firstbassman

Hey I was wondering if many shoot 10 gauge, and how it compares to 12 ga magnum or 3-1/2" for geese. Is it worth getting a used 10 ga that I saw recently?

deadshot2

10 ga. is OK if you don't mind paying about $25/box for ammo. At a buck a round that's about 2-1/2 times more than 12 ga.

Lot's of geese have "come to dinner" with the help of a 12 ga.

If it were my money I'd look a little longer and see if you can find a good 12 ga.

12ga's are so plentiful that ammo is always on sale. 10 ga is harder to find sometimes and always more money due to lower volume.

firstbassman

Wow, that's expensive ammo.

Is it just cause it's rare, or does it offer a lot "above and beyond" the 12 ga?

deadshot2

Like anything else, when the factories are able to build huge quantities the manufacturing costs per unit go down. 12 ga is for all practical purposes the largest bore shotgun that's supported in a big way by the ammo manufacturers. 10 ga has fallen by the wayside as a "mule-kicking" weapon that doesn't really deliver all that much more performance. There was a time back in Black Powder days that it was truly more powerful than the 12 ga but modern powders have made the 12 ga as good with less kick. That was back when there was a desire for 2 Bores and 4 bores to hunt Rhino's, Lions, and Elephants. Today, if you can hunt them anywhere a .458 Weatherby is more the choice.

For those with 10 gauge shotguns, they will either have to reload or just be satisfied with the "buck a pop" ammo. And going forward it may even get worse.