Any One Useing a 28 Gauge Parker Hunting [Archive] - Parker Gun Collectors Association Forums

Jay Gardner

10-13-2009, 09:02 PM

Just got back from 4-days of grouse and woodcock hunting in northern Michigan and moved over 100 grouse. Took a 28 Repro and it was extremely effective on both grouse and woodcock. Shot it with 26" barrels choked Q1 and Q2 shooting B&P 3/4 oz of 7-1/2 shot. Killed my share of birds - all dead when they hit the ground. Anyone who hunts with a 28 will tell you the guage is a stone cold killer and I don't ever recall having crippled a bird. They are dead or gone. BTW: it's the same on a skeet field.

Dean Romig

10-14-2009, 12:01 AM

Jay, I use the same Repro 28 Q1 & Q2 with light RST 7 1/2's in the left tube and 8's in the right. I agree completely with your assertion of the killing ability of the 28 both in the coverts and on the skeet field. The Wednesday evening skeet shoot just before my sojourn to the Vermont hills I broke 24 (missed station 2 high house on the single) and have done well on grouse so far this season (50%) You've seen these pics before I'm sure.

Dave Miles

10-14-2009, 06:35 AM

Art Wheaton

10-14-2009, 08:02 AM

Graham...I use a 28 Parker Skeet gun all the time. As noted here, it is very effective when pointed in the right place. With advancing age, the lighter gun is wonderful to carry. I have had an occasional senior moment, air ball, or just plain bad gun point but not the fault of the gun. Try one and you probably wont go back.

Good shooting

Art Wheaton

Harry Collins

10-14-2009, 08:12 AM

I shoot an old "0" frame 28 at dove and quail which are about the only game in town here. I use 3/4 oz of 7 1/2 shot. The right barrel is about cylinder and the left is full. This is a great combination for me. Below is the 28 on the left and the new "0" frame 20 on the right. I shot these last night at clays.

Harry

Jay Gardner

10-14-2009, 08:25 AM

Jay,

I've never even moved 100 grouse in a season.
You need to invite me up next year. :) I'll shoot the 28 gauge.
It will do my new, young Setter some good to see some Grouse. :)

Dave, it was truly spectacular and we were indeed fortunate. I think weather played a big part in the number of birds we saw. It had rained most of last week and the woods was really wet Friday. Saturday morning was clear and cool with a nice breeze and so things dried out relatively quickly and that got the birds moving.

I hope to take a day-trip on the 25th and then hunt the weekend of the 30th and then one more day trip on the 8th. When you get down to it there are really not that many weekends during grouse season.

You can certainly use my 28 but I though you could not hit with it ;-)

Dave Miles

10-14-2009, 08:51 AM

Dave, it was truly spectacular and we were indeed fortunate. I think weather played a big part in the number of birds we saw. It had rained most of last week and the woods was really wet Friday. Saturday morning was clear and cool with a nice breeze and so things dried out relatively quickly and that got the birds moving.

I hope to take a day-trip on the 25th and then hunt the weekend of the 30th and then one more day trip on the 8th. When you get down to it there are really not that many weekends during grouse season.

You can certainly use my 28 but I though you could not hit with it ;-)

I bought another one:
Straight stock, two triggers, 28" barrels, with the BTFE.
Rich, Eric, and I will be in the U.P. from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1
Probably get snowed in. Oh well there's always whiskey to drink. :rolleyes:

Jay Gardner

10-14-2009, 09:03 AM

I bought another one:
Straight stock, two triggers, 28" barrels, with the BTFE.
Rich, Eric, and I will be in the U.P. from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1
Probably get snowed in. Oh well there's always whiskey to drink. :rolleyes:

Did you open the chokes on your 28? It has been at least a couple of years since I have shot my 28" barrels.

Two of my buddies have been in the UP since Saturday and planned to stay through Friday but are heading back today. They hunted in snow the past two days.

Enjoy the UP - I am always happy to hear that people are headed north of the bridge. Just means less company for me in the northern lower.:bigbye:

Dean Romig

10-14-2009, 09:42 AM

Oh well there's always whiskey to drink. :rolleyes:

Dave, that reminds me of my first weekend of 'grouse camp' this season - I always thought I was a 'dyed-in-the-wool' Jack Daniel's man but I was introduced to some fine sippin' likker by a local feller. Morton's Reserve as I recall . . . very, very nice :shock:

I guess you can teach an old dog a new trick :cool:

Eric Eis

10-14-2009, 10:56 AM

Jay Gardner

10-14-2009, 11:14 AM

Jay, you wouldn't be hunting some of the areas that we hit last year would you. I plan to try an make a one day run up there. At my property a friend of mine was staying last weekend and moved a few grouse and six or eight woodcock without a dog and that was just around the cabin... I need to get up there. Eric

No. I have not been back there yet this year. I thought I would save that in case you and I could get together for another hunt. This Saturday is out but I may be able to get there on the 25th. Interested?

