Upgrading to 3 1/2inch chamber ???

[farmboy807]

Hi everyone I fully enjoyed my first season at my little wildfowl syndicate this season just gone may not have the same atmosphere as being on the marsh which I yet to try but still to sat waiting for passing geese and duck to the lakes I fureely enjoyed it think I had around 30 mixed duck and 8 geese

So

I have a berreta al391 3" urika

Shooting 3 36g for duck and 1 36g for geese

But the geese duck are mostly high up so

Upgrading to 3.5" will it make much difference in range what do others use please and cost in cartridges etc thanks

Looking to here back from you as I love my al391 but am willing to sell to get 3.5 if needed

[WelshAndy]

Probably not but its nice to have, I love my beretta xtrema ll

[fenboy]

If a 3.5" will give you enough range depends on how high they are , steel has its limits .

What 3.5" will do is give you a few more pellets in the pattern which means you can use bigger shot for better knock down power .

[Guest cookoff013]

doubt 3.5" chamber will make that much difference.

 

it gives you the advantage of 3.5" 42g BB shells. apart from that the added range should be upto a "decent" 50 yards.

 

the 36g #1 and #3 are pretty decent for duck, if you like both the shotsizes, make a compromise and reload 1s exclusively... thats alot of shot, good enough for ducks....(nb exellent shotsize and payload selection ! +1)

now to get back on topic what does the 3.5" that the 3" does not? well its easy, big steel and big payloads. 42g to be precise.

 

big payloads of big shot is the original goose loads. big shotsize= further distance (if the pattern holds)

[farmboy807]

Ok thanks for the quick reply so by the sounds of it I may stick with my al391

Out of interest then what do people use if you don't mind just to see

3" - 3 1/2" shot gram and price to see if big difference thanks again

[fenboy]

I usually load my own , but if I had to buy it would be gamebore mamouths in 3.5" BB for geese around £6 for 10

3" Eley Lightning £9 for 25 or RC Atomic both in 3s for duck.

[hatsanmad]

It doesnt increase your distance but will give you a bigger pattern. If your wanting extra distance then what you get with steel then i would look at using heavy shot or tungsten, bismuth.

[figgy]

I've had two 31/2" chambered semi autos and I've now gone the other way to 3" chamber.

 

I was using 31/2" 42g BB carts from Gamebore and while they would bring down the geese I was getting a few that would set wings and go a long way. Others would just fold up.

 

Found I was using more and more 3" or 23/4" carts so I've changed my gun.

 

If your going to get a good supply of 31/2" carts or load your own great if not try Eley Lightning or Gambore 3" number 1 shot, I find they do what I need and are easy to get.

 

The Xtrema 11 Winchester SX3 Remington Versamax Benelli Super Black Eagle all get good reviews off lads on here. I like Benneli for the keep it simple and easy to clean gun.

[UK fowler]

Interesting replies on the goose loads as Iv not found a 3" reload that comes anywhere near my 31/2" loading . 39grams of B# shot 4,3mm and a after market choke get very few winged birds

[farmboy807]

Thanks for the replays people really good to here the different views before I decide I've been using gambore mammoths 36 3 for ducks and 36 1 for geese

The range may be fine might just need more pellets or even better accuracy

 

Also chokes thought u could only use 1/2 choke

Or can u buy special steel chokes

[kent]

Hi everyone I fully enjoyed my first season at my little wildfowl syndicate this season just gone may not have the same atmosphere as being on the marsh which I yet to try but still to sat waiting for passing geese and duck to the lakes I fureely enjoyed it think I had around 30 mixed duck and 8 geese

So

I have a berreta al391 3" urika

Shooting 3 36g for duck and 1 36g for geese

But the geese duck are mostly high up so

Upgrading to 3.5" will it make much difference in range what do others use please and cost in cartridges etc thanks

Looking to here back from you as I love my al391 but am willing to sell to get 3.5 if needed

No I tested this at my range and found only 2 or three more strikes with 3 1/2 " at most!

It's mainly in the mind and the biggest trick to learn about actually shooting wildfowl is LET THEM COME IN

Sky busting will only reduce you success and frankly spoil some of the anticipation and game of chance that makes wildfowling a SPORT

This season I only shot 36 grm no1 and think I got more left and rights, I guess it's coz I ain't getting all the extra recoil. Anyhow you will save a small fortune if you shoot geese a lot on shells and keep the gun you know and trust THE LATTER AD GOOD A REASON AS ANYAN NEEDS

[mudpatten]

The oft missed question when it comes to such things as cartridge and chamber length is "How well can you shoot?"

 

" If the answer is " Not very well" then a few quid spent on proper shooting lessons will better enable you to make an informed judgment.

 

Something else you might want to consider if range is an issue is a decent duck/goose call, and learn how to use it correctly.

 

Have a look here www.mpkcustomcallsandwoodwork.com

[farmboy807]

Thanks Kent amazing the different views people have

You say let them come in well where I shot is more of a flight line

A mile stretch of grass with river one side and loads of lake the other so most of the time they are coming in high and going in so havnt got a choice about tht I have been using the caller and decoy on then grass and few ducks have circled same with the geese but most are just flying over

[farmboy807]

Thanks mudpatten just explained that I do tht if was just more the thing to make my success rate a little better wheather upgrading to 3 1/2 would help or not

[widgeon man]

3.5" puts more shot in the case....... Doesn't mean it all ends up on pattern board!!! That's why you need to try loads out.

