# shotgun decisions



## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

i started out with a 20 ga sxs last year and jump shot a few ducks and a snipe. then i upgraded to a 3" 12 ga mossberg pump and shot a few more ducks and a goose. after the season ended i bought a stoeger m3500 and bought a set of mid range and long range carlsons cremators. my company is sending me on a charity pheasant hunt next week where i will be given a benelli sbe3. 
Should I

A. sell the stoeger and keep the benelli
B sell the benelli and keep the stoeger
C keep both
D sell the benelli and buy a browning gold 10 ga for late season geese and maybe swan, crane or turkey if i ever get tags.

i sold the benelli i got last year to fund my idaho bear hunt but immediately got obsessed with waterfowl after i sold it.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

IMO a 12ga. with a 3-1/2 shell and a great choke tube will be as good as a 10ga. I have a 10ga. BPS and it collects dust.


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## Buckfinder (May 23, 2009)

You don’t need a 10. My first choice would be C, second choice A if you need the money.


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## Wire (Nov 2, 2017)

Wish I worked for a company that would send me pheasant hunting and give me a gun. I'd keep the benelli over the stoeger, much better gun. Good luck on shooting some pheasants.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Everything I have read on multiple sites, everyone that owns a SBE3 say's they shoot high and left. I think I would go for option E and sell the SBE3 and get a Benelli M2 or Montefeltro, if you like Benelli and their inertia system. If not, sell the SBE3 and get the best gas operated semi auto shotgun ever made, the SX3.


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Sounds like a great dilemma!

I vote for option E:
Sell the SBE3 - there is no reason to have a 3.5 inch gun or a 10 gauge - and get either a M2 or a SX3/SX4. Minute Man Arms in the Salt Lake area has SX4s for 599.99 + tax out the door. 

Gunbroker.com, for the most part, will save you $200 - $300 on a M2.


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

its a sweet deal getting to go on the hunt. my company is donating to their auction, only catch is i have to do the work on the auction items off the clock. im still coming out ahead with a new shotgun.


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## sheepassassin (Mar 23, 2018)

Hard to beat a benelli. I’d part with all my other shotguns before I considered dumping the benelli. I wouldn’t sell anyone of them. A guy can never have too many guns, kinda like decoys and calls!


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

How do I get in on getting sent on a charity pheasant hunt where I’ll be given a SBE? Count me in! 

I’d go get the SBE, and if you like it, keep it. If you don’t, sell it and buy something you like. 

I have an SX3 and really like it. There are lots of good guns out there. I’ll echo the thought that you don’t need a 10 gauge.


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

ok. i'll hold onto both, but i still want a 10 gauge


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

35whelen said:


> ok. i'll hold onto both, but i still want a 10 gauge


Once you get a semiautomatic 10 you'll fall in love with it.

I have a Ithaca Mag10 and it will reach out and drop geese and ducks. It was at its best back when lead shot was legal but steel works pretty well in it.

But after saying that if you learn how to shoot a 12ga with the right choke you will do just fine

Sent from my SM-J737V using Tapatalk


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

10 gauges were popular back in the days of lead shot, they remained popular when steel shot became mandatory. Manufacturers could not make a decent steel load and the 10 gauge compensated for that. With the introduction of the 12 gauge 3 1/2" models and the much improved steel shot choices, the 10 gauge is obsolete. But hey, if you want to spend $30 for a box of shells then the 10 gauge is a great choice....


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Just got to remember. Reload, reload, reload. 

I couldn't afford to shoot as much as I do if I didn't.


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## sheepassassin (Mar 23, 2018)

Critter said:


> I have a Ithaca Mag10 and it will reach out and drop geese and ducks. It was at its best back when lead shot was legal but steel works pretty well in it.


My dad has one of those guns. He said back in the day using 3.5 shells with 2.25 ounces of lead, it was unbelievable the ranges it was capable of. I've used it a few times on geese and swans with modern steel loads and I was impressed with its capabilities at extended ranges. It's definitely got more 'whack' in it at long ranges than a 12 with 3.5s, but not by much.


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## sheepassassin (Mar 23, 2018)

Vanilla said:


> I have an SX3 and really like it.


Have you had a chance to shoot a sx4 yet? I had a sx3 and loved it, but I liked my benelli better. It had a slimmer fit and swung better I thought. Then I got an sx4 and I think it's my favorite gun now. And the best part is, I can buy 3 sx4s for the price of a new SBE3!


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

If you choose to sell one or the other. Sell the one you will loose the least amount of money on. Sure the SBE is free but nobody will pay retail for it. Utah gun exchange is flooded with guns and nobody has cash. They all want to trade or have gift certificates. What a PITA it is trying to sell one unless you're giving it away. That's been my experience.


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

I haven’t shot any Winchester shotguns. I hear they are really nice and I think they might be overbored too, which is supposed to be good for patterns. 
I like the idea of 10 gauge for patterning bigger shot and shooting 1 3/4 oz loads. There’s a YouTube channel where this guy pass shoots geese with 2 oz steel reloads and chronos 1 5/8 oz loads at 1800 fps. He’s an odd guy and I wouldn’t try to duplicate what he does but it got me interested in the 10 gauge. My brother hunts turkey with a 10 and refuses to sell it to me. 
I’m mostly bummed that I have to a new set of Carlson’s cremators for the Benelli now.


