Subject line gives the the topic. Interested if anyone with experience shooting each length has an opinion to express.

My gut feeling is at home defense range, either is fine.
For hunting, there may be a case for choosing 3".

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You're shy a few manners.

Same velocity's. Just addition amount of shot in the 3". There are formulas online that tells how many pellets of every size per once. Easy to do the math and calculate the additional number of pellets a 3" has over a 2 3/4" load. For example, 1 ounce of number 8's has more pellets than 1 1/8 ounce of 7 1/2's.

Waterfowl hunting with steel shot mandated is a major driver for 3" 12ga or even 10ga 3 1/2. Large lead shot was distinctly better, especially for geese.
For a shotgun defense load, I prefer #4 buck (.25 caliber round ball) .
I also used this load hunting deer on Ft Lee, VA, which did not allow rifles. Using 00 buck can cause misses and crippled deer by holes in the pattern at moderate range.

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Science plus Art

When I had a Shockwave I bought a case of this. Never hunted with it, but I'm pretty sure it would be great for home defense. Now I keep my old 18" Winchester 1200 bedroom shotgun loaded with it.

Shotgun shooter...Guided waterfowlers for 35 years...so I've shot a few. But for home defense...you really don't need 3 inch loads. My defense shotgun is a Benelli M 1 super 90...fast semi auto. With ext mag slug bbl and AR pistol grip style stock I can shoot 9 rounds in under 5 seconds. My idea of home defense is somewhat different 1st round is a 1 1/8 ounce #8 trap load...if they can't see you they probably can't hurt you. That should be self explanatory. the rest of the rounds are 2 3/4 inch regular Rem 4 buck. For bear defense in the woods...2 3/4 inch regular Foster slugs all rounds. Learn to shoot a shotgun..never take your head off the stock tween shots...look at what you are shooting nothing else. If using a shotgun in the field...for an average... 3 inch shells will gain the avg shooter approx 5 yards...not a joke...a really good shotgunner maybe 15 yards...key word is really good... Long range shotgunning is something that has to be practiced for

For HD I'm also a fan of the #4 Buckshot in a 2.75" shell. My HD gun isn't a handgun, it's a shotgun loaded with #4 Buckshot.

There is something I really like about 27 .24" round balls being shot at the target all at once.

I see no reason to use any 3" shell in a home.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

The only time I have ever used 3" shells is for duck hunting (borrowed a semi-auto SG from a friend for my first and only duck hunt). They are stiff loads and for high flying ducks. Other than that, 2 3/4" shells have worked quite well for me in every other aspect of shotgunning. As a Pheasant, Quail and Grouse hunter for over 55 year, there has been absolutely no reason at all for me to consider using longer shells. The SG's chambered for 3" shells have slightly longer receivers and weigh a little more. As a bird hunter, I don't want a SG that is any larger and heavier than it has to be as we do walk plenty through the fields and woods for hours.

In fact the only SG I own with a 3" chamber is a Remington 870 and that is strictly for home defense. I use 2 3/4" #1 Buckshot in that. All my other SG's are chambered in 2 3/4". Never had any need for more than them.

Accuracy with a shotgun is all about fit--------period!!

My first shotgun was a new Browning Auto 5 purchased in 1972. When I mounted the gun, I could see the front half of the barrel rib. I was pretty sure that was wrong----and off to my gunsmith I went. Now my big advantage was his day job was as "the wood guy" at Browning's facility in the St. Louis area. My session started off with me in one corner of his (very large/long) home shop, and him at the diagonal other. His command was "Shoot me in the eye." I did as I was told. We met at his belt sander where he took my brand new shiny shotgun, flipped the switch on the sander, and----------------------------------- GGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNNNNNDD on the top of the stock. I like to have died right then and there!! That routine was repeated several times----ending when he asked, "Do you want a recoil pad on it?" I did. "I'll call you when it's finished." He called. You couldn't tell that stock had ever been anywhere near a belt sander-----and it had a recoil pad on it.