John Dunkle

10-14-2009, 07:29 PM

If a repro counts.. From today - a little 28 GA... While I usually use a 20 - I'm liking the 28 more and more for the NE woods...

Jay Gardner

10-14-2009, 08:36 PM

It certainly works for me, John. As much as I would like to own an original Parker 28 I just can't see spending that kind of coin for a gun that I'll use the hell out of in the grouse woods. I really enjoy my 28 ga Repro and use it often, especially early in the season.

BTW: had a chance to handle that 28/30 at Jaquas last week. It is a very nice gun but whomever cut off the SSBP needs to be smacked silly but not as badly as whomever did the crappy job of splicing the SSBP back on.:cuss:

Jay Gardner

10-14-2009, 08:47 PM

Dave, that reminds me of my first weekend of 'grouse camp' this season - I always thought I was a 'dyed-in-the-wool' Jack Daniel's man but I was introduced to some fine sippin' likker by a local feller. Morton's Reserve as I recall . . . very, very nice :shock:

I guess you can teach an old dog a new trick :cool:

I had a run in this past weekend with a bottle of Blanton's. Yikes. I used to be a Jack-man but then I discovered Buffalo Trace.

Bill Murphy

10-15-2009, 10:35 AM

I've been shooting my 28" modified and full VH for 50 years this hunting season. I've never used anything but 3/4 ounce loads, but the chokes make up for lack of shot. I've never felt undergunned. However, when I used to shoot Southern Maryland quail as a teenager, I know I missed many close birds because of the tight chokes. My only experience with my new 26" cylinder and full straight grip VH was last year on off season field trial leftovers. We had some nice close pointed birds in the bag, when I took a desperation left barrel shot on a bird that had not been shot at. She was curving around a little stand of trees about 40+ yards out and I fired as she disappeared. Just on a whim, we walked toward the point at which I last saw the bird. I was a bit proud when one of the dogs came up with the dead bird right where I knew she would be. It's nice to have a hunting partner to witness a shot like that. I haven't patterned my old gun since I was in high school, but I patterned the new gun shortly after I got it home. The .020 left barrel just tears the middle out of the paper at any reasonable bird shooting distance. I think a full choked 28 is fine for pheasants up to almost 40 yards if the shooter knows what he is doing.

Harry Collins

10-15-2009, 11:19 AM

Jay,

Blanton's wins all the tast test on most all such comparisons nation wide. Buffalo Trace is the old Cream of Kentucky recipe and is made at the same place as Blanton's. Elmer T Lee is very modestly priced and I think is nothing more than Blanton's rejects and is what I drink on special occasions. Another wheeted bourbon fron this distillery is WL Weller 12 year old Special Reserve. Very modestly priced and a real treat to the tongue if you can find it.

Harry

Jay Gardner

10-15-2009, 11:31 AM

Harry,

Thanks for the tips....I think I'll have to hunt some down. One of the things we tried with Blanton's was to twist a mint leaf and drop it in the glass before adding ice and the hootch. Very plesant and lightened it up a little.

Where does Old Pogue fit in to the food chain? Took a bottle of that to deer camp last year and found it spicy but still smooth.

Cheers,

J

Harry Collins

10-15-2009, 04:24 PM

John Dunkle

10-15-2009, 05:05 PM

...I think a full choked 28 is fine for pheasants up to almost 40 yards.... It's interesting you say that, as this AM I had a rooster crossing about 35 - 40 yards out, but didn't shoot as I didn't want to risk crippling the bird with a 28 GA..? Later, in thinking about it - I probably should have taken the shot, as I had a hen riser about 25 yards out and she crumpled with one shot...? I dun'no - the more I shoot this little 28 - the more I really like it...

Best to you!

JD

Bill Murphy

10-15-2009, 05:15 PM

I don't know how I ever wrote a whole thread about my 28 Parkers when I could have been talking about Bourbon whiskey. I am a bit on the tight side when it comes to Bourbon, probably because I was in the business for 29 years and know almost as much as my friend Harry C. does about how it is made and what is good and bad. Does anyone remember how George Herter made his Jack Daniel? He recommended that we take the cheapest, nastiest Bourbon we could buy, Town Club or Ten High, add a good slug of powdered sugar, shake it up and put it in a JD bottle. I love a bottle of boutique bourbon as well as the next guy, but prefer to take a good bottle of more common stuff on a hunting or gun buying trip. My best Bourbon drinking buddy, now ready to turn 93, likes Ezra Brooks. What do you think of old Ezra? I believe it is just a name bottled by Heaven Hill but does anyone know what they put in the bottle?

