Any reason to own a 10-gauge for waterfowl anymore, or are they simply overkill?

With the trend in waterfowl guns moving toward the small bores, it’s fair to ask if there’s any reason for anyone to shoot a 10-gauge anymore.

Browning recently discontinued the last two production 10-gauges in its BPS and Gold 10, a sign that the majority of waterfowlers are ready to move on from our biggest legal bore. Yet, the 10-gauge hangs on among a small niche following.

You can find used 10s on the market, and there’s plenty of ammo. Do you need one? It depends. Here’s the case for the modern 10-gauge in duck and goose hunting.

The magnum 3.5-inch 10-gauge as we know it was created in 1932. Winchester introduced the 3.5-inch cartridge and Ithaca came out with a massive side-by-side double gun to shoot it. Intended as the ultimate long-range waterfowl cartridge, the 10-gauge also found favor with a few turkey and predator hunters.

When Ithaca came out with its Mag 10 gas semiauto, it was offered as a deer gun, and even as a law enforcement weapon called “the Roadblocker.”

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The 10-gauge was a special-purpose gun until 1991, when nontoxic shot replaced lead for waterfowl hunting. Hunters soon learned that the way to use steel shot effectively was to shoot heavy loads of big steel pellets, and for that, the 10 was unmatched.

For a short time, it seemed as if the 10 would become a popular choice for ducks and geese. But, before the 10 achieved mainstream popularity, the more versatile 3.5-inch 12-gauge was introduced (this time as a collaboration between Federal and Mossberg). The new load could hold as much shot as a 10 and could achieve higher velocities as it was spec-ed to higher pressures. It could shoot 3- and 2-3⁄4-inch shells, too.

While the 3.5-inch 12-gauge had the edge in versatility, the 10-gauge had two advantages on its side. Its large bore – .775-inch versus the 12’s .729-inch – allowed it to shoot better patterns with very large shot, such as BBB and T. Those sizes were the best pellets for long-range shooting at big birds with steel.

Hunters who pass-shot geese around refuges stuck with their 10-gauges. The difference in patterning isn’t huge, but it’s there. A 10-gauge remains the most efficient gun for shooting large payloads of big steel shot.

Second, the 10-gauge is a massive gun, weighing 10 to 11 pounds. That weight allows it to swing smoothly on long shots, and it soaks up recoil. Add in the recoil reduction of a gas system and the 10 is far easier on your shoulder than a lighter 3.5-inch 12-gauge.

Even without a gas system, my old BPS 10 was far more comfortable to shoot than almost any 3.5-inch 12-gauge gas gun. A gas gun like the SP-10 delivers nothing more than a push to your shoulder with the heaviest loads.

If you do a lot of goose hunting that includes some long shots, and if you want to spare yourself the expense of buying bismuth or tungsten-iron, find a 10-gauge and stock up on BBBs. Otherwise, you don’t need one. That said, a 10 shoots bismuth just fine, too, if you want to pay to extend your range even more.

While there are no new 10-gauge shotguns, there are plenty on the used market. The BPS 10 was made until this year. It’s a rugged, reliable gun. It does require a long stroke to pump, and cycling it always felt awkward to me, but otherwise it’s a great gun.

As I mentioned, Remington’s SP-10 is one of the softest-shooting semi-autos I’ve tried. It was a redesigned and improved Ithaca Mag 10 and, between the Remington and the Browning Gold 10, you have two very good choices to look for in a gas gun.

There weren’t a ton of Ithaca side-by-side 10s made, but they show up online often enough that you could shoot one, although you’d need bismuth for it.

The 10-gauge has never been for everyone. Pass-shooting isn’t as popular as it was, either, so there aren’t a lot of uses for the 10 anymore. But, for those of us who enjoy our 10s, for the soft recoil and for reaching out every now and then, there is no substitute.