3.5" 12ga shells can deliver a lot more total muzzle energy, because the SAAMI spec allows for 14k PSI pressure instead of 11k PSI for the 10ga. This becomes most obvious when you compare the strongest 10ga slug to the strongest 12ga 3.5" slug. It's something like 1,500-2,000 foot pounds of difference if I recall.
The 10ga might be able to hold more stuff in the shell, but total muzzle energy seems to be severely limited by the lower pressure.
But I don't see that kind of difference in waterfowl loads. Is it because they aren't loading goose loads as hot as they could for 3.5 12ga? Are they just afraid of giving people more recoil than they are willing to put up with? (The 12ga 3.5 inch Lightfield Commander IDS slug has absolutely ridiculous amounts of recoil looking at the videos of it being shot). Maybe they are only concerned with matching 10gauge with 3.5 12ga and don't really care about exceeding it?
A 12ga 3.5 Hevi-Bismuth puts out 3279 foot pounds of muzzle energy.
3099 foot pounds for 10ga Hevi-Bismuth
The 12ga also delivers it at 150FPS more muzzle velocity so you might not have to lead as much.
Now you do get more pellets out of the 10ga load, but with less velocity behind each pellet.
So it would seem the 10ga is at best only useful if you value more shot at the cost of speed. Similar to what happens when one goes from a 2 3/4" shell to a 3" shell because they are both the same SAAMI pressure limit (So you add more room for shot but reduce the velocity so as not to go over pressure).
But is there more to the story than that?
Maybe 10ga patterns tighter at longer distances?
Maybe 10ga patterns more evenly?
Maybe 10ga is less likely to string the pattern out horizontally, thereby delivering more pellets actually on the flying target? (Something shooting at flat unmoving paper won't show you. The paper would have to be moving to reveal this).
But could a Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus remove that advantage? The unique extended high quality forcing cone is designed to cause less stringing and denser patterns.
I don't know how chokes factor in this. I would assume that if you can choke up a 12ga 3.5 to have tight patters at long range then you could do the same or better with a 10ga. But maybe that isn't the case?
Does the 12ga 3.5 actually get superior patterns and range over a 10ga when you factor in the best chokes?
...................
(This is talking about American ammunition and guns. I know European 10ga shells can be loaded more powerfully than SAAMI spec, because SAAMI is an American organization. European 10ga can probably be more powerful than a a 3.5" 12ga.)
If a company were to release a new 10ga in America that were rated to a different SAAMI spec, calling it 10ga+ or something, then ammo manufacturers could start making new 10ga loads to easily outdo 12ga 3.5. I wouldn't be surprised if someone wants to come out with a 10ga+ 4 inch shell later once 10ga+ catches on.
You would not need to to fear unmanageable recoil if you would use spring recoil buffer systems like a Beretta A400 in this new 10ga+ shotgun.
The 10ga might be able to hold more stuff in the shell, but total muzzle energy seems to be severely limited by the lower pressure.
But I don't see that kind of difference in waterfowl loads. Is it because they aren't loading goose loads as hot as they could for 3.5 12ga? Are they just afraid of giving people more recoil than they are willing to put up with? (The 12ga 3.5 inch Lightfield Commander IDS slug has absolutely ridiculous amounts of recoil looking at the videos of it being shot). Maybe they are only concerned with matching 10gauge with 3.5 12ga and don't really care about exceeding it?
A 12ga 3.5 Hevi-Bismuth puts out 3279 foot pounds of muzzle energy.
3099 foot pounds for 10ga Hevi-Bismuth
The 12ga also delivers it at 150FPS more muzzle velocity so you might not have to lead as much.
Now you do get more pellets out of the 10ga load, but with less velocity behind each pellet.
So it would seem the 10ga is at best only useful if you value more shot at the cost of speed. Similar to what happens when one goes from a 2 3/4" shell to a 3" shell because they are both the same SAAMI pressure limit (So you add more room for shot but reduce the velocity so as not to go over pressure).
But is there more to the story than that?
Maybe 10ga patterns tighter at longer distances?
Maybe 10ga patterns more evenly?
Maybe 10ga is less likely to string the pattern out horizontally, thereby delivering more pellets actually on the flying target? (Something shooting at flat unmoving paper won't show you. The paper would have to be moving to reveal this).
But could a Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus remove that advantage? The unique extended high quality forcing cone is designed to cause less stringing and denser patterns.
I don't know how chokes factor in this. I would assume that if you can choke up a 12ga 3.5 to have tight patters at long range then you could do the same or better with a 10ga. But maybe that isn't the case?
Does the 12ga 3.5 actually get superior patterns and range over a 10ga when you factor in the best chokes?
...................
(This is talking about American ammunition and guns. I know European 10ga shells can be loaded more powerfully than SAAMI spec, because SAAMI is an American organization. European 10ga can probably be more powerful than a a 3.5" 12ga.)
If a company were to release a new 10ga in America that were rated to a different SAAMI spec, calling it 10ga+ or something, then ammo manufacturers could start making new 10ga loads to easily outdo 12ga 3.5. I wouldn't be surprised if someone wants to come out with a 10ga+ 4 inch shell later once 10ga+ catches on.
You would not need to to fear unmanageable recoil if you would use spring recoil buffer systems like a Beretta A400 in this new 10ga+ shotgun.