A 3.5" case does not give more 'power', 'range' or 'bigger pattern' just because it's 3.5" vs 3"......

However utilising aftermarket chokes, home loaded big steel in 3.5" loads I can extended usable range for steel in the 12 ga.

3.5" steel will not compare to a 3" hevi shot/power shot/ HW for penetration/pattern in my experience. But all of us should realise our limitations....... Not just the cartridges......

[johnnytheboy]

3" RC Atomic 1s for your geese

[subsonicnat]

Go For it,Gives you all you will ever need..

Packed up now,Sold mine1 week ago with about 250 cartridges.

Go For it..

 

SorryEdit. Gamebore cartridges,Cracking Cartridges..

Edited March 10, 2016 by subsonicnat

[farmboy807]

Ok then so a bit of debait on what to do now ??

 

Chokes then was just reading another post about aftermarket chokes

So can than be tighter for still steel giving better range or pattern etc

 

Was reading and the one tht came up the most was Briley light full so can I buy one for my beretta al391 cost from where ?

Or are there better chokes

 

Thanks for the help guys

[UK fowler]

Ok then so a bit of debait on what to do now ??

 

Chokes then was just reading another post about aftermarket chokes

So can than be tighter for still steel giving better range or pattern etc

 

Was reading and the one tht came up the most was Briley light full so can I buy one for my beretta al391 cost from where ?

Or are there better chokes

 

Thanks for the help guys

for the money (£35) the Briley chokes are a good choice the terror choke are also a good choice for steel loads but will set you back £100 which is more than some want to pay

this is what I look for in a goose load . Briley light full /40yds 31/2" B# shot 4.3mm

Chris potter country sports sell the chokes

[TONY R]

Interesting replies on the goose loads as Iv not found a 3" reload that comes anywhere near my 31/2" loading . 39grams of B# shot 4,3mm and a after market choke get very few winged birds

Agree with the above.

The added pressure limits / case capacity of the 3.5 inch help get more and bigger pellets (to say BBs these are about as big as you can generaly go with 12s) up there or you can just use the extra safe pressure limits to increase speed with steel 1s etc in the 3.5 inch. You dont have this option with the 3 inch, in fact apart from the case capacity and 3% on average pressure reduction on the more vollumous 3 inch case the 3 inch has no more safe working pressure to utilise than the 2 3/4.

So you will get a distinct potential advantage with the 3.5 inch, but sadly without you reload you may not see a lot of this advantage with the factory offerings available today.

You seem to be ghetting along just fine with your 391 3 inch, why not keep that, and use the money a 3.5 inch would cost you and buy a 10 ga semi auto, now here you have a realistic chance of extending your range and lethality to a worth wile degree. with the right load and choke you have a far better chance of getting enough big steel at enough speed on a goose at 60+ yards to give a far better chance than any 12 ga if you do your part of the deal.

[farmboy807]

So to get the aftermarket chokes if that what you call them then you need 3.5" tht what your saying

Sorry not good wilth all these terms etc being used

Yes I'm doing well put the birds getting higher as season goes on with the 10g

I shoot duck and geese so needs to be able to use in both if ***

That's why I was thinking keeping my al391 and using gambore 36g 1 through a better choke to give tighter pattern of that would work ?

[TONY R]

Ok then so a bit of debait on what to do now ??

 

Chokes then was just reading another post about aftermarket chokes

So can than be tighter for still steel giving better range or pattern etc

 

Was reading and the one tht came up the most was Briley light full so can I buy one for my beretta al391 cost from where ?

Or are there better chokes

 

Thanks for the help guys

The brileys are a good economical compromise, and they work well up to a point, but once speeds increase to even the faster factory offerings vellocities things start to go wrong, you can with these less constrictional style chokes help here sometimes by running a bigger size shot than you generaly would say going up to BBs from your 1s you use for geese as an example.

The Briley profiles do seem to do quite well with bigger shot up to a point, so they have got something in the choke profiles right.

I have to say though if you want a choke get terror chokes they have the edge on performance nothing gets near them when you take everything into account.

Muller do great chokes too and are clipping the heels of the terrors with a lot less constriction which in its self gives them some merit in my opinion.

Brileys are ok but terror or mullers are where i have seen the best results to date.

[UK fowler]

yep got to agree on the terror chokes they take some bettering if you don't mind the outlay this would be a much easier route for you to take stick with the gun you have and try your 3" 1# through a terror choke . seems a shame to get rid of the gun if you like it and shoot well with it

[farmboy807]

Ok thanks guy so il have a look at terror chokes which one would you recommend where from price plz

 

Shooting 36g 1 and 3 through

3" berreta al391 👍

Ya I do love my berreta another reason helping upgrade was to get a camo syenthic stock as water seems to make a bit of impact on my barrels even though I clean it soon as I'm home

[TONY R]

.675 is where i would start, you will probably end up with a .655 in the end but for a start with those shot sizes i would start with the .675. or a muller UFO if you cant find a beretta terror tube.