Turkey Hunting?

[Jim McKee]

Hi!
Anyone using their Parker SBT for turkey hunting?
Thanks!
Jim

[Phil Yearout]

I had a chum suggest that I take my SBT out for pheasants. The lack of a safety is a concern to me, but maybe that's just me.

[PAUL PLUNKETT III]

This thread reminded me of a question I have been meaning to post? Has anyone found or heard of A Parker single barrel trap with a safety installed? When I was an active member of the A H Fox collectors board and had access to the factory card copies, I seem to recall a request for a Fox SBT with Safety installed. :whistle:Paul

[Dean Romig]

I had a chum suggest that I take my SBT out for pheasants. The lack of a safety is a concern to me, but maybe that's just me.


Phil, same as hunting with a hammer gun - keep the breech open with a shell in the chamber and simply close it when the gobbler is responding to your calls.





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[Joseph Flynn]

Dean, I don’t hunt much with a hammer gun, and I am no expert, but I would think it would be safe to carry loaded with the breech closed as long has the hammers were not cocked. It seems like it would be even safer than a hammerless because with a hammerless it is always cocked. Not trying to correct you, I might be missing something, I’m just looking for insight.

[John Dallas]

I've had an experience of having the shells fall out of the chambers while walking with an open gun. Unfortunately, it was in a field trial and it was witnessed by about 75 people.

[Dean Romig]

When I'm hunting alone with a hammer gun for grouse and woodcock and I'm in a cover where I can expect a flush or an imminent point I'll hunt with the breech closed and hammers cocked and keep the muzzles pointed at the sky.

When I'm with a partner or other hunters, out of courtesy and safety to them being paramount, I'll hunt with the hammers cocked and the breech open. On the flush it is much simpler and easier to just snap the gun closed than it is to cock both hammers.

When I'm turkey hunting I'm always alone. And I generally hunt with the hammers cocked and breech closed between sitting. When I'm sitting and calling the hammers are down and the breech is closed. I cock the gun when I shoulder it well in advance of the bird making an appearance.... but he will usually have announced himself before he comes into view.

There are a few ways to hunt safely with a hammer gun. But the key word is always safely.





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[Joseph Flynn]

That makes sense

[Phillip Carr]

I hunted quail alone this week with my dogs. I took along my 20 gauge DHE with no safety. I hunted with shells in the chambers and the gun open.
Easy enough with Pointers to simply close the gun after approaching my dogs on point. Then walking in to flush the birds.
I did miss a few opportunities when birds flushed early or I stepped on a few singles.
I love the gun but won’t be hunting with it when I hunt with others even though I always carry my all my Double guns broken open when I hunt.
I’m just not comfortable hunting with others without a safety. I actually do not take my gun off safe until the birds flush.
The normal approach to my dogs on point is to snap the gun closed, walk in with barrels pointing safely over the dogs. Walking to the side of my dog and then out front. Birds flush, gun comes up to my shoulder and the safety slides forward at the same time. Finger that is resting on the side of the trigger then slips in and taps the trigger.
I just like the added security of a safety since the country we hunt is rough, rocky and unstable at times. It’s easy enough to loose your balance and fall. Accidental discharges can and have happened. Mechanical safety’s will never replace good safety practices but I do like having a second level of safety on my guns.

[Phil Yearout]

Phil, same as hunting with a hammer gun - keep the breech open with a shell in the chamber and simply close it when the gobbler is responding to your calls..


Have never hunted with a hammer gun. Makes sense sitting at the base of a tree waiting for a turkey to come by I guess. I know some guys hunt with the breech open; I never have - breech closed, muzzle up for me. It took me a long time to get used to sliding the safety off while shouldering a sxs after years of hunting with my dad's old Savage auto; if I was stomping a CPR field with my SBT I'd probably have the barrel still pointing at the ground while my thumb was hunting for the safety :rotf:.

[charlie cleveland]

I ve always hunted with breach closed barrels down safety on....with a hammer gun breached closed hammers down no trouble for me to cock both hammers at the same time...gun pointed up till bird appears....charlie

[Bill Murphy]

That's pretty much it, Charlie, nothing much else to say. However, when on a preserve hunt with strangers, a guide, and dogs you are not familiar with, I hunt with an open breech even with a gun with a safety. It makes everyone more comfortable. And there's always the possibility that the others will imitate. I know of more than two guides who have had dogs killed by idiots and one guide who was shot and killed by someone who was more than an idiot. Those events were more than enough to make me hunt with an open gun.

[Dean Romig]

I know of more than two guides who have had dogs killed by idiots and one guide who was shot and killed by someone who was more than an idiot. Those events were more than enough to make me hunt with an open gun.


And strongly encourage others hunting with me to do the same. It's the courteous (and safe) thing to do.





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[Ken Descovich]

Quite a few years back I answered an add that this lady was selling a 16 ga L. C. Smith shotgun, when i got there she was saddened that she was selling it as it was her grandpa's who she said was killed while hunting with this shotgun by a young hunter who did not follow safe gun handling. I will always remember this. Be safe out there!

[Stan Hillis]

I never walk in on a point, or even walk behind dogs, with barrels pointing downward, always upward. If you trip on something, and fall, the muzzles can be maintained in a safe direction much easier when they are already pointing skyward. It they're muzzles down, and you trip and fall, your barrels are likely jammed in the ground, or damaged by a rock or root.

I've tripped and fallen while following bird dogs and was always able to hit the ground with my muzzles up, and no gun damage.

JME, YMMV

[CraigThompson]

The last two saturdays at pheasent shoots I used hammerless guns , but over half the time I have the gun open with shells in the chambers safety on and the muzzle's on the toes of my shoe . When I hear the birds going up or as the case at Prospect Hall the thrower going off I lift the gun and close the barrels .

