# shotgun shells question



## hunter11 (Sep 7, 2011)

Why 2 3/4 inch 12 gage shells have more velocity than the 3 inch shells and are 2 3/4 inches have more speed than 3 inches? and what is main difference between these?


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

hunter11 said:


> Why 2 3/4 inch 12 gage shells have more velocity than the 3 inch shells and are 2 3/4 inches have more speed than 3 inches? and what is main difference between these?


Simple. The three inch shells have a heavier shot cup. The heavier the charge, the slower the speed.

I load two different shells for my 20 ga gun. My sporting clays loads are a 7/8 oz load of 8 shot with about 17 grains of Universal Clays powder. The muzzle velocity of these loads is about 1175 fps. My hunting load by contrast is a heavier charge at 1 1/8 oz Of 6's being pushed along with 23 grains of Blue Dot powder. The muzzle velocity of these shells is the same as my sporting clays loads at around 1175 fps. It's a much heavier payload being pushed by almost a third more powder, but it goes the same speed because it weighs so much more. (I did this on purpose so I have the same lead with my sporting clays load as I do with my hunting load.) Take a magnum 2 3/4 inch 12 ga load of 1 /14 oz shot and they will probably be around 1250- 1300 fps. By contrast a magnum 3 inch 12 ga load with 1 7/8 oz of shot will only be going at around 1050. If you souped up the three inch load to go as fast at the 2 3/4 inch load you'd blow your gun up or blow your arm off...

Simple physics.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

The difference in velocity may not seem like much but when wing shooting I have found that the faster velocity translates into more hits even though you have a smaller shot string. And believe me, I need all the help I can get.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

BPturkeys said:


> The difference in velocity may not seem like much but when wing shooting I have found that the faster velocity translates into more hits even though you have a smaller shot string. And believe me, I need all the help I can get.


I'm just the opposite BP. Wing shooting is all about the proper lead. Most folks don't lead the bird enough and that's probably why you have more success with the faster loads. Get out in front of that bird GRANDPA!!!  That's why I load both my sporting clays loads and my hunting loads with the exact same velocities. I'll be damned if I'm gonna practice all summer with a load going 1175 and then switch it up to a hot hunting load going 1350 and have to reprogram my brain to a different lead. It's like wiping before you poop, it don't make no sense! Lead will kill no matter how fast or slow it's going. I like the slower velocity shells because of the extended shot string and they seem to pattern better out of my gun than the speed loads. When pressures are down you'll also get less deformity in your shot as well. Shooting an open choke helps too. In the field I'm usually packing my O/U with a skeet choke in the bottom tube and an IC choke in the top. Anything inside 45 yards is in big trouble with that combo. Unless it's a Hun, I cant hit those little basterds to save my life! :evil:


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## hamernhonkers (Sep 28, 2007)

The main difference is the amount of volume or space you have and what you fill the space with. A 2 3/4" shell does not have as much volume as a 3" hull.

The reason you see most lead 2 3/4" loads with higher speeds is simply due to the fact that they are loaded with less shot. Most of the 3" lead loads you find are turkey loads and with turkey hunting you are looking to pack in as much shot as you can in the load and not powder. While most 2 3/4" lead loads are for upland game they have less shot and with the current fad being speed they are being loaded with a higher powder to shot mix for faster speeds.

Going head to head with the same payload of shot the 2 3/4" shell could never push an equall amount of shot to the same speeds a 3" hull could because the 3" hull can hold more powder (has more volume) so it can push the same amount of shot to a higher speed.


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## hamernhonkers (Sep 28, 2007)

TEX-O-BOB said:


> I'm just the opposite BP. Wing shooting is all about the proper lead. Most folks don't lead the bird enough and that's probably why you have more success with the faster loads. Get out in front of that bird :!:


There are so many people who could learn from this statement right here. Most misses in shooting are from stopping the swing and shooting behind the target.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

hamernhonkers said:


> TEX-O-BOB said:
> 
> 
> > I'm just the opposite BP. Wing shooting is all about the proper lead. Most folks don't lead the bird enough and that's probably why you have more success with the faster loads. Get out in front of that bird :!:
> ...


Yup, and this can only be mastered by shooting a lot and knowing the load you're shooting in your gun. I'm constantly amazed at how far the lead is on some of the crossing shots I get in the sporing clays game. Every time I miss a new target I always add more lead on the second shot. Usually I'll figure it out pretty quick but not always. I'm always shocked at how far I have to be in front of some targets to get em busted. I'd say 90% of all my misses are due to not enough lead and lifting my head up off the gun. Most people just don't practice enough because of the cost involved. Shooting a lot can get quite spendy, especially when your talking sporting clays. But hey, I don't ski, and I don't golf. 

BTW everyone, It's free hotdog and drink night out at Last Chance Sporting Clays at the Magna Gun club tonight. Shooting starts at 3:30 and goes till dark. Come out and have some fun. And for all those who have to ask before they clear it with the warden, It's $30 plus yer shells for a hundred round game. See you there.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Tex, you're right about proper lead being the key to hitting birds on the wing. But, proper lead is proper lead no matter what the velocity of load you are using. As a matter of fact, that large shot string you advocate actually might help compensate for a "not so perfect" lead. You are not the first guy to say " just get out in front of them and let them fly into the string". Your philosophy encourages larger and large loads and guns, the fine sophisticated shooter like myself is always striving to make the game more and more sporting.


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

BPturkeys said:


> Tex, you're right about proper lead being the key to hitting birds on the wing. But, proper lead is proper lead no matter what the velocity of load you are using. As a matter of fact, that large shot string you advocate actually might help compensate for a "not so perfect" lead. You are not the first guy to say " just get out in front of them and let them fly into the string". Your philosophy encourages larger and large loads and guns, the fine sophisticated shooter like myself is always striving to make the game more and more sporting.


I go for the bigger gun bigger load. I shoot 3" 12 guage with the biggest load I can find. I also shoot smaller shot size so I have a larger string and tighter pattern. If I could handle a 3.5" I would shoot those!! Heck can we just mount a big ol meat gun on the front of the boat!!!


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

hoghunter011583 said:


> BPturkeys said:
> 
> 
> > Tex, you're right about proper lead being the key to hitting birds on the wing. But, proper lead is proper lead no matter what the velocity of load you are using. As a matter of fact, that large shot string you advocate actually might help compensate for a "not so perfect" lead. You are not the first guy to say " just get out in front of them and let them fly into the string". Your philosophy encourages larger and large loads and guns, the fine sophisticated shooter like myself is always striving to make the game more and more sporting.
> ...


I used to think this way. For my trips to the Midwest to hunt pheasants I would load the biggest meanest 12 gage loads I could find. My go to load used to be a load in an ACTIVE hull, with 38 grains of blue dot behind an once and a half of 5's. Screw in a mod/full combo in my Citori and I could kill anyhthing flying within 65 yards. But MAN! The recoil was absolutely ABUSIVE! I'm getting too old to eat the punch from a gun/load combo like that. If they're getting up out of range for my 20 ga I just wave to em and keep hunting.


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

I hear ya Tex, but I shoot a Browning A-5 and it is a canon to begin with. I feel like I have to give it a load that is deserving of a gun like that. I mean if your whole barrels slides back to eject and reload, like an artillery piece I feel like you need a serious load to go with a gun like that.


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