Low pressure 16 gauge loads

[John Farrell, Charter Member #33]

When you get onto the 16 gauge website forum you'll see a zillion 16 gauge loads posted in tables by powder, hull, wads etc. by a member who's signon is spr 310. He has a wealth of data available for the time it takes to download. Good luck.

[Bruce Day]

Originally Posted by Harold Lee Pickens

Buddy--check your pm's.
What should be the max pressure we should shoot in these danascus guns? Is under 8800 ok, or should we go lower?

TPS, p.515: 10,100 psi are the Parker figures for the barrels as made. Remember that Parker treated and proof tested fluid steel and composite ( including Damascus ) barrels the same.

"Pressure" refers to barrel loading, and with the stoutness of Parker barrels, experience and testing have demonstrated that not to be much of an issue of undue concern. What you are writing about appears to be recoil related, and barrel pressure and gun recoil are related only in that velocity and weight of everything that comes out of the barrel are two of the three factors in the recoil equation.

Many people, including myself feel that it is a good practice to use low recoil loads, consistent with what you are shooting at. Its like driving the 40 year old sports car at 70 when you know it will still do 100, but if you need/want to step on the throttle, you have the capability.

[Buddy Harrison]