doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 10ga vs 12

Regardless of what posters say, the gun that the original poster is "liking" weighs what it weighs. If it is a seven pounder, it is a seven pounder. If it is a ten pounder, that's what it is. I own ten gauge Lefevers from 7-4 to 10-12. He has to know what he is buying without guessing what it weighs. Mark, what does it weigh? It is an honest question for the seller.

I have shot shotguns on game for 4 decades. I started shooting a Parker and Remington 2 7/8" 10ga aka short ten 3 years ago.

First, reloading is an absolute economic necessity unless you can afford to shoot RST 10ga shells at about $30 a box of 25. Crow hunting I go through around 800 shells annually.

Cutting hulls and reloading 2 7/8" is simple once you are set up for it, and it is very satisfying to shoot such a unique cartridge or so I think.

I can tell you that for long range shooting 50 yards and beyond, the short ten is heads and shoulders over 12ga. It's a blast.

The guns are heavy (Parker is 10-5, Remington is 8-12) and the barrels long (32"). Did I mention they are a blast?

And you don't have to shoot 10 gauge shells if 12s are easier.

Statistics are funny things, a smaller % of a larger number is a bigger number! The 10ga is only 6.3% larger than a 12ga BUT it's .046 bigger than a 12ga, .775 vs .729. Essentially equal to the difference between a 16ga and 20ga, .667 vs .615 or .047, although a 16ga bore is 8.5% bigger than a 20ga.

The 10ga was given a greater handicap and eventually banned from live pigeon shooting and trap shooting for reasons. The reason was it was too great an advantage for the man using it.

Beautiful picture! Very nice gun too

Wow! That looks like a lot of fun. You don't find swinging heavy 32" barrels at incoming ducks to be a hindrance? I only say that because sometimes fairly quick barrel movements are needed if shooting over decoys. I need to find out how much the Lefever weighs...

Mike, I won't dare get into an argument with anyone about it but here's my take on the short ten: when we talk about the differences in diameter of the bores in thousanths it seems rather insignificant. However, observed side by side the 10 is way bigger than the 12. As a result, the shot column is considerably shorter and I am convinced that the shot string is much shorter than any 12 is capable of. 1 1/4 oz. in a 10 seems to hit birds like a pancake--all at once! I haven't measured it in any way other than through experience. I seldom load any heavier, there's no need to. If I told you how far away I've shot ducks I'd have to lie so you wouldn't think I was exaggerating.....

FWIW, the heavier Tens require a really firm, smooth impulse into motion -- almost releasing a leaf-spring effect. Getting your torso and arms moving right from the feet on up will move those big boys into the line of flight and and the sheer inertia will follow thru. Just be aware that if you & your boots happen to be very deeply imbedded in mud, you well may follow the gun beyond a balance point -- yours. Happens.

Below ten pounds the needed effort is not so great and a properly loaded light Ten is just delightful for many games. IIRC, the Ithaca Super Ten [2 7/8's]isn't much over 8 3/4 pounds or so. Quite easy to handload. I would advise against shooting any vintage shells you may acquire, especially Super-X's. Those double based Nitro's may not age well. A like new-looking box of them put a nasty nick in the locking interfaces an L.C.Super Ten I had.

Otherwise, long live the fun of ye auld cannons. All honor to their history and use.

I started hunting pheasant at the tender age of 13 with my Dad's 1889 Remington 10 bore. The thing weighs 10 pounds. At the end of that first day my young arms felt like they were going to fall off. But I fell in love with it and used it most of my hunting life. Longest shot was 75 yards on a sharpie. Best shot was doubles on partridge. Now that Dad is gone it occupies the most sacred spot in my gun room. It's always the first gun I show off to visitors. My advice, if you don't mind the weight, buy it.

CrowShooter;
Note I did not say the Diameter of the 10 ga was 13% greater than the 12ga. I said its "Bore Capacity" is 13% greater, which is based on the square of the diameter. Thus .775�/.729� = 1.13. What this amounts to is if you loaded both guns to have the exact same length of shot column in the bore the 10 would hold 13% more shot than would the 12. There is in fact less difference between the 10 & 12 than any other two gauges in common use.
In the very early days of the 10ga many of those sold for field use as opposed to waterfowl were chambered for a 2 5/8" shell. The 2 7/8" length did not become the standard until later when the 10 had lost most of its favor outside the waterfowl blind.
I like my 10lb 10ga Lefever but it is not suitable for the type of hunting I do. Anyone who has or can get one which is suitable for their use I definitely say go for it. However the cold hard facts easily explain why the 10ga lost out in the popularity race to the 12. Until you get to heavy loads of large shot, it simply holds no real advantage over the 12.