MCgunner
Member
I do some goose hunting, not a lot compared to my duck hunting, but some. Over the years, I got tired of the range limitations of BB steel on snow geese and when hevi shot prices, well, actually Federal Tungsten/Iron went from a buck 30 a shot to near 3 dollars, I looked for an alternative. I didn't have a 3 1/2" 12, liked the idea of the ten gauge, so bought a H&R 10 to use on 'em.
Yeah, the H&R is a single shot, so what? I like hunting with it. But, I found a Mossberg 535 at a pawn shop a couple of years ago, 3.5" chamber, so I bought it just because of that and, well, at 170 bucks and scratchless near new looking finish, I could not just walk off and leave it there. :banghead: It's a very smooth and rattle free gun. My old 500 is a bit rattley by comparison. It's wood and steel, not the camo finish I'd have preferred, but being as most of my goose hunting is done in upland fields, not salt marshes, no biggy either.
I used the 535 on doves a couple of years back and so long as I was away from the mojo a bit, had some range on 'em, the gun did REAL well. It's of normal weight for a shotgun with an alloy receiver, meaning pretty light as pump 12s go. Well, yesterday, I FINALLY picked up a box of steel T shot, Winchester 1 1/4 ounce 1600+ fps loads at 19 bucks a box, not bad since the last 10s I bought were 30 dollars.
I do have a 10 gauge mec reloader to cut that cost, though, just haven't amassed enough hulls to bother with it. So, today, I finally set about to pattern the gun with 3.5" steel T shot. It has a high bar to match in the 10 gauge as the 10 pattens consistently over 90 percent at 40 yards on a 30" pattern board.
I drew my pattern circle on a large piece of cardboard and tacked it to the target frame on my back yard range, backed off 40 yards and let one rip. DAMN, first impressing, this thing has some RECOIL. I didn't really appreciate that, but whadda ya expect in a light 12? The gun fits me, shimmed it to fit, and it has a Limb Saver on it. Lord knows, without that, I might be missing a shoulder and a face.
The results of the shot were sub par, too. I got a 71 percent pattern with a good size, maybe teal sized hole in the right lower quadrant, not impressive compared to the 10. I do not think the 10 has anything to worry about getting booted out of the goose gun role. Nope, the Mossy is a nice gun, won't sell it, was a good bargain, but not a 10 gauge replacement, no way, no how. The 10 is 9 pounds and I've fired near a box in a morning with it with only a bit of soreness the next day. This damned light 12 could separated a friggin' shoulder!
I know the 535 isn't back bored like the 835s. That might make a difference, but if I were going to try another 3.5" 12, I'd get one of the gas autoloaders for some shoulder help.
Yeah, the H&R is a single shot, so what? I like hunting with it. But, I found a Mossberg 535 at a pawn shop a couple of years ago, 3.5" chamber, so I bought it just because of that and, well, at 170 bucks and scratchless near new looking finish, I could not just walk off and leave it there. :banghead: It's a very smooth and rattle free gun. My old 500 is a bit rattley by comparison. It's wood and steel, not the camo finish I'd have preferred, but being as most of my goose hunting is done in upland fields, not salt marshes, no biggy either.
I used the 535 on doves a couple of years back and so long as I was away from the mojo a bit, had some range on 'em, the gun did REAL well. It's of normal weight for a shotgun with an alloy receiver, meaning pretty light as pump 12s go. Well, yesterday, I FINALLY picked up a box of steel T shot, Winchester 1 1/4 ounce 1600+ fps loads at 19 bucks a box, not bad since the last 10s I bought were 30 dollars.
I do have a 10 gauge mec reloader to cut that cost, though, just haven't amassed enough hulls to bother with it. So, today, I finally set about to pattern the gun with 3.5" steel T shot. It has a high bar to match in the 10 gauge as the 10 pattens consistently over 90 percent at 40 yards on a 30" pattern board.I drew my pattern circle on a large piece of cardboard and tacked it to the target frame on my back yard range, backed off 40 yards and let one rip. DAMN, first impressing, this thing has some RECOIL. I didn't really appreciate that, but whadda ya expect in a light 12? The gun fits me, shimmed it to fit, and it has a Limb Saver on it. Lord knows, without that, I might be missing a shoulder and a face.
The results of the shot were sub par, too. I got a 71 percent pattern with a good size, maybe teal sized hole in the right lower quadrant, not impressive compared to the 10. I do not think the 10 has anything to worry about getting booted out of the goose gun role. Nope, the Mossy is a nice gun, won't sell it, was a good bargain, but not a 10 gauge replacement, no way, no how. The 10 is 9 pounds and I've fired near a box in a morning with it with only a bit of soreness the next day. This damned light 12 could separated a friggin' shoulder!
I know the 535 isn't back bored like the 835s. That might make a difference, but if I were going to try another 3.5" 12, I'd get one of the gas autoloaders for some shoulder help.