Bill Murphy

10-15-2009, 05:30 PM

John, a good bird shot would just recommend that you shoot far enough ahead of a crossing pheasant that you don't put any shot into the body. That's easily said but not so easily done. Last season, I was in a good pond blind and some geese came in real close. I was shooting my favorite ten, picked a goose and body shot him. I was shooting with a couple of guys I had just met who were real waterfowlers and was embarrassed to have taken such an easy shot in the body. As a way to apologize to my new hunting companions for my poor judgement, I said "Dammit, I shot him in the ass." The fellow sitting next to me turned to me without smiling and said, "Yup, you shot him in the ass." Later I redeemed myself by saving an escaping goose at about 90 yards that one of the fellows probably hit a little light. I took him on my second shot but I still felt like I had paid back the body shot at 30 yards.

Destry L. Hoffard

10-15-2009, 06:23 PM

Bill,

I've killed a lot of geese and I always feel good when they fall no matter where they're hit. It's nice to bust ones neck at 30 yards but if I center him in the pattern he's just as dead. *wink*

Destry

Harry Collins

10-15-2009, 06:51 PM

John,

What size shot were you shooting?

Harry

John Dunkle

10-15-2009, 07:11 PM

Hi Harry!

I was loaded with Federal 28 Gauge Premium (wing-shock) #6, 2-3/4, 3/4 oz (which is about a 1300 fps load, I think??)... As this was in my 28 Repro - I had no hesitation about using a modern load...

What are your thoughts??

Best to you - and thanks!!

John

Jay Gardner

10-15-2009, 07:31 PM

Jay,

I have not had Old Pogue and I would not be adverse to try it. The truth is I don't care what horse I ride so long as I get there.

I drink the good stuff neat most of the time, but a real treat is a silver cup filled with crushed ice and a very good bourbon.

Harry

I am not quite there when it comes to drinking my bourbon neat. Guess I need to work on that "skill." Good thing hunting season has just started.

Cheers

Rich Anderson

10-15-2009, 08:33 PM

I use a VHE 28 with 28 inch bbls choked skt/skt for Pheasants (both wild and preserve), Grouse, Woodcock and Quail. The Quail are alas preserve birds and I only use the 28 when a certain friend isn't letteing me use his VHE 410 skeet gun:)

Bill I have sampeled Izra Brooks and its not bad stuff still no Jack Daniels or Makers Mark however. I'll stick to what I know best which is JD and prefer the Gentalman Jack and REALLY prefer Singel Barrel but at $40+ a fifth those outings are few and far between.

Back to the 28 I usually shoot std skeet loads for everything but Pheasants and for them I have some B&P 3/4 oz 6's.

Jay what were you drinking when you moved 100 Grouse?:duck:

Jay Gardner

10-15-2009, 08:45 PM

Water, Rich. Lots of water. Had to make sure I was not dreaming.:)

Harry Collins

10-16-2009, 11:33 AM

John,

That sounds like a cracker jack load. I load 7 1/2 shot for most all on my shooting, but would jump up to #6 shot for anything larger than dove or quail. My father loaded 8 1/2 shot in his 28 gauge for clays, dove and quail. I'm just not that good a shot and rely on the few odd pellets to kill. Would you hesitate to shoot your fast load in a 100+ year old Parker? Out of deference to the wood I might, but after all of Sherman Bells research I am inclined to shoot anything off the shelf through these old guns Damascus or not. Bruce may have gotten away with steel through a Damascus gun a few times and I got away with it through a stout VH for a season when the laws changed, but I would not recomend it.

Harry

Bill Murphy

10-16-2009, 06:14 PM

Harry, I have fifty years of shooting 2 3/4" Super-X factory loads and identical reloads out of my 2 1/2" chambered VH 28 gauge. I'll try to remember to bring this little jewel to the Southern next spring for everyone to examine. By the way, Harry, will you be at the Fall Southern next weekend? Kevin and I are coming down on Friday. 477 miles from my house. We really owe it to Rick Hemingway for being such a friend to us at the Spring Southern. He is such a nice guy.

Richard Flanders

10-17-2009, 01:16 AM

I just finished up 19days of hunting ruffies with Trigg in Saskatchewan and Alberta and ruffies and woodcock in Minnesota at the RGS annual shoot, all with my 26" 28ga SK1/SK2 Repro and felt I had the perfect gun. Strangely enough(to me anyway), some folks were using 12ga guns with 1-1/4oz heavy hunting loads. That seemed overkill to me, and I'm not even a very good shot. I used mostly 7-1/2 shot and even when hit with 2-3 pellets birds went down well. I had not gotten or even seen a woodcock in 43yrs and got 3 during the RGS hunt. Very fun. We did our last hunting for sharptails in Alberta this morning but saw only one ruffed grouse and we're on our way home tonite, which will take two more long days of driving. We've got the geese we got with Bob Brown frozen and in the car top carrier. Bob called us today while we were walking the edge of a pea field. Hopefully we'll get to hunt with him and Brett again next year. Brett offered us a whole deer he had hanging in his barn... next to his elk.... today, but we didn't have room in the car! Too bad!