Then---and to this day, all I see when I mount that gun is the bead at the end of the barrel. I have NEVER missed with that shotgun unless I did something wrong------never!! And never mind the bead at the end of the barrel---all I ever see is the target. And about all I ever shoot at is clay birds---although one time I was invited to go Pheasant hunting in Iowa. It wasn't even close to fair for the poor Pheasant, because our host had a trained dog---and our host was a trained Pheasant observer. The dog found and flushed the bird. Our host hollered "HEN"---or not. We could shoot if he didn't holler. I NEVER missed----not even the last bird of the day which I shot at a totally irresponsible long range. The bird set its wings, and sailed off into the distance. My companion snorted, and said "It's about time you missed!" My reply was "I didn't miss---I probably shot at a ridiculously long range, but I saw the bird hit." Right about then, here comes the dog with the bird in its mouth. The Boss Lady reported she found only one pellet in that bird---and that confirmed the ridiculously long range.

I have another shotgun--an absurdly expensive Browning Superposed Sporting Clays edition of some sort. My St. Louis gunsmith is long gone, and I've never bothered hunting up another, so it's my own fault; but I can't hit anything with that gun----'cause it just plain doesn't fit-----ME!!

The bottom line is if the gun fits, and I see the target, the target is dead. So Step One is get your shotgun fit to YOU-----or don't even bother picking it up!

Now----home defense----just point and shoot! Don't even bother spending any time aiming---you're going to be so close to your target you can't miss! (And that fellow who said to use #4 Buckshot or whatever (24/25 caliber shot) is right on the money---27 pellets in a 2 3/4" round---and a deadly pattern------if/when you're far enough away for the pattern to mean anything.)

Ralph Tremaine

The only thing I will add is to pattern whatever shell you are using. Shotguns like revolvers tend to shoot some loads better. The only way to know is to shoot them and see. Use what it shoots best be it 2 3/4 or 3 inch.

Hugh


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3" and 3 1/2" have more powder, more pellets and more recoil.

The only 3" shotshells I have are some older BRI sabot rounds. It's an aerodynamic 50 cal slug, looks like a giant .177 cal pellet. and they'll penetrate a fender and the engine block of a car, or pass through both fenders at the rear or both doors of a car. Nasty things and I've had them for years. I do keep some #4 buckshot loads, 2-3/4" for antipersonnel rounds. They were standard loads when I worked for the state prison system 45 years ago. Less chance of a miss at longer ranges. All I shoot any more are 2-3/4" upland game loads, #7-1/2 or #8 shot, at the clays ranges of our club.

Only difference -- a few more pellets in the 3". Utterly irrelevant for home defense.

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Pisgah

The principal purpose of the 3” (or longer) shell is to hold more shot so it can be more effective for longer shots at waterfowl. Largely superfluous for any other use. Sort of a distant ancestor of the punt gun idea.

2 3/4" v. 3" 12ga means more payload with better pattern density, but IMHO really seems to matter more for larger shot sizes (think waterfowling) and steel shot.
I shot plenty of 3" 12ga BB and BBB hunting geese and I think it sometimes helped outside of 25yrds.

I don't really think this would be a factor in HD use.

In the old days the 12 Ga. 2 3/4 shell was all that was needed, when you could use lead pellets for EVERY THING.

In the 80's when water fowl called for steel pellets, they moved up to the 3" hull
in order to get a larger payload of steel pellets, than needed to be larger than lead pellets,
in order to get energy's that would penetrate the bird to hit it's organs.

This is when the gun companies started to make 3" or longer chambers
to aid in taking ducks & Geese with steel pellets as large as BB's up to size "T", to reach out 65 yards, for a killing shot, per local regulations.

The size and type of pellets, as well as the velocity needed, will dictate
what size hull will work for your type of shooting, as well as the amount of recoil.

I posted shotgun data, that would help explain this but
the "longgun" thread dose NOT have a "Shotgun" thread,
so this info disappeared.

I think the first 12 gauge 3” shell was made for the Winchester Model 12 heavy duck gun in 1935. That is a pretty good indicator of its intended purpose. In my collection, the earliest box of 3” 12 gauge is a box of Peters from 1947.

Home defense shotgun = 20 gauge.

For home defense I like a 20 gauge 2-3/4" with the biggest buckshot I can find which is normally #3 at Walmart. It's light, handy, and easy to shoot one handed if I'm needing to open a door.

I never saw anything other than 2-3/4 12 gauge in LE, mostly 00 Buck, rarely #4.

Not going to beat a dead horse, but I too never fired anything but a 2 3/4 shell until the Feds required steel for waterfowl hunting on state or federal land sometime in the 80's.

