Advice on 10 ga needed

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Hello everyone, I currently own a moss 500 20ga and am wanting to buy a new shotgun. I was looking at the 12 ga Remington 870 when I ran across a Browning BPS Stalker 10 ga. The BPS really caught my eye and I was wondering if a 10 ga was worth the money. This was only around $580. I have never shot a 10 ga so I am not familiar with its advantages and disadvantages, or how it compares to the 12 ga. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Unless you have to have it it would be better to go with a 12 gauge. The ammo is more common and cheaper plus the 3 inch magnums will do just about what a 10 gauge will do. Sadley the 10 gauge is not as populare as it used to be. It is one heck of a turkey and goose gun dose good on coyotes too. If you wnat to buy it you will NOT regret it.
 
I appreciate it, the gun looked very mean. For the price I may buy it. I think this one had a 26 inch barrell. Is the ammo hard to come by?
 
well, obviously, it is larger than the 12 gauge. so, a shell with the same length will have more shot (or a heavier slug) and more powder behind it.

however, because of the popularity of the 12 ga, you can find loadings for it that you would not be able to find for 10 ga.

my personal reaction would be to avoid it, simply because of the lack of availability of the ammunition types you can find for 12 gauge. the increase in the shot volume is good, but (in my opinion) it is not significant enough to warrant paying more for ammo, and sometimes not being able to find the ammo you need.

i would say that if you feel like you need to have it for the "cool" factor, you should buy it. if, on the other hand, you need an all purpose shotgun, i would stick with the 870.
 
This is the BPS I prefer ....is the Hunter with the 28" barrel in either a 12ga or a 20ga .... and I've had a 10ga in the past ...but it was a colossal waste of money ....

http://www.browning.com/products/ca...d=012&type_id=211&content=bps-hunter-firearms

Balistically - the 12ga will do almost anything a 10ga will do .....and a pellet coming out of a 10ga or a 12ga at 1250 fps ...hits with the same force ...gague makes no difference. Gague does make a difference - where you can get a few more pellets in a 10ga magnum shell than a 12ga magnum shell ...but at some point ...the cost of 10ga shells ...and the increased recoil isn't worth it.

The stalker model is available in 12ga for a lot less money ...

http://www.browning.com/products/ca...=012&type_id=212&content=bps-stalker-firearms

But everybody should buy and shoot whatever they want ...( and personally while I have 23 shotguns ....I have no need for a 10ga ...most of my collection is 12ga or 20ga ...with a couple of 16ga's ....and a few 28 ga's and .410's mixed in ....) but that's me ...
 
I use to own a 10ga... I sold it because the 12 ga with 3.5 inch magnum rounds out did the 10ga with 3.5 inch rounds.

They are fun guns though.
 
The 12-ga is far and away the most popular shotgun bore. When selecting a shotgun there are many factors to consider and most involve compromises. A heavy gun kicks less and swings smoother, but it may slow you down after a day's carrying. A 10-ga packs more wallop; but, do you really need a heavy hitter, especially with the proliferation of softer recoiling 3-1/2" 12-ga super mag autos. There's a reason the 12-ga is so popular, most shooters feel it offers the best solution for their shooting needs.

Some folks say they want a 20-ga as a first gun for a young or female shooter. I typically comment that they can always down-load a 12-ga to match a 20 or 28-ga, but you can't up-load the smaller guns. So, my question to you is, why didn't you get a 12-ga M-500 in the first place? What do you think you'll be doing with a 10-ga that you can't do with your 20?

My friend BigJimP is a major league Browning fan. When he says, "I've had a 10ga in the past ...but it was a colossal waste of money …," learn for his experience and save yourself time and money. On the other hand, had your post started out along the vein: You were a goose hunter and your buddies with 10-ga guns were getting the birds that you weren't with your 12-ga. Then, I think we'd suggest you try some 10-ga guns and go from there.

Deja vu makes an interesting point about performance. How is this possible? Consider that the new 3-1/2" 12-ga super mags are designed to a higher SAAMI maximum pressure (14,000 psi) than the old 10-ga guns (11,000 psi).
 
I have never shot a 10 ga so I am not familiar
Click to expand...

That in and of itself says volumns. There are really only two fields in which the 10ga still has a strong following. One is in turkey hunting (and even that following is small) and the other is in pass-shooting geese. The advantage in goose hunting is that with steel shot, you need a larger diameter shot to get the same hitting power as you used to get with lead. Going with a 10ga gives the hunter a chance to retain dense patterns even with larger diameter shot.
 
Tried a few loads when I bought mine and settled on #3 steel shot as the best load for it. Ordered a case of it and I am good to go for awhile. The only thing that gun does not like is 00. It shoots a donut at 25 yards big enough that a rabbit sized critter in the middle of the hole would be completely untouched. Everything else including #6, #4, and #3 made nice even patterns out to 50 yards. It is so much fun to shoot it should be illegal, I am glad it isn't. Mine is a H&R single shot with a 36" barrel and I am grateful for every inch. I love to get friends and family to shoot it and look at the surprise on their face when it doesn't beat them to death.

20 and 12 gauge may be more practical but sometimes you just have to shoot something for the fun factor. :D

You may have to order ammo like I did but it is worth it as long as you aren't going to shoot thousands of rounds of skeet or trap with it. I have a loader for it on order just because I intend to shoot it more than I can afford ammo for it.
 
That's a 10.5 pound gun according to the maker. You can carry it over hill and dale, but not very far compared to a 7.5# or 8# 12 ga.

Of course, in the goose blinds the extra weight tames the recoil.
 
Turkey hunting is the only place Ive seen an advantage. The pellets dont hit any harder than a 12 but more of them arrive at the same time. With proper loads they are legit 50-60 yd gobbler guns. Ive seen some unbelievable 50 yd patterns with Nitro Cartridge 5-6-7 loads out of a friends SP-10 with a Pure Gold choke.
 
crew served shotgun

A shooting buddy had a Browning BPS in 10 ga. and some custom work done it, barrel shortened, re choked, special finish. It was an incredible turkey killer w/ #4 shot. Generally #4 is a bit sparse in most guns I've patterned, not enough pellets per pounce to give super dense patterns, but in that gun they were devastating. It was an honest 50yd turkey gun. I was taken by it and asked for first dibs if ever he was to sell. I'd seen the patterns and the results, but.mind you.......I had not handled the gun.

So the call came, "I'm selling the 10, you want it?" Over there I went. The thing weighed a ton!!!!!!!!!!!!! My 870 was in the truck, and compared to the BPS-10, it felt like a 20 ga quail gun. I passed. I could not imagine toting that beast all AM after a rambling gobbler. And I would wager it would be impossible for anybody short of Arnold Swarzenagger to hold the thing up on an incoming or hung turkey, w/o support, for more than a few minutes.

My buddy confirmed same......."I can't carry the darn thing anymore"

As a duck blind or pass shooting gun, maybe. But for ridge running gobblers, no way.
 
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