The 10 and 12 can each lay claim to being the most powerful legal shotgun for hunting. The 10-gauge can hold an extra bit of shot over the 3½-inch 12-gauge thanks to its larger hull. The 3½-inch 12-gauge, because it was introduced 55 years after the magnum 10, can be loaded to higher pressures, which means it can shoot almost as much shot as the 10, but at higher velocities, giving its pellets more energy. When it comes to loads like OO buck, both the 10 and the 3½-inch 12-gauge fire identical, devastating, 1100 fps, 18-pellet loads.