WaterfowlForum.Net

Im new to duck hunting and I have a Winchester XSP 12gauge pump I was going to use to make sure Im going to be hooked on duck hunting. Well went to pull it out of the safe to shoot some skeet and realized my barrel was bulged by the choke area. Come to find out I got a hold of my buddys steel shot shells one day while we were shooting skeet that he had because he was wanting to see how the recoil was compared to a skeet load and im just now finding out about the bulge about 3 months later. So Im planning on just getting a semi auto instead of buying a new barrel but i dont want to spend 1,000 dollars on a shotgun until i get more into duck hunting. I looked at a stoeger m3500 what do you guys think?

Hunt with a guy that has one. He has had no trouble with his so far after 3 seasons of use. It seems to me to be a decent shotgun.

I don't have any experience with a stoeger, but my dad hunts with a Weatherby sa-08 and it seems like a really good shotgun. Only about $600 I think.

I hunt with a couple of guys that shoot Stoeger semi auto shotguns and they love them.

tlangs31 wrote:Im new to duck hunting and I have a Winchester XSP 12gauge pump I was going to use to make sure Im going to be hooked on duck hunting. Well went to pull it out of the safe to shoot some skeet and realized my barrel was bulged by the choke area. Come to find out I got a hold of my buddys steel shot shells one day while we were shooting skeet that he had because he was wanting to see how the recoil was compared to a skeet load and im just now finding out about the bulge about 3 months later. So Im planning on just getting a semi auto instead of buying a new barrel but i dont want to spend 1,000 dollars on a shotgun until i get more into duck hunting. I looked at a stoeger m3500 what do you guys think?

I'm kind of curious about this "bulge", as I seriously doubt you would be able to bulge a modern barrel by running a single (or even a whole box) of steel shot through your gun unknowingly (provided ONLY if you were shooting the factory Full choke). Most modern shotguns will actually show a slight reverse taper at the end of the barrel near the choke area if you look closely, and I suspect this may be what you are looking at. Don't run off and buy a new shotgun without having a gunsmith look at it first.

I took it back to the local basspro and let the gunsmith look at it and he advised me not to shoot it. But they are also there to make money.

I'd look for a older 870 wingmaster in good shape over buying a cheaper auto but that's just me.a buddy bought a m3500 this year and has had no problems out of it but he doesn't hunt very much and really hasn't broke it in yet.i don't think it's had a case of shells through it

tlangs31 wrote:I took it back to the local basspro and let the gunsmith look at it and he advised me not to shoot it. But they are also there to make money.

Don't take this the wrong way, but you're an idiot. Do you really think the gunsmith would lie to you just so you would buy another gun? All he did was confirm what you already assumed was true.

sws002 wrote:

tlangs31 wrote:I took it back to the local basspro and let the gunsmith look at it and he advised me not to shoot it. But they are also there to make money.

Don't take this the wrong way, but you're an idiot. Do you really think the gunsmith would lie to you just so you would buy another gun? All he did was confirm what you already assumed was true.

You know what they say about the guys that work behind the gun counter at BPS...

Watch the pawn shops. I picked up a beretta extrema last summer. They wanted $1000. I talked em into $800 out the door. Kick ass gun.

A hunt with a buddy who has put a shitload of rounds through his Stoeger 3500, he seems to be happy.

My younger brother has been using a stoeger, not sure of model all I know is semi auto, for 3 years and he likes it just fine.

My son shoots a stoeger 3500 and I shoot the 3000.3 yrs and not 1 problem out of either.Best shotgun I have owned.

Mossburg 835 is a great gun

Woody has a stoeger, maybe he'll chime in.

That's right, he's a real fan if his stoeger

Where are you located? Do this much. Stay away from Charles Daly. For sure. Check pawn shops. I shoot a Beretta A400 extreme. If your close your welcome to put some steel through it if you like. Also consider a gun that will cycle 3½" shells. If your spending money on a new gun get the most bang for your Buck so to sleek. Dont limit yourself to 2¾ or 3 inch. Good luck

coupe1975 wrote:Where are you located? Do this much. Stay away from Charles Daly. For sure. Check pawn shops. I shoot a Beretta A400 extreme. If your close your welcome to put some steel through it if you like. Also consider a gun that will cycle 3½" shells. If your spending money on a new gun get the most bang for your Buck so to sleek. Dont limit yourself to 2¾ or 3 inch. Good luck

You don't have to have 3.5" shells to kill geese. It's just a "newish" thing and there's no real proof I've ever seen that they actually work any better than 3". If you insist, by all means, spend the extra money for the more expensive ammo. Them ammo sales guys are depending on your business.

