likely to be any other minuses with using a 3.5" chambered gun? I heard someone say that the long chambers give a lower muzzle velocity if you shoot 2 3/4" or 3" cartridges in them. Is there any truth to this? Thanks in advance for any help. tt123 If you want to shoot 42g steel, you need 3 1/2 inch, otherwise 3 inch will be better as can handle 2 3/4 loads more efficiently. When a 2 3/4 cartridge in fired in a 3 1/2 chamber the crimp and wad cannot seal the step into the forcing cone and therefore you get a little pressure drop/velocity drop but it is not great. What also happens is a disturbance of the shot column and this may affect the pattern as well. How significant this is is difficult to quantify given all the variables in cartridges and barrel designs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 42 grm of steel pushes harder and faster than lead It's not needed the ballistic advantage is very very little and beyond what most can shoot well at I shouldn't want to shoot them through a pump at geese All of my foreshore geese this season have dropped with 3 inch 36 grm of number 1 steel I have killed plenty with 3 1/2 also but I no longer see any advantage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 If you want to shoot 42g steel, you need 3 1/2 inch, otherwise 3 inch will be better as can handle 2 3/4 loads more efficiently. When a 2 3/4 cartridge in fired in a 3 1/2 chamber the crimp and wad cannot seal the step into the forcing cone and therefore you get a little pressure drop/velocity drop but it is not great. What also happens is a disturbance of the shot column and this may affect the pattern as well. How significant this is is difficult to quantify given all the variables in cartridges and barrel designs. I can quantify it , it will not make a gnats cock of difference in you chosen cartridges ability to kill what you are pointing it at . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennett Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 I shouldn't want to shoot them through a pump at geese All of my foreshore geese this season have dropped with 3 inch 36 grm of number 1 steel I have killed plenty with 3 1/2 also but I no longer see any advantage Why not? I do, and thanks to a very good friend, have had some exceptional flights on morning and night flighted pinks and fired a good few shots with no noticeable discomfort. Although admittedly, the highest goose I ever shot fell to a 36g no1 eley lightening when I ran out of 3 1/2" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IEH Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 I use 3.5" Gamebore in my Supernova. You know you've fired them but I wouldn't say they're particularly uncomfortable, the Supernova is fairly heavy though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farma Geddon Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 I can quantify it , it will not make a gnats cock of difference in you chosen cartridges ability to kill what you are pointing it at .How come you got away with saying "cock" and I get censored for ******? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old farrier Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 Hi Man up fire some 63 gram lead after that there all pussy loads Get a 3.1/2 As for loss of pressure the front of the wad is entering the forcing cone before the back leaves the case so as fenboy said gnats cock worth of difference All the best Of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted December 10, 2015 Report Share Posted December 10, 2015 How come you got away with saying "cock" and I get censored for ******? Strange innit , cocks ok but s****horpe is censored as is *****. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tt123 Posted December 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 Thanks for the replies everyone. My choice was simplified by the fact that they only had the 3" model in stock (it's an Akkar Karatay) I'm quite pleased with it so far, and am looking forward to trying it out on Sunday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old farrier Posted December 11, 2015 Report Share Posted December 11, 2015 Well done Enjoy your new toy 😋 All the best Of Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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