[fabsroman]

TJ,

10 gauges don't shoot farther, they can just kill better at farther ranges. If the velocity of both a 12 ga. and 10 ga. load is equal out of the muzzle, and they are both shooting the same size pellets and the same payload of pellets, the 10 gauge is more lethal to a further distance. This is because the shot pattern will be much denser when it arrives on target. It has to do with the shot string of a 10 ga. being shorter than that of a 12 ga.

Now, if the 10 ga. is shooting a heavier payload than the 12 ga., of the same size pellets and at the same velocity as the 12 ga., the 10 ga. is more lethal at a further distance than the 12 ga. by far.

The length of a shot string allows for a greater margin of error. Steel provides a shorter shot string than lead, so when steel started to be required, the 3" shell actually provided a benefit to hunters by elongating the shot string (i.e., allowing for the same amount of error as a 2 3/4" lead shell) along with increasing the velocity of steel.

The 3 1/2" 12 ga. merely extends the shot string a little more, therefore, allowing for more error but not necessarily more strikes on the bird.

A shot string is a bunch of pellets stretched out in the air. A bird flying through a shot string will only be in the shot string for a fraction of a second. Thus, the denser that section of the shot string is, the more strikes there will be.

A pellet launched out of a .410 at the same velocity as a pellet launched out of a 10 ga has the same lethality. However, I think you will readily admit that the 12 ga. is a better duck gun than the .410. Same goes for the 10 ga. because it has a denser shot string than the 12 ga.

Trust me, I have been debating the purchase of a 10 ga., but I just don't like any of the ones currently being built. I truly wish Benelli or Beretta would come out with one, but I seriously doubt that will ever happen. I don't think Remington even makes one anymore.

With all that said, using a full choke tightens up the shot string and it takes it a little while longer to spread out.

There are so many things to take into consideration with shotgun's and shotgun loads, but the most important is practicing with a shotgun. I don't care what canon you are shooting, if you cannot get on target you will not be hitting anything.