shotgun question

[375hh1973]

I know, I know this is a rifle forum but I want some opinions out there on your experiences with 10 ga shotguns. Let me start by saying that I have been very lucky in that I have fallen into an AWESOME spot for goose hunting this year and hopefully into the future as well. Been killing geese with my Beretta A390 synthetic 12 ga 3" using Federal Blackcloud and have had pretty good results. Why am I looking for a 10 ga? Cuz I want one!!! Before anyone says "just go buy a 12 ga 3.5" gun" let me say that I am not interested. My goal is to die with as many calibers (gauges) and I am using this as an excuse to get a 10. So, I am looking for anyone to provide experiences (good or bad) with their 10 ga. Have narrowed it down to either a Remington SP-10 or a Browning Gold 10. Whichever I get will be synthetic or camo. Not interested in a pump gun. Started with a pump but after shooting skeet and sporting clays for years with my autos and over/unders, I want the gun to go bang bang without thinking too hard. Thanks for any info and I promise my next post will be about rifles!

 

[cloverleaf]

Boy....just outa my realm of experience anymore. I used to know a guy who went goose hunting with a genuine Marlin goose gun. He always had to drive cause that "anti-aircraft cannon" was so long it would barely lay acsoss the back seat of his Dads station wagon. As I recall that thing could throw lead higher than most. "Course then you are down to a classic Marlin bolt action.....how fast can you rack that bolt...??? CL

 

[Teknys]

I haven't hunted geese since I was a teenager living in WI. Around the mill, conversations around geese, I've heard the SP-10 come up but not the Browning Gold.
Like you - after shooting skeet with autos and O/U, it's tough to grab a pump with the fore end that feels "sloppy" and oops "I forgot to pump it!"

 

[1Shot]

If you want a 10 ga get the Remington. My friend is a gun smith and there have been a lot of function issues with the Browning Gold guns. So many so that he will not even take one in on a trade in. The 10 ga has less felt recoil than the 3 1/2 12ga. You are shooting the same shot load but in a 10 ga it is going down a larger hole. The only experience I have with the 10 ga is from some people I know that use them to deer hunt with buck shot in NC. They are about like a shoulder fired claymore mine.

 

[YoteSmoker]

If you get the SP 10, be sure to get a Limbsaver pad. I put one on my SP 12 and it still stomps me like a mutha with 3 1/2. Hard to beat an 870 for reliability!

 

[FOTIS]

Get the SP10 and like he said....recoil pad! 8)

 

[owenv]

Hmmmm... all this shotgun talk has given me an idea, Nosler made custom shotguns and Nosler AB shotgun shot :grin: .

 

[JD338]

Yup, Remington SP 10 is the way to go. When I decide to get really serious about goose hunting, I will get a SP 10 as well.

JD338

 

[baltz526]

The browning gold is the best gas operated 10ga. If people are having problems with one it is the operator or they are using crap shells. Probably remingtons. Here is the only problem with the gold. I hates remington shells. they are to inconsistant in length, some are over 3 1/2" in length. The gold is designed to shoot 10ga magnum shells, Not the lawyer designed shells some manufacturers have on the market. Like remingtons 1 3/4oz load at 1260fps, low pressure junk shells. If you want 10ga performace Buy federal shells, learn how the gold functions, before badmouthing the best 10ga on the market. :grin: Now that i got that off my chest, 8) I have been shooting the 10ga for a few decades, in the safe are 3, an old double, a BPS, and the browning gold. The brownings are designed for modern high velocity, large pellet loads. It is amazing how well they pattern steel shot. Reloading for the 10ga is how to make the 10ga into a true magnum. But with the newer federal 1 1/2 oz loads it is hard to improve on this performance, but you can save money on equal loads. Save your emptys, I can always use a new suppy if you do not reload them. BBB is my goose pellet, #1 is my duck. Remington make a fine shotgun, but the gold has the recoil of my 12 2 3/4" 1100 while shooting 1 3/8oz at near 1600fps. With a 12ga you kill geese, with a 10ga you crush geese.