Harry Collins

10-17-2009, 07:26 AM

Bill,

I would have loved to come and be with you fellows again. Just a different set of circumstances these days. I was thinking of selling my 28, but after having it beside Uncle Bill's 20 gauge with the same 0 frame size and 26" barrels it would be one of the last to go....

Harry

Dave Suponski

10-17-2009, 08:07 AM

Harry,Those are two great photos. Thanks for posting them. :)

Bill Murphy

10-17-2009, 09:17 AM

Harry, don't sell the 28. About 49 years ago, a year after I bought my 28, a Parker guy here locally, my first Parker mentor, offered me $200 for it. I came real close to selling it. What 14 year old could resist doubling his money on a new purchase? Somehow, I resisted the temptation and enjoyed fifty years of pleasure with my first Parker.

Travis Sims

10-18-2009, 10:42 PM

WOW......a whole 200.00.........geez how couldya pass that up???????:nono:

Bill Murphy

10-19-2009, 08:42 AM

Not too long after I bought my little 28, a fellow named Al Oden attended an ATA shoot at our gun club. He showed me two 28 gauge VH Parkers that he had for sale, both $200 as I recall. One was a 24" gun with beavetail forend and blued frame. Even at 15 years old I knew a trashed out non original gun when I saw it. It was a nice shooter, but not for $200. The other gun was a high condition original gun, 28" barrels, loaded up with color. This was a great gun, even at that price, but I had one just like it, didn't need two, so I passed on that one too. Al said he had lots of guns at his place of business and my Dad and I should come over some time. Al had a rough bar in Glen Burnie, not far from Baltimore. Dad and I went over one Saturday when Al was apparently at a trap shoot. We didn't get to see Al, but we played the slots, Dad had a beer or two, and we looked at the guns that lined the walls of the bar. From the time I was a pup, Dad and I liked to play the slots and play pool in the seedy bars in Southern Maryland when on fishing and hunting trips. That was the first and only time we went to Al's place and I never did get to see the rest of his shotguns.

Dean Romig

10-19-2009, 09:05 AM

Ahh. . . those missed opportunities - we should collaborate on a book, we'll name it "Twenty/Twenty Hindsight" waddaya say Bill?

Bill Murphy

10-19-2009, 09:58 AM

Yup, I've got a book full, as do the rest of us.

Harry Collins

10-19-2009, 11:13 AM

Most of you remember wages from 45 to 50 years ago. I earned $0.50 an hour unless we were bailing hay and I got a $1.00 an hour. When we were housing tobacco I earned $2.00 an hour or if I were cutting tobacco I earned $2.00 a hundred sticks (six stalks to the stick). I worked most of the summer to buy my first car, a 1947 Studebaker, for $60.00 and spent another $40.00 to put new tires all the way around and it cost another $125.00 to insure. A friend of my fathers slipped up on a BHE two barreled set for $100.00. Oh well.....

Travis Sims

10-19-2009, 04:01 PM

Harry.......seems like the last time i cut by the stick was 10 or 11 cents a stick. Where i was from growing up, everybody raised tobacco. Now back home noone does. Its' a shame really, but i guess it's for the best?

Russ Jackson

11-12-2009, 09:17 PM

Just wondering if any of the members use their 28 gauge Parkers in the field?If so what do you usually hunt with them?

Running behind on this thread, just noticed it and thought I would fire it back up ,love those little 28 Ga. guns ! First Wood Cock hunt of 2009,2010 Season, ,DH 28 , A good day out !

Dave Suponski

11-14-2009, 09:27 AM

Art,Thanks for the picture :) What a great gun! And I know exactly what ya mean....:rolleyes: My only problem is that I haven,t had a chance to try out the luxury of a 28 because Danny has decided its his!

David Dwyer

11-14-2009, 03:33 PM

Graham
I have used only a 28ga on quail for the past 30 years & it is devastating with a one oz load. In the recent years it has been a VH with 29 inch barrels and it kills em dead out to 35+ yards.
David

Bill Murphy

11-14-2009, 09:53 PM

Art, since you are a Remington guy, I suspect that your 28 gauge VHE skeet may be D. Lee Braun's old skeet gun. McCormack and I let that one get away at the Baltimore Show several years ago for lack of good sense and money. Tell me if that's your grouse gun.