REVIEW: Stoeger's M3500 Snow Goose Shotgun

Snow goose hunting is a crazy sport. Thousands are spent on decoys, gear, shells and guns. All for the exhilaration of a goose that flocks in by the millions. But there’s so much more than just waiting in a field getting a migraine from the sounds of the e-caller. There’s a rush that imbeds itself in the blood and creates an itch you have to scratch every spring. When those big spins start to turn, and you’re getting ready to dump the mag into a flock of snows circling overhead—there’s nothing quite like it.

The fastest way to ruin a moment like that is having a gun that jams, doesn’t cycle, or some other manner of misfortune. I’ve seen hunters list guns for sale right there in the field after such an occasion where the birds were in the decoys by the hundreds, and they only got one shot off.

 Snow goose hunting is hard on your guns. No matter how much you try to baby them, your shotgun will always take a beating. That’s why when I had the chance to test out Stoeger’s M3500 Snow Goose model shotgun on a recent hunt in South Dakota, I was eager to put it to the test.

First Impressions

When I first received the gun, I have to admit, the distressed white cerakote was a nice touch. It looks like a snow goose wrecking machine straight out of the box. I know many guides who have rattle-canned their snow goose guns white that would have loved a gun like this straight from the factory. And the fact that it came stock with a 10+1 mag extension just sweetened the pot.

The gun felt a bit bulky in my hands, but after some practice swings and bringing it to shoulder over and over, I was excited to get it in the field.

Putting it to the test

All three hunts in South Dakota were cold and windy. The snows that were in the area were all adults and very well educated. Though the conditions for hunting weren’t ideal, they were perfect for seeing how well a gun would perform while enduring some abuse.

When the first birds came in, a single passed overhead. I pulled the shotgun to shoulder and watched the feathers poof around him. We were off to a good start.

After one day of hunting and a respectable pile of birds to clean, I broke the gun down and cleaned everything. It was much easier than I expected to take everything apart. Usually when extensions are in the mix, things become tedious and, frankly, somewhat annoying. But the Stoeger took only a matter of minutes to take down, clean, lubricate, and put back together.
The following day we sat in an A frame blind with the wind blowing a steady 20-mph, and gusting up to 40-mph. Dirt and debris littered the field and stirred around in the blind. Everyone was noticing a thick build-up of gunk in the actions of their guns. But there was no time to clean, snows were working. On one flock, the Stoeger was the only gun that went bang every time I pulled the trigger. It handled the build-up of gunk like a champ!

I opted not to clean the gun for the third hunt, because I wanted to see how well it would hold up. The wind was even worse the final day, and the temperatures had dropped lower. With five guns in the blind, only two were dependable on each trigger pull. The Stoeger M3500 was one of them.

Three days of hunting resulted in some action packed volleyys. Even though the birds were educated, we still managed to take home some gorgeous blues and pile up the adults. The evening hunts were especially spectacular. On one evening hunt we seemed to catch what was a last ditch effort by the geese to come to feed. With only 30 minutes left of shooting light, we tore into flock after flock. Racking up a rate of almost one bird-per-minute. It was quite the spectacle. And the Stoeger handled every shell I fed through.

Final thoughts

Snow goose hunting is a deep passion of mine. There’s nothing like the cries of snow geese overhead and watching as they circle down into range. But, all that is for naught if you don’t have a gun you can depend on. In my experience, the Stoeger M3500 Snow Goose is a white devil killing machine. Every shell cycled, I had no issues with the extension, the operation was silky smooth.

If you’re looking for a new snow goose gun that checks all the boxes—extended mag, awesome cerakote finish, durable, fast cycling—the Stoeger M3500 Snow Goose could be the right gun for you!

Pricing and specs

Chamber: 2-3/4”, 3”, 3-1/2”

Barrel length: 28”

Stock and barrel: Distressed-White cerakote

Price: $1,000

Website: stoegerindustries.com

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