Browning Gold

Clint Tickler · October 20, 2000, 10:42 AM

A local store is having a great sale on their guns and one item they have is a Browning Gold 12, 26" for $720.00. Good buy and I've been wanting one for a while but was planning on the 3 1/2". Think a 3" is adequate for most applications? What do you folks think of this Model? Thanks. Clint

Arizona Eric · October 21, 2000, 01:21 AM

The only thing you would need a 3.5 inch for is for duck and goose hunting. The 3 will do for everything else, and if you are going to go any bigger, you probably want a 10-gauge.

I have never shot the Browning Gold, but they are reputed to be among the best gas operated shotguns out there.

Clint Tickler · October 21, 2000, 11:27 AM

Thanks Eric for the come back. I was actualy thinking 3" would be ok for ducks but probably not geese which I may not ever hunt. I'm thinking about this.

crow slayer · October 21, 2000, 01:50 PM

Clint,
Three inchers will put the hurts on any goose within reasonable range. Why pack the heavier 3.5 in verson anyway if you will rarely ever or never hunt geese. If you hunt geese all the time I might get the magnum model, but 90% of us just don't need them.
C.S
P.S. I killed my first goose with a "little" 2.75 shell, and I never heard any complaints from the goose that he wasn't killed 3.5 mag.
Plus them big shells kills at both ends, if you get my piont.

Turk · October 21, 2000, 04:54 PM

Clint,

I recently purchased a Benelli Super Black Eagle. This gun is being used for waterfowl and turkey. Even though I will be mostly shooting 3" sheels over the dekes I wanted the option of the 3.5 for geese at long range. The hole key is to put the more shot into the air and the 3.5 will do that.

Also for turkey the 3' shooting lead shot is really all a person needs.

I use Federal 3" 1 3/8 oz. steel loads and over the dekes I won't change to the 3.5" for a goose that's within my decoy range. If a goose would happen to set down outside of my decoys I'd change to the 3.5"

Also remember that the 2 3/4" 12ga. only has 1.5 oz of shot with the 3" you are only down 1/8 oz. unfortunately it's steel shot if you're hunting waterfowl.

Have a good day and good shooting with the Browining. I shot a A-5 Lt. 12 for close to 28 years and still like it over the Super Black Eagle

Turk

Will Beararms · October 21, 2000, 07:19 PM

Great gun. Low recoil and very reliable. If you duck hunt in flooded timber, your longest shot will be 40 yards and a 3" is fine. I don't goose hunt so I can't help you there. The 3 1/2" really shines for Turkey hunting and offers a clear advantage over the 3".

Dave McC · October 22, 2000, 04:55 PM

My first 20 geese or so were taken over dekes with a 16 ga,shooting 1 oz of #5s. The next hundred or so with 2 3/4 12 ga loads, mostly lead and less than 1 1/2 oz.

While a case can be made for 3" mags for geese with steel, I eye askance the 3 1/2" job, seeing it more as a marketing ploy than an equipment upgrade.

If you need(andthat's a synonym for want here) that much of a payload, the 10 ga may be the better choice. But like 416 Rigbys, there's more of them than there are shooters capable of using all that power.

Clint Tickler · October 22, 2000, 07:37 PM

Thanks to all for your replies. I think a 3" will do just fine for me. Tungsten and Bizmuth are good choices too right, albeit more expensive them steel. Thanks again.

SpazzTrap · October 23, 2000, 01:30 AM

Clint,

That's a really good price on that gun...

There was a guy shooting "continental" trap (where the clays go really high) at the range the other day with that very gun. He said he loved the gun and by my observation he did quite well with it...

JWR · October 24, 2000, 10:07 AM

I recently wanted to trade a BPS in for a 12 ga semiauto. I first looked at the Browning Gold (after 10 years of Browning loyalty (not much, but I started when I was 12)). It looked and felt good until I picked up a Beretta A390. Good looking, good feeling (you can adjust the cast of the stock yourself), only $600 or so a couple of years ago, so it's got to be comparable to that price. I've only hunted late-season doves so far (high brass 7-1/2's) and the recoil was negligible. Never jammed despite my fumbling reloading. Easy to disassemble and clean the gas system. Just take a look at it. I agree with the other posters on the 3-1/2" 12. Seems like you would only get a longer shot string. Do shell makers put any extra powder or better wads for velocity gain (shorter leads), or do these shells just have a little more shot than a 3"?

