Rookie questions

[rides bike to work]

Howdy all I've got a couple rookie questions as I have found a good area to hunt ducks and geese but have little experience in the field
. I have a 12 gauge Remington 870 I have a long barrel thats says full choke and takes 2 3/4" shells I bought some federal steel 3 shot 2 3/4"
I haven't patterned the gun yet but will tomorrow just wondering how far out will this set up reach and what kind of take down power will I have at different ranges
The farmer that has givin me permission was not impressed with the last guys he let hunt because of the amount of wounded geese he found around his property afterwards so I don't want to repeat this bad experience.thanks for any insure into this subject .

[lorneparker1]

Howdy all I've got a couple rookie questions as I have found a good area to hunt ducks and geese but have little experience in the field
. I have a 12 gauge Remington 870 I have a long barrel thats says full choke and takes 2 3/4" shells I bought some federal steel 3 shot 2 3/4"
I haven't patterned the gun yet but will tomorrow just wondering how far out will this set up reach and what kind of take down power will I have at different ranges
The farmer that has givin me permission was not impressed with the last guys he let hunt because of the amount of wounded geese he found around his property afterwards so I don't want to repeat this bad experience.thanks for any insure into this subject .

Good on you for getting out and getting permission! Does the barrel say if it is ok to shoot steel? it is not recommended to shoot steel through a full choke as steel does not have the compression that lead does and can bulge the barrel or ruin the end. Having said that, guys still do it and some have had no probelms. I also belive you will have a brutal pattern, (but i guess you will see tomorrow).

Lorne

[Foxton Gundogs]

When you goose eeg the barrel let me know I'm looking for something with a screwed barrel to cut down for a short deer gun. Seriously I wouldnt be shooting steel thru it, It wwill be fine but you need to have the choke reamed out. As Lorne said bad things can and will(probably) happen.

[rides bike to work]

Ok thanks for the tip I borrowed a new barrel from my dad it's got an adjustable choke so hopefully this will work better.ill pattern it with the adjustable choke and see what it does. How far out do you think I can reach with 3 shot.

[lorneparker1]

depends what choke is in it. Taking into account your experience with a shot gun i would not shoot past 30 yards.

Lorne

[Foxton Gundogs]

If it has screw in chokes I'd shoot IC and stay under 30 yds like Lorne says mod will do if you dont have an IC IF its a true adjustable "Polly" type choke I'd shoot it on the point between IC and Mod, thats where I shoot my Mod 12 with a Polly choke and it worhs like a dream over deeks.