Is the 10 Gauge still a viable sporting shell?

[Captain O]

I remember Ithaca's "Roadblocker" 10 Gauge self-loading shotgun set up for buckshot and rifled slugs. The 22" barrel was effective but heavy. A slide-action model is a tad lighter and easier to carry.

A great deer shell would be a 1 5/8" 10 gauge from a 24" improved cylinder barrel. This would prove devastating on hogs and deer. It would also be a barrel swap away from a 30" extra-full choke pass shooting shotgun for geese. Another 26" Modified choke barrel would work for 2 7/8" shells for 40-50 yard duck and upland game work.

Opinions?

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[orygun]

Can you even get sporting ammo for one?
I think the 10 gauge sounds bad a$$, but if ammo isn't readily available, I'm not very interested.

 

[CountryGent]

I had an Ithaca Mag-10 for many years. It had a long hunting barrel (28"-ish) and a shorter one (22"-ish). I did not have any difficulty finding shells for it, at least turkey loads and 00-buckshot, online and at the Cabela's in Eugene. I finally parted with it in April. It was a fine, though sometimes finicky, shotgun, and the only one of the small batch I let go that I really cared about. But the reality is that unbelievable time pressures of the last few years aren't letting up, I didn't have much use for it because of that, and I've been trying to cut down the number of calibers/gauges we stockpile.

Is the Big 10 still viable? I'd say, yes, though the 12-gauge 3½" loads, naturally took over the market. Someday if my schedule and work life ever slows down, I would be tempted to get another Ten, though I'd go SxS double that time.