8 ga ammo

[charlie cleveland]

loades up some steel shot in the old 8 ga tonight will see how it patterns some time tommorrow..used my homemade pliars hull cripper to resize those old industrial hulls. they dont look as good as tom arbrust but they fit the gun with no problems.with a little morework on the pliars i think i can make the hull look real good... charlie

[Keith Parrish]

Keep playing with em and they will get better and better. I plan to patteren some of my first home made buck shot. Size F and 00. Got 5 rounds of each and will put them into some paper this weekend. Maybe take some to the recent coyote next time I get close enough.

Let us know how the 8's pattern! I'd like to know.

[Bill Murphy]

Charlie, have you taken any precautions to protect your bores from the steel shot? Is you entire shot load covered by the wad fingers or an added collar? By the way, patterns I shot with ten gauge steel factory loads (1 3/4 ounces of #2 and BB) were astounding at forty and sixty yards. I shot those loads for several years out of an AYA with more than .040 of choke constriction. The bores are still perfect.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

I wouldn't be afraid of any steel load in an AYA, I might be cautious about using them in a damascus gun. Now Bruce on the other hand, he thinks it's just fine to blow anything through those old guns. Opinions vary.....


DLH

[charlie cleveland]

bill ive used collars added to the remington wads im using no sighn of harm to the barrels yet...i shot the loads this evening at 70 steps using a 30 inch circle put an average of 30 bb shot in the circle..if it had of been a goose or big duck it would have been to bad for him..there is room for improvement i willtry more and differant wadding and maybe some filler...my loads i just tried were winchester new hulls with 40 grains of blue dot a remington sp 8 wad with protectiveplastic collared added..2 ounces of steel bb s bought from walmart yep bb gun ammo... used a 10 ga over shot wad and roll crimped the load .. the recoil was very pleasant 410 s kicked harder...penetration thruogh tin cans at same distance very good.... bill i wish my chokes were tight as yours im sure i could get better patterns...destrey i used the old fa loomis gun i got from you shes a stout old gal. i will continue working with these loads and post as i fool around with them... charlie

[Bill Murphy]

Destry, thank you for your insight. My AYA is now in the hands of a friend who will treat it better than I did. However, you know me pretty well and know that I am not much of a waterfowler and I won't hurt my tens or eights much, even if I shoot steel in them. In fact, I think I will start to shoot steel in my Parkers since I have a bunch of ammo and a bunch of guns. You all be sure to look closely at my ten gauge bores when you attend my estate sale. Don't worry about the eights, because I have tons of Bismuth ammo for the eight gauge, courtesy of Gary Herman.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Bill,

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't sweat shooting steel through a Parker if it wasn't anything special. But I wouldn't do it on a gun that meant a lot to me. The #3 frame 34 inch DHE isn't going to see any anytime soon. But then again, I've still got a pretty good stock of Kent TM and Federal TP so I'm not hurting for friendly ammo.


DLH

[Bill Murphy]

The gun you bought from Steve Cobb after I looked at it for two years and didn't buy it is a wonderful general purpose big gun waterfowler. Worth about twice what was paid for it. I don't think a fluid steel 3 1/2" Parker is going to be hurt much from a few hundred rounds of modern steel shells. Just look at the muzzles after every fifty shots or so.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

I'm pleased with the Cobb gun, it's given good service. I think I'll stick with the Federal TP when I use it, I've got about 500 round in stockpile. Should last me awhile.....


Destry

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Destry , Was the Cobb gun 3-1/2" ? Gary

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Bill, What do you mean estate sale, You plan on moving down South or something, course it would not hurt to plan I guess? I figure they won't be any thing in my estate sale but a few " EMPTY " mason jars! gary

[Bill Murphy]

Gary, the Cobb gun is an old #3 frame that was rebarrelled at Remington with real 3 1/2" marked barrels. Neat gun and another one that I looked at for a long time and saved for Destry. His fluid steel barrelled Churchill eight gauge is another one in the same category.

[Paul Harm]

I have a Parker 10ga I only paid $600 for and was thinking of getting it taken out to 8ga. Brad thought there was plenty of wall thickness and said someone else had ask him to do it on their gun. Sounds like he's ordering reamers to do it. I don't know - just an idea.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Murphy,

If "saving that 10 gauge for me" means my hearing about it from Rich Anderson, seeing it for the first time and then buying it straight off Cobb's table at the UP Shoot 10 years ago, I really appreciate it. You know how to take care of a guy.


DLH