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

Yeah jerry. Utah gun exchange is rough. I got lucky with the last qone. Was able to sell it for $200 under retail. I didn’t have a use for a shotgun then either so I was willing to take a bigger hit. A week later I decided to try jump shooting ducks with my sxs 20 gauge and realized I’d made a mistake. I had no idea ducks were so much fun


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

If we were 15 or so years down the road I would consider selling my Mag10. Since I don't have any real kin that might want it or any other of my firearms. 

Now if you are willing to wait......


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

Is it fixed choke? I might be willing/forced to wait. I hear good things about the Ithaca’s


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

If your set up to reload the 12ga. There is no need for a 10ga. TSS and heavyweight 13, 15 shot will outperform the heavy 10. Just my two cents


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

Critter said:


> If we were 15 or so years down the road I would consider selling my Mag10. Since I don't have any real kin that might want it or any other of my firearms.
> 
> Now if you are willing to wait......


In that case, I'll be your kin. &#128521;


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

Whether or not I ever hunt waterfowl with a 10 gauge, i at least want one of those Spanish 10 ga sxs. Appaloosa is one of my favorite movies n i can’t afford an 8 gauge sxs


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

I’d sale the gun and use the money to pay for another out of state hunt.


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

I thought about that. May hold on to it until spring n try n sell it. It would pay for an entire bear hunt in Idaho and taxidermy.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Ithica and Remington SP-10 are identical guns if I remember correctly. Remington used Ithicas patents for the SP-10. Someone correct me if I'm wrong though.


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

Remington bought the rights to the Mag10 from Ithica and the SP10 is a close clone but not all parts will interchange.


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## fish-n-fool (May 26, 2009)

I'd sell both the 12 guages and buy me a new franchi affinity 3 elite. 

20	26	3	Right	4+1	Burnt Bronze Cerakote	Optifade Waterfowl Marsh.

Just me though. Carry on.


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## fish-n-fool (May 26, 2009)

I'd sell both the 12 guages and buy me a new franchi affinity 3 elite. 

20 Gauge , Burnt Bronze Cerakote, Optifade Waterfowl Marsh.

Just me though. Carry on.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

fish-n-fool said:


> I'd sell both the 12 guages and buy me a new franchi affinity 3 elite.
> 
> 20 Gauge , Burnt Bronze Cerakote, Optifade Waterfowl Marsh.
> 
> Just me though. Carry on.


I know my 12 gauges are pretty much dust collectors after switching to a 20 gauge 3 years ago. The 12's get used occasionally on goose hunts. I'll have to check out that new Franchi....


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

Fowlmouth said:


> I know my 12 gauges are pretty much dust collectors after switching to a 20 gauge 3 years ago. The 12's get used occasionally on goose hunts. I'll have to check out that new Franchi....


I use 20 gauge almost exclusively, but it's hard to not recommend a 12 gauge to a new hunter. No need for 3.5" shells, though. I never shoot anything but 2 3/4", anyway, and 3" is plenty.


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## stick&string89 (Jun 21, 2012)

fish-n-fool said:


> I'd sell both the 12 guages and buy me a new franchi affinity 3 elite.
> 
> 20 Gauge , Burnt Bronze Cerakote, Optifade Waterfowl Marsh.
> 
> Just me though. Carry on.


I just purchased this exact gun last week. I can not wait to take it goose hunting next week.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## 35whelen (Jul 3, 2012)

I know these are upland birds but I opted to take the gun I had been planning on using this waterfowl season before the Benelli entered the picture. I used the Carlson’s cremator mid range. Because of the groups, most birds shot were hit by multiple people. But after everyone unloaded and was waiting for the guide to bring up the sidexside to pick us up, a pheasant randomly flushed from the grass nearby n I got him on the second shot. Ten minutes later a loan chukhar flushed from our feet and mage it almost 40 yards till I got him on the second shot. I think I’ll use my stoeger m3500 with the cremators until I got the cash for a set of cremators for the Benelli


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## MallardFlew (Feb 22, 2012)

I just picked up a Stoeger M3020. Can't wait to shoot it and see how the kick feels. I currently shoot the Stoeger M3500 and love it. I bought it to use going on long walks etc. 

Any of you have experience with the Stoeger M3020?


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

MallardFlew said:


> I just picked up a Stoeger M3020. Can't wait to shoot it and see how the kick feels. I currently shoot the Stoeger M3500 and love it. I bought it to use going on long walks etc.
> 
> Any of you have experience with the Stoeger M3020?


Your 12 gauge will be a dust collector now.


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## MallardFlew (Feb 22, 2012)

Fowlmouth said:


> Your 12 gauge will be a dust collector now.


To be honest I bought the gun for my wife in hopes she would at least go shooting with me more but i am sure I will get good use out of it...


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## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

Sell them all and get a SX3 or 4. And be done with it. Use the extra cash for gas and shells


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