I'll be bringing my grandson Cam to Vermont for a weekend of turkey hunting next weekend. I have high hopes it will be as much fun for him as it was last season when I killed a big jake. Cam didn't have his hunters safety course yet or his hunting license but he has both this time.

Cam watched me shoot this one last year - I hope I am able to watch him do it this year.


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Charlie, I wonder if at those kinds of yardages if a fellow would need some kind of scope...?

Cousin Tim uses a red dot scope on his 3.5" Mossberg pump...(:vconfused:)

He tells me he can't wait til all those 3.5" turkey loads are all used up - then he's going to switch to 2 3/4". Me, I'd get rid of them now! They beat him up so bad it's a wonder he hasn't developed a severe flinch (like dropping his gun just before he pulls the trigger!)





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Just a neat discovery on the Parker 20 . I looked up my letter today. It was ordered on May 2 1917. Exactly 101 years to the day I shot my turkey.

Thought I better reposition the picture before my Scotch spilled.

http://parkerguns.org/forums/attachm...1&d=1525579880

my turn for NH turkey report' shot one this am at 5;40 W[th my Ithaca NID 10 GA. came in strutting and gobbling all the way to 20 yds. with a roll your own 1 1/2 half oz of 6's did him in. 10 1/4 inch beard 3/4 inch spurs, 22 lbs

Phil well you know what that means?Now have to hunt every year on May 2nd from now on.That would be a shame to break that string of luck.

I thought there was no hunting on Sunday in NH - guess I was wrong.





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I know this may come across as fightin words, but I just don't think sxs's in general are designed nor meant for long distance shots on stationary targets. Things just get to wonky when trying to account for that horizontal element, especially for such a small target as turkey head and neck. I think 40 yards using lead loads is just fine for several reasons.

I am also not so sure about using tungsten in these old guns. I understand it is as hard or harder than steel. Don't think it a good combination of 50% more density than lead and harder than steel to force through these old guns. History is fraught with good thoughts, bad ideas and tungsten in old sxs's maybe one of them. Maybe you can use #9 tungsten to get really good patterns in the old sxs at 40 if the wad is designed to compress some on the sides since the pellets won't.

Now if your in a killing mood for turkey at distance and not to worried about being caught unfashionable in the woods without your old Parker, then get out that pump or autoloader with recoil reduction and load a 3.5 inch tungsten round in it. You won't feel a thing when that turkey drops dead as a hammer, at least not until the next day.

As it was explained, these TSS loads have two protective shot cups so I wouldn't worry about scoring the bores. My only concern is that there would be enough thickness in the walls of the double shot cups to cushion the the effects of the non-compressible tungsten as it passes through the chokes.

Nevertheless, I might not hunt at all if I couldn't use a Parker - with apologies to all makers of modern shotguns...:corn:





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[As it was explained, these TSS loads have two protective shot cups so I wouldn't worry about scoring the bores. My only concern is that there would be enough thickness in the walls of the double shot cups to cushion the the effects of the non-compressible tungsten as it passes through the chokes.

Nevertheless, I might not hunt at all if I couldn't use a Parker - with apologies to all makers of modern shotguns...:corn:
.[/QUOTE]

That's cool and to each there own. Its fun to get those birds in close if you can. Old SXS work well for up close and up to 40 yards depending on how gun is choked and which barrel you choose. These guns were obviously designed to shoot to a particular distance with a tried and true lead shot. No need to ask the gun and load to do more than what it can. Steel shot or anything harder was never imagined to be run these old SxS bores, then really no need to try, I know I won't under current circumstances. That's really my point. Actually our Mad Scientist Jerry demonstrated that when he was testing tungsten in patterns and also the carrying power of lead vs tungsten. Lead starts losing it penetration energy at 40 to 50 yards anyway, but its still lethal to small game.

I think the tungsten stuff will be great though and someone clever will find an application that can safely work through an old sxs if there is determined a need for it. I mean seriously if employed correctly it could be incredible. Think about it. You could really lighten up the load and charge possibly and shell size and get better performance and patterns with more shot or about same shot in the pattern as lead. I just think you need a different wad and shot cup or some type of buffer that won't harm the guns barrel and chokes.

Maybe a half ounce of #9 tungsten and high pellet count in say a 20 gauge load could be incredible in a 2.5 inch shell and might even eliminate a good bit of shot stringing. If there is a will and need, there is a way. How great it could be to get a true left barrel load for a grouse in cover or pheasant that gets out to 40 yards and you have a load that has more pellets and penetration to get to them. Interesting possibility.