The early steel loads were extremely disappointing. I can recall seeing feathers fly on mallards and geese hit with steel shot and they just kept right on flying.

I had to go to a Remington SP10 and 3.5 inch #3 steel shot for ducks and T's to have the same knockdown power of and old 2 3/4 # 4 and 2 respectively.

Home defense does not require 3" mags.

For deer and turkeys the 3 inch 12 ga can't be beat.

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S&W Accumulator

I too had a SP 10 or two. Ithaca's before... Fed Premium 3 1/2 in BB in lead was a good load on geese. Ithaca made a mag 10 short bbl piece called a roadblocker. Would have made a perfect home defense gun. Steel shot was terrible for the most part at the beginning. I've never shot a turkey with a 3 inch shell. 2 3/4 inch anything is good in the house for home defense. Heck I sold 5 or 6 Mossberg 410 pumps with short bbl aand a kinda flattened end of the bbl. Can't remember what they were called

My Father gave me his prized Browning Light Twelve, which will only shoot 2 3/4". Killed many ducks with that. Wore out the wood hunting in the rain all the time back to back to where it started splitting. Duck taped it until I could buy another and send that one back for new wood and re-gold-plated trigger. Had the stock shortened a bit, as I have a very short length of pull and wear some rather thick clothes hunting cold mornings. Liked it so much, sent my new one back for the same length.

Most folk have trouble shooting the guns, but I can be on target pretty fast.
Most likely may be difficult to find someone who likes them. Gave me a bit longer full choke barrel, too. That barrel and choke would outshoot the other barrel quite a long way with lead duck loads. Only did that once. Couldn't finish a teal without wasting it, but extended my capabilities way out there.

Fast forward to hunting good waterfowl states. Strictly used 3" 3s except on clays, and 3 1/2" when just goose hunting. Could have gotten the same or better results by changing chokes, I think.

Tungsten Iron BBs is in one of my shotguns for home defense. May not need that buckshot after all, and is much more neighbor friendly. Close combat doesn't really require more pellets or bigger pellets. Point of aim out to ten feet or so doesn't really need special loads. The buckshot? I love 00 Buck in 2 3/4".

If those don't stop all the insane, hope I can get to my slug gun. One saboted ounce of lead with do the trick if it gets serious. The wife has her own likings.

I did an informal field test a few days ago comparing 2 3/4" #4 buck to 2 3/4" #0 (not 00) buck. The victims were two old laptop computers that my wife asked me to "decommission". Range was 20'. Shoulder fired, aimed from my Ithaca 37 Deersĺayer, 20" cylinder bore barrel. Result: two very dead laptops, but the 27 pellets of #4 buck was noticeably more devastating due to the pattern more completely covering the target vs a more centralized pattern. Actual effectuve difference: Nil.
I've shot a lot of 3" stuff in years gone by when I duck hunted a lot (lived in the East Arkansas delta for 6 years, and duck hunted 3-4 days a week). For waterfowl, I think the difference is real, although shotshell and pattern technology had made great advances since I was duck hunting in the 90s. Nowdays, the only thing I use 3" for is turkey, and probably not necessary then. I will also carry my Mossberg 835 with 3" Dead Coyote loads (size T shot) when predator calling at times. My favorite all around load for small to medium game (not dove/quail wingshooting) is a 2 3/4" short Magnum, 1 1/4 Oz. of #5s. Pattern is really good out of my Ithaca 37 with 30" full choke barrel. I patterned it just a couple of weeks ago, and it would be a reliable 40 yard turkey killer.
I've shot some 3.5" / 2 Oz. stuff out of that Mossberg, turkey loads and I had one box of 3.5" Dead Coyote. Nope. Very unpleasant to shoot (although you wouldn't notice so much if shooting at a longbeard). I am not that mad at turkeys. I remember patterning those, set up a paper at 40 yards, rested over the corner of the bed of my pickup.
Boom! Yikes, that hurt!
Couldn't be that bad, I must not have been holding it tight or something. Tried again.
Boom!
Yep, it was that bad.
If I thought I needed 3.5" power, I would for sure get myself a gas-operated autoloader, not a pump where you take the full force of the recoil.

2 3/4 inch = Standard
3 inch = Magnum
3 1/2 inch = Super Magnum

For buckshot I am a fan of #00. A “Standard” 12 gauge load of #00 Buck contains nine pellets. The "Magnum" is twelve pellets.