I'm not big on closing a hammer gun with both hammers back . I was shooting 5 Stand a couple months ago with my hammer 16 , had cracked it open to reload one barrel and the unfired barrel still had the hammer back , when I closed it that hammer went down and I shot the turf about 15 yards in front of me . Dunno if it jumped the sear , the sear released or if I touched somnething to cause this but ever since then the practice of walking around with the gun cracked open loaded with the hammers back I no longer do .

Incidently if I get an invite to visit Prospect Hall in January for the pheasent partidge pigeon deal I think I'm going to take Brutus (hammer 8 gauge) and a 12 gauge . Don't really need Brutus for that stuff but unless I missed something in the WVA game laws it's legal .

[Tom Flanigan]

Hi!
Anyone using their Parker SBT for turkey hunting?
Thanks!
Jim

I might use my SC this spring when I get a chance to pattern it with 6's. I considered it last year, just for the hell of it, but never pulled the trigger, so to speak. My go to turkey gun is a 12 bore DHE that throws wonderful patterns with my turkey load of 1200 fps, 1 1/4 oz loads. I never bought into the extra heavy turkey loads that many use.

One thing to consider if you decide to hunt turkey with SBT is that most of these guns are higher stocked than field guns. If you are not aware of that and compensate, you could shoot over the bird.

[Dean Romig]

Pattern your turkey gun at 40 yards with the loads you’ll be using like Parker did when they were made. This way you’ll learn it’s POI and pattern density at that distance.






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[Tom Flanigan]

POI is important and shouldn't be taken for granted. A couple of weeks ago, I patterned a Remington 1100 trap gun for a friend. He shot it poorly, so we decided to see what the gun was doing on paper. I usually start at 20 yards when determining the POI before moving back to 40 yards. The gun shot low at 20 yards. I was surprised and so I took a few more shots and got the same results. I had my friend shoot it a few times and he got the same results. I don't know the drop of the stock but it was a typical trap stocked Remington with a Monte Carlo. It fit me well, as far as I could tell.

The low shooting may have something to do with the pitch, I'm not sure. But if it was my gun I would take the time to figure it out. He didn't seem interested in investigating further.

[CraigThompson]

I shot Brutus Tuesday with two ounce loads of 4’s and 6’s at 42 yards and they were okay . But they were in Remington hulls roll crimped . I think this week sometime I’ll pattern him with 1 3/4 ounce loads of 4’s and 6’s in folded crimp Winchester hulls . I’m keeping my eye open for someone to bring some recent manufacture factory 12 gauge 3” loads with 4’s or 6’s in to sell . I wouldn’t mind a few of them for my Model 12 Mag .

[charlie cleveland]

those 1 3/4 ounce in the 8 ga are really pleasant to shoot....them 3 inch shells in the 12 ga with the 2 ounce loads are rough on the shoulder....I really liked the 3 in load I the 1 5/8 ounce load...I always liked a no 6 in the right barrel and a no 2 in the left barrel....charlie

[Tom Flanigan]

Charlie, I've never had a gun that shot 2's worth a damn, but I'll bet Brutus does. If I had that gun I'd be shooting it at turkeys. What a hoot that would be!

[Phillip Carr]

When I owned Brutus. I took 2 turkeys in New Mexico and one in Florida. Used 2’s and 4’s.

[Tom Flanigan]

And I'll bet it was sublime taking turkeys with a piece of history. I'll never own an 8 bore, but I like just to see one some day.

[charlie cleveland]

I use to shoot lead bb loads in the left barrel but miss. laws said no 2 s were the biggest shot you could use...the 8 ga I used patterned real good with bb and 2 s....killed a lot of turkeys using bb loads....a coyote is in danger if you got a gun that patterns well with bb s...charlie

[CraigThompson]

Charlie, I've never had a gun that shot 2's worth a damn, but I'll bet Brutus does. If I had that gun I'd be shooting it at turkeys. What a hoot that would be!

Don’t think I have any lead #2’s I do however have some that are Bismuth . But the targets at 40 yards Brutus shot with 4’s were pretty nice and the 6’s as well although I’ve never been much on 6’s for gobble birds . While I like Brutus a great deal I’d still like an 8 gauge hammerless .

[CraigThompson]

When I owned Brutus. I tool 2 turkeys in New Mexico and one in Florida. Used 2’s and 4’s.

Oh I thought you got an Osceola , a Merriams and a Rio Grande .

[CraigThompson]

And I'll bet it was sublime taking turkeys with a piece of history. I'll never own an 8 bore, but I like just to see one some day.

For me steam traction engines and 8 gauge shotguns were the same . I never played with either until I bought my own :rotf:

[Dean Romig]

Don’t think I have any lead #2’s I do however have some that are Bismuth . But the targets at 40 yards Brutus shot with 4’s were pretty nice and the 6’s as well although I’ve never been much on 6’s for gobble birds . While I like Brutus a great deal I’d still like an 8 gauge hammerless .


Craig - every turkey I ever killed was with #6 lead... year before last I killed 2 toms with 1 shot 1 1/4 oz. of 6’s. Aim for the head and your pattern will crush bones in his spinal column and skulk ane make jelly out of his spinal cord and brain. A dense pattern of 6’s does the job for me every time.



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[J. Scott Hanes]

6pt-Sika, do you own a steam traction engine?

[CraigThompson]

6pt-Sika, do you own a steam traction engine?

I did a number of years ago . Had a circa 1914 Frick 8 1/2x10 traction , a circa 1915 Frick 8x10 traction , a circa 1913 Frick 5x8 portable engine and a circa 1920 Frick 10x12 stationary engine without a boiler . As well as a couple Farquhar stationary engines .