I bought a 10 Gauge??? Good or Bad??

[MinnesotaMuskie]

I was at an auction and picked up a Browning 10 3/12 inch Invector BPS Special Steel 26" Field Model, black matte finish for $325.00.

I am going to use it for geese this fall. Any thoughts on the gun...good or bad??

I did not have much time to research the gun.

[lawdog]

Over the years, I have killed a ton of honkers with the 10 ga in that same setup. Its an awesome goose gauge. You will be happy with it. I'd prefer an 870 over the BPS but they aren't making an 870 10 gauge so that was/is what I'm stuck with.

[cmoredrakes]

It depends how much you want to pay for shells if you like the gun. ten-gauge shells run about $15-20 these days. So, every goose you shoot with it is a 1-dollar goose .

[Nova]

3.5" 12 gauge shells are spendy too, but I use them anyway. The way I see it is money is no object when it comes to killing ducks and geese.

[ortonville]

i have hunted both geese and ducks with my 10 ga for the last 10 years. it is a browning gold auto.i use #1's for both in the decoys the 1's just crush the geese. just make sure you pattern it and find a shell that shoots good and i think you will be happy with it.as far as price of the shells who cares can you put a price on a good time

[SIMCOX28]

I use a 10 gauge and I love it. Mstly I love the noise it makes especially if I ifer quickly. It is a riot. The only other gun that I would really want to use would be a black powder shoutgun. The noise and smoke would be a hoot. If you look at the price per goose---I would be taking a long walk off a short pier-with decoys etc.... ALthough I would keep my eyes out at walmart as they usually have good deals on shells bout now. I know that last year at this time we got a couple of cases of 10's pretty cheap. I think the price per box came out to be 10 bucks.

[FOOT]

Jeez, guys I'm a real dinosaur. I've hunted ducks and geese since I was 16 back in 1963 and have always used a good ole 2 3/4 in 12 ga.

Due to a really good deal on a Ruger Red Label 3" (new for $700) I bought it and have used 3" shells with it but haven't found much difference. Oh, and I also purchased a Mossberg 12ga Camo 3" fo rthe same reason, a deal I couldn't pass up. Use that on Turkey, works great.

I never will buy a 10ga or a 3 1/2 in 12 ga. Just don't see the need.

But hey, it does sound like you got a good deal and if it prevents fewer cripples, have at it.

[Crusty old Swede]

I'm of the same opinion as Lawdog, the BPS 10 mows down geese quite nicely. And as it weighs just shy of a ton shooting steel shells produces only little more recoil than my 1200 with 2&3/4, 1&1/8 shells. My only difference with Lawdog is that they don't make a 1300 in 10ga.

[wooduck26]

A 10 isnt much (if any) better than a 3.5in. 12 gauge..........waste of money I think.

[waltinader]

I think a 3 1/3" 12 gage is all you need and cheeper than a 10 gage. And you only need 3" the first two weeks because every thing comes in close.

[jiggin' fool]

I owned, and shot a 10 for about 6-years. It is a great gun.., but all of my goose-hunting is done over decoys. I have since retired the 10, in favor of the 3.5 12-gauge. With my method of hunting honkers, the determining factor for me was NOT killing power. A goose can only be killed just so dead.., period. Now, having said that, you must look at how you spend the majority of your goose-hunting. Are you taking mostly long shots.., 50-yards or so.., on passing honkers, or "modified-decoy" shots, in which the birds swing the spread, but don't fully commit. Then the big-10 will suit your needs. But, if you hunt from pits.., or worse, in a layout blind, and you are getting in-your-face shooting, you will grow to dislike that gun in a hurry. Add a decent wind, and you will struggle to get that gun up, mounted, and locking on a target, and making the shot.., then attempting to pick out another bird.., well that's a whole 'nother story. The problem with the 10 is that it is a HEAVY gun. It isn't meant to take close birds, flaring out of a decoy spread, especially in a stiff wind. You will then wish you had a lighter gun, allowing you to mount, acquire a target, fire, pick-up another target quickly, fire...,

This is extremely tough to do with a heavy gun. One thing you won't struggle with is shooting behind the birds, by stopping your swing. Once you get that big sucker moving, it is hard to stop it!!!!!

So in closing, if you are taking longer-shots, (and please don't be one of those "I shoot a 10-gauge" hunters that think they can drop them consistently at 70+ yard, because a 10-gauge is a real crippler in the hands of someone like that), then you are in for a treat, cause you have a true goose-killing machine. But if you hunt from pits, or lay-out blinds, don't be a bit surprised that your buddies are killing 2 birds to your one, while shooting their 12-gauges. Speed in target acquisition, and repeating it again in a few seconds later, is NOT an expectation with a 10-er.

[MinnesotaMuskie]

Jiggin fool,

Thanks..you make a lot of sense:)

I will not be a 10 gauge fool...I have three boys watching what I do every time we are in the field.

I will give it a try this fall and report back:)

[magnumthunder]

I agree with jiggin. I had 1 and it was like rolling around with pole. Did kill birds that were out there. But my kill doubled with 3" 12 ga. 10 will roll a turkey at 50 yards but it is hell to carry in the woods. The 10 is a work horse in pass shooting!

[Gissert]

I've had a Browning BPS for the last 16 years, and it has served me well.

Like others have stated, it is heavy, and slow to swing. If I am hunting over decoys or in an area where birds appear suddenly, I bring my 12.

If I can see the birds a long way off, such as divers on big water, I'll use the 10.

The 3 1/2 12 gauge is a good compromise between the two. For geese, I still prefer my 10.