Bigger shells are a "newish thing"? When was the last time you saw someone hunting with an 8ga?

If you ever want to sell the gun though, you will want it to be able to shoot 3.5" shells

If you reload a 3.5" gun is nice to have also.

jarbo03 wrote:If you reload a 3.5" gun is nice to have also.

Oh no. Betty says you dont need to pay the extra so you shouldn't worry about it.

I'm with Betty on this one, haven't shot a 3 1/2" shell through my SBE in years and can't image buying another 3 1/2" gun. But if a fellow doesn't shoot 3 1/2s himself for a while, he may always wonder what difference they might have made, and maybe he'll feel they're useful. Some plainly do.

Rick wrote:I'm with Betty on this one, haven't shot a 3 1/2" shell through my SBE in years and can't image buying another 3 1/2" gun. But if a fellow doesn't shoot 3 1/2s himself for a while, he may always wonder what difference they might have made, and maybe he'll feel they're useful. Some plainly do.

I believe what J-Bo was referring to is that the 3.5" guns can handle a little more pressure, so if you make a 3" load that's a little hot, you should still be safe, rather than completely maxing out the pressure range of a 3" gun.

That likelihood was beyond this wienie's comprehension. No question I kill more birds with less recoil getting in the way of second and third shots, so seeking max pressure is something I've not thought about since I was a young buck rolling my own "magnums," because I thought it took a cannon to kill mallards and Canadas.

Rick wrote:That likelihood was beyond this wienie's comprehension. No question I kill more birds with less recoil getting in the way of second and third shots, so seeking max pressure is something I've not thought about since I was a young buck rolling my own "magnums," because I thought it took a cannon to kill mallards and Canadas.

Only if tour killing 20# Canadas!

BrewGUN wrote:

Rick wrote:I'm with Betty on this one, haven't shot a 3 1/2" shell through my SBE in years and can't image buying another 3 1/2" gun. But if a fellow doesn't shoot 3 1/2s himself for a while, he may always wonder what difference they might have made, and maybe he'll feel they're useful. Some plainly do.

I believe what J-Bo was referring to is that the 3.5" guns can handle a little more pressure, so if you make a 3" load that's a little hot, you should still be safe, rather than completely maxing out the pressure range of a 3" gun.

True. I haven't shot 3.5s for many years, most of my loads are 2.75". Higher pressures don't always mean a heavy magnum load, but it makes it nice to have options.

BrewGUN wrote:

Rick wrote:That likelihood was beyond this wienie's comprehension. No question I kill more birds with less recoil getting in the way of second and third shots, so seeking max pressure is something I've not thought about since I was a young buck rolling my own "magnums," because I thought it took a cannon to kill mallards and Canadas.

Only if tour killing 20# Canadas!

Lord knows I tried, but I never could find a damn scale that said much more than 13.

jarbo03 wrote:

BrewGUN wrote:

Rick wrote:I'm with Betty on this one, haven't shot a 3 1/2" shell through my SBE in years and can't image buying another 3 1/2" gun. But if a fellow doesn't shoot 3 1/2s himself for a while, he may always wonder what difference they might have made, and maybe he'll feel they're useful. Some plainly do.

I believe what J-Bo was referring to is that the 3.5" guns can handle a little more pressure, so if you make a 3" load that's a little hot, you should still be safe, rather than completely maxing out the pressure range of a 3" gun.

True. I haven't shot 3.5s for many years, most of my loads are 2.75". Higher pressures don't always mean a heavy magnum load, but it makes it nice to have options.

Not sure what you're calling "a heavy magnum load," but the worst mule I've been kicked by lately only carried 1 1/8oz of steel. Was some Remington Hypersonic crap I was given that assured any goose after the first had a head start he shouldn't have. Little wonder the fellows who passed it to me struggled with ducks. Didn't take me but a couple of volleys to be giving it away, too.