It'll make a fantastic match safe - but I think it might hurt a bit.

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British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
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If you were right in your original assumption (it's equivalent to US #3) I can see it being used for high flying waterfowl as you stated. A bit larger then what commonly used back in the day of lead shot (that'd be US #4) but still a good choice. On the other hand, if it's the larger UK #1, then what would you use it for?

Fox perhaps?
 

mrostov

Nomad
Jan 2, 2006
410
53
59
Texas
The 3-1/2 12ga shell is a product of changing American game laws pertaining to waterfowl when lead shot was banned by the Federal government for waterfowl hunting and the main substitute at the time was steel shot. The goal was to allow a 12ga to put the same amount of shot into the air as a 10ga. A lot of the 3-1/2" chambered shotguns are overbored.

That ammo is fairly popular here since this area is something of a Mecca for duck hunters. Walmart typically has a whole shelf end section devoted to 3-1/2" shells during hunting season.

The recoil of a 3-1/2" shell can be more than many want to put up with for too many rounds. Personally, I am in no hurry to go out and get a 3-1/2" chambered shotgun. I make up for the smaller payload with accurate shooting.
 
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British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
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Funny you say that. The fun BB (Mrs Red) has gone for is a Beretta A300 Extrema. It has probably the most advanced recoil management system I have ever seen. She has no intention of shooting monster magnum loads, but having shot a similar Beretta she found it absurdly gentle shooting 28g and 32g loads. She often finds 75 12 bore cartridges is her comfortable limit, but with the Beretta found herself happy to carry on.

I take your point on the big cartridges. The gun shop tells the story of a pest controller who took 50 Canada Geese over brassicas with No. 6 shot. His thinking was "if you shoot em in the head, it doesn't matter what with".

I've not yet found a need for anything over a 2 3/4" to be honest.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
I've shot 3" (but not 3 1/2) with deer loads, but so far it's been more because I can rather than because I really need to.

That said, I don't do a lot of waterfowling although I'd like too. In that sport mrostov's comment about steel shot is still quite valid in that steel is still the most common shot used. Better shot exists now, Bismuth comes to mind, that mimics the ballistic characteristics of lead, but they're cost prohibitive for most shooters.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
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I can confirm that a 3 1/2", 2 1/4 ounce load of No. 1 shot will do several things simultaneously.

1) Reduce a nice floaty crossing clay pigeon to its constituent molecules
2) Loosen your fillings
3) Cycle the gun so hard that the empties fly 15 feet

4) Cause a big grin on the lady shooting it! :D (and the guys who had a couple as well)

It was a day for excesses. After blatting clays with those loads we did some target shooting with one ounce slug and then climbed back into my buddy's 7.3 litre car for the trip home (its some saloon car that can take 8 guns and ammunition etc in the boot)

A good day was had by all - and I did indeed pick up the empties of the Remington rifled slug and Mammoth magnum shotgun cases - they are all high brass and will make stunning match cases and a bit more interesting than the norm.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
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A double handful of guns in a classic sports saloon, good friends, a days shooting at a WWII airbase, fish and chips on the way home and then a few glasses of wine to round off the day.

It has indeed been a great day :)
 

Marijn

Tenderfoot
Jul 25, 2006
72
0
42
The Netherlands
Although their nice on geese, with the numbers we shoot here its A: killing for the shoulder and B: killing for the bank account.

In general i use 32gram #4 for all that I shoot.
 

resnikov

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I shoot an M3. Benellis are inertia operated, Berettas are gas piston. Clearly the Nova is pump (the M3 is of course pump and semi). I like inertia for simplicity but gas operated semis are light on recoil and the A300 has an inbuilt recoil reduction system. One thing to watch with the Benelli is the Benelli thumb when speed loading. It hurts!



Is that a section 1 gun?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
 

Goatboy

Full Member
Jan 31, 2005
14,956
17
Scotland
I can confirm that a 3 1/2", 2 1/4 ounce load of No. 1 shot will do several things simultaneously.

1) Reduce a nice floaty crossing clay pigeon to its constituent molecules
2) Loosen your fillings
3) Cycle the gun so hard that the empties fly 15 feet

4) Cause a big grin on the lady shooting it! :D (and the guys who had a couple as well)

It was a day for excesses. After blatting clays with those loads we did some target shooting with one ounce slug and then climbed back into my buddy's 7.3 litre car for the trip home (its some saloon car that can take 8 guns and ammunition etc in the boot)

A good day was had by all - and I did indeed pick up the empties of the Remington rifled slug and Mammoth magnum shotgun cases - they are all high brass and will make stunning match cases and a bit more interesting than the norm.

You forgot #5 Red,

5) Knock the Starship Enterprise out of orbit! :eek:
 

colly

Forager
Apr 10, 2010
122
0
Edenbridge Kent
One thing to watch with the Benelli is the Benelli thumb when speed loading. It hurts![/QUOTE]

they all hurt if you get it wrong.
whether Benelli, Beretta or Remmi

do you use a modified loader.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
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One thing to watch with the Benelli is the Benelli thumb when speed loading. It hurts!

they all hurt if you get it wrong.
whether Benelli, Beretta or Remmi

do you use a modified loader.

I find Benellis particularly problematic as the shell liter has a damned silly cutout in the end that totally skins your thumb when doing a fast reload

This is the factory shell lifter

Factory Shell Lifter Benelli M3 by British Red, on Flickr

This is what it does on a weak hand reload

Benelli Thumb by British Red, on Flickr

Thankfully the aforementioned buddy with the monster cars also has a pretty comprehensive metal fabrication set up

He made me this shell lifter which prevents the problem

Benelli M3 Custom Shell Lifter by British Red, on Flickr

Red
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
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Would like one of those one day.

I wouldn't go M3 to be honest - although mine is a lovely gun, go M2 tactical.

However this is my (heavily customised) M3 for fun

Benelli M3 Custom by British Red, on Flickr

Extended mag (a pain of a job on the M3 as the mag isn't threaded), extended bold handle and bold release, custom shell lifter, slicked action and trigger, high visibility sights.

Lots of fun but not a gun designed to be customised really.
 

British Red

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Dec 30, 2005
26,709
1,947
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Its a fun gun to shoot - and being both pump and semi, its very unusual and can handle anything from a 21g clay load to a 50g 3" magnum - but also churn out anything from 28g and up in semi mode. That's why I wanted the M3 really - the ability to shoot any cartridge.
 

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