 

[375hh1973]

After shooting a couple of guns and talking to my goose hunting buddies down in Indiana, I decided on a Browning Gold 10 ga auto. I really like the 28" version in Mossy Oak Duck Blind but they are $1300 just about everywhere you look. The other day my hunting buddy called me up. Seems a guy in his archery league was selling a bunch of guns for a widow lady friend of his. My buddy tells me that one of the guns is a 28" Gold 10 ga black synthetic unfired in box. I say quit yankin my chain. Sure enough thats one of the guns in the estate. We go back and forth on price and I end up getting it for $700. Comes ANIB with 2 full boxes of Tungsten BBs and some Federal 00 buckshot. Has the 3 factory chokes (F, M, IC) and a turkey choke. Dont think the gun has ever had a round in the chamber. Am sending in the stocks to get dipped in Duck Blind camo, and am ordering a Briley light modified choke tube for geese. Cant wait for September 1st! Until then I guess I have to blast some crows. Hope Tungsten BBs are enough for them!

 

[DrMike]

Great find! Congratulations. Enjoy, and send us a picture next fall of your birds.

 

[1Shot]

The problem that my gunsmith friend is seeing with the Browning Gold was not shell related. It is parts breaking and it falling apart. Myself it does not matter what the name is on a gun. If it would not shoot with most any shell I would put into it I would not want it. Most of the Goose and duck hunters I know have gone to the 3 1/2 12 ga Bennelli or Remington.

 

[HTDUCK]

Well,duck and goose hunting?I happen to know a little something bout the subject.Also happen to have a Gold 10 and a Benelli Super Black Eagle.
For ducks I shoot everything from 2 3/4 inch 20 ga steel to 12ga 3 inch steel.In some areas where we may encounter geese while duck hunting I will carry a few 3 1/2 inch BBs in a coat pocket if I'm hunting with the SBE.(Geese are pretty rare in the NE Tx area)
When It comes to killing big geese or sandhill cranes at moderate to long ranges or hunting snow geese,it's time for the 10 to come along.
It's heavy, damn near 11 lbs unloaded and almost four foot long (with a 30 in barrel) BUT; it goes bang everytime.Recoil is on par with a 3 inch 20 ga load in a 6 1/2lb gun.
Shooting big payloads of large size steel shot it is heads and shoulders above a 3 1/2 inch 12 because it patterns so much better.Much shorter shot string and more pellets on target,more birds DRT than crippled and sailing.
Also have three ace compadres that also shoot BG 10s when we're goose hunting and yes we did have one gun failure.It was the newest gun of the bunch,a Gold 10 Light.The recoil spring plunger in the rear stock has a nylon buffer on it and it broke under recoil.When it did the gun was completely inoperable and had to be dismantled to unload it.

Do we shoot the things alot?No,average 6-8 boxes of shells a year.
(we have to drive along way to find geese in huntable numbers from where we live)
Would I trade it for another SBE?NO.
Ammo?Yes Winchesters and Federals are all I feed this thing.The latest offerings from Federal are 1500 FPS and will flat out kill geese at 75 yards.
We also handload Hevi-shot #4s in these things at 1400 fps and it kills just like lead shot did when it was legal.

Go for it!
Also look around on the web.These things sell for $600-$700 used.They are twice that new.
Oh yeah,one other downside.Get ready to pay on average $25 a box for steel shot.


Howard "The Duck"

 

[SJB358]

Hard to beat the mighty 10 gauges for flattening turkeys also. I don't have a semi auto 10, but I have carried my single shot H&R Turkey special alot and it will flatten a tom at 50. I like the 3.5 12's, but the big tens are good turkey guns also. Scotty

 

[375hh1973]

Just got the stocks back from getting dipped in Mossy Oak Duck Blind. Very satisfied! You cant tell them from factory Browning stocks right down to the sure grip finish. Had them done by Duckville Imaging. Cant wait for goose season!!!

 

[FOTIS]

Very nice!

 

[DrMike]

They've done a very nice job on the shotgun. It certainly adds enjoyment to our hunting to have a beautiful firearm.

 

[HTDUCK]

Looks good Brian!

If IC = "instant carnage" I guess LM = "lotsa meat"

By the way is that a Gold or a Gold Light?

 

[SJB358]

That shotgun looks great. I bet it would be scary with some HEVI SHOT turkey loads thrown threw it! Scotty