October 20, 2000, 10:42 AM	#1
Clint Tickler Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 1999 Location: Seattle Area Posts: 184	A local store is having a great sale on their guns and one item they have is a Browning Gold 12, 26" for $720.00. Good buy and I've been wanting one for a while but was planning on the 3 1/2". Think a 3" is adequate for most applications? What do you folks think of this Model? Thanks. Clint

October 21, 2000, 01:21 AM	#2
Arizona Eric Senior Member Join Date: June 22, 1999 Posts: 125	The only thing you would need a 3.5 inch for is for duck and goose hunting. The 3 will do for everything else, and if you are going to go any bigger, you probably want a 10-gauge. I have never shot the Browning Gold, but they are reputed to be among the best gas operated shotguns out there.

October 21, 2000, 11:27 AM	#3
Clint Tickler Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 1999 Location: Seattle Area Posts: 184	Thanks Eric for the come back. I was actualy thinking 3" would be ok for ducks but probably not geese which I may not ever hunt. I'm thinking about this.

October 21, 2000, 01:50 PM	#4
crow slayer Member Join Date: June 16, 2000 Location: Eddyville Iowa Usa Posts: 33	Clint, Three inchers will put the hurts on any goose within reasonable range. Why pack the heavier 3.5 in verson anyway if you will rarely ever or never hunt geese. If you hunt geese all the time I might get the magnum model, but 90% of us just don't need them. C.S P.S. I killed my first goose with a "little" 2.75 shell, and I never heard any complaints from the goose that he wasn't killed 3.5 mag. Plus them big shells kills at both ends, if you get my piont.

October 21, 2000, 04:54 PM	#5
Turk Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2000 Location: USA Posts: 517	Clint, I recently purchased a Benelli Super Black Eagle. This gun is being used for waterfowl and turkey. Even though I will be mostly shooting 3" sheels over the dekes I wanted the option of the 3.5 for geese at long range. The hole key is to put the more shot into the air and the 3.5 will do that. Also for turkey the 3' shooting lead shot is really all a person needs. I use Federal 3" 1 3/8 oz. steel loads and over the dekes I won't change to the 3.5" for a goose that's within my decoy range. If a goose would happen to set down outside of my decoys I'd change to the 3.5" Also remember that the 2 3/4" 12ga. only has 1.5 oz of shot with the 3" you are only down 1/8 oz. unfortunately it's steel shot if you're hunting waterfowl. Have a good day and good shooting with the Browining. I shot a A-5 Lt. 12 for close to 28 years and still like it over the Super Black Eagle Turk

October 21, 2000, 07:19 PM	#6
Will Beararms Senior Member Join Date: October 12, 1999 Location: North Texas Posts: 2,834	Great gun. Low recoil and very reliable. If you duck hunt in flooded timber, your longest shot will be 40 yards and a 3" is fine. I don't goose hunt so I can't help you there. The 3 1/2" really shines for Turkey hunting and offers a clear advantage over the 3".

October 22, 2000, 04:55 PM	#7
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	My first 20 geese or so were taken over dekes with a 16 ga,shooting 1 oz of #5s. The next hundred or so with 2 3/4 12 ga loads, mostly lead and less than 1 1/2 oz. While a case can be made for 3" mags for geese with steel, I eye askance the 3 1/2" job, seeing it more as a marketing ploy than an equipment upgrade. If you need(andthat's a synonym for want here) that much of a payload, the 10 ga may be the better choice. But like 416 Rigbys, there's more of them than there are shooters capable of using all that power.

October 22, 2000, 07:37 PM	#8
Clint Tickler Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 1999 Location: Seattle Area Posts: 184	Thanks to all for your replies. I think a 3" will do just fine for me. Tungsten and Bizmuth are good choices too right, albeit more expensive them steel. Thanks again.

October 23, 2000, 01:30 AM	#9
SpazzTrap Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2000 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 467	Clint, That's a really good price on that gun... There was a guy shooting "continental" trap (where the clays go really high) at the range the other day with that very gun. He said he loved the gun and by my observation he did quite well with it...

October 24, 2000, 10:07 AM	#10
JWR Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 2000 Posts: 180	I recently wanted to trade a BPS in for a 12 ga semiauto. I first looked at the Browning Gold (after 10 years of Browning loyalty (not much, but I started when I was 12)). It looked and felt good until I picked up a Beretta A390. Good looking, good feeling (you can adjust the cast of the stock yourself), only $600 or so a couple of years ago, so it's got to be comparable to that price. I've only hunted late-season doves so far (high brass 7-1/2's) and the recoil was negligible. Never jammed despite my fumbling reloading. Easy to disassemble and clean the gas system. Just take a look at it. I agree with the other posters on the 3-1/2" 12. Seems like you would only get a longer shot string. Do shell makers put any extra powder or better wads for velocity gain (shorter leads), or do these shells just have a little more shot than a 3"?