Whatever happened to 2-3/4 Magnum loads? I haven’t checked to see if they are still made. Not that I will ever need any.

Regarding home defense, at across-the-living room distances, shot size makes very little difference. Personally, I believe it should not be smaller than #5 birdshot. Long ago I saw a dead body of a guy who took a load of birdshot to the chest. Not a pretty sight. The debate about the relative effectiveness of different buckshot sizes is never-ending. I always believed #4B was the best balanced choice. More shot pellets increases hit probability and diameter and weight of a single pellet is enough to cause serious bodily damage.at least at closer distances. Much like shooting someone with 24 .22 LR bullets.

My preference for a Defense load is a 2 3/4 inch #4 Buck load. Recoil is very manageable so a followup shot is quite simple. BTW, on occasion I'll set my O/U on the rack and shoot a round of Skeet with my Browning BPS. While it does take a bit more work there is something really satisfying about dusting a true pair with a pump. In addition it keeps the skills tuned up in the event you may actually need them.

Back in 1968 we could buy the 2 3/4" shot Magnum load for 70 yard high ducks
that were loaded with #4 lead pellets.

When steel came out, we used steel BB's for our 65 yard shots
but these loads were not called "Magnum", just high velocity.

However a 12 Ga. 2 3/4" with a 1 1/2 oz. of lead going 1265fps
might be called a "Magnum load" , when you pull the trigger.

I don't shoot steel pellets in anything larger than a 3" hull.

I hunted all my years with 2 3/4 in. shells. They work just fine. Doves to deer, got my biggest deer with a 1oz. slug 2 3/4 in. Would be great for home defense.

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No baby we aint

I can go back to the 1960s with shotgun shooting and hunting. Back then, 1 1/4 oz was a heavy load for lead. It was adequate for most hunting trips and worked on ducks and pheasants. Waterfowl hunters often went to 3" for ducks and geese.

The 3" Magnum loads started in the mid-1930s and offered up to 2 oz of lead shot. Obvious advantage, but most hunters had guns that chambered only in 2 3/4" so the 3" was slow in becoming popular. Most gun manufactures started making semi-auto shotguns that could be adjusted to shoot both shells in the 1950s, but they did not work that well. Dedicated waterfowl hunters bought 3" magnum guns for the extra shot weights. 3" shells could hold up to 2 ounces of lead, and later, held 1 3/8 ounces of steel.

The US Fish & Wildlife Department mandated steel shot for all waterfowl hunting in 1987. It took only a year for manufacturers came out with 3 1/2" ammunition and guns designed to handle them to give waterfowl hunters greater ability to hunt geese and ducks. 3 1/2" shells were loaded up to 2 1/4 ounce lead and 1 5/8 ounces steel, giving turkey hunters a big advantage using lead and waterfowl hunters an advantage over shorter shells when hunting geese and ducks.

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Gary
SWCA 2515

These kick a bit.
Ran into a big constrictor in the late '70s.
Only had my 1911/45.
Will buy a short barrel for the 870 Super Mag someday.
Snakes like the one in the pic are a possibility just a short hike from the house.

Attached Images

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Have Fun/Stay Safe

That is awfully strong ammo for snakes, even snakes that size. That'll leave a mark lol...

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

I'm teaching my 18 year-old grandson the Remington Wingmaster; my advice is that if he'd like to learn how to flinch, the 3" and 3.5" ammo is best.

I am pretty deep in the Remington camp in defensive shotguns... but if I were to start over with a blank slate I would shift to the Mossberg 500 something... and use the new mini shells for home defense, large capacity with minimally diminished ability.. but since an 870 is my go to... 2 3/4 old Winchester XX short Magnums #2 lead... worthless for anything but defense . and they bark.

I keep the mag full of 2 3/4" #4 turkey loads. Because 1) I hunt turkey, and 2) because it would be ironic to use turkey loads on criminal turkeys.

My Winchester Defender shoots S&B 2 3/4" #1 Buck the best. It's always close by and ready to go.

Shotshell loaders decided they needed something new to sell, and someone said, "Hey, if we add 1/4 of an inch...", and VOILA! the 3" shell was born...

Who needs them? Not a soul.

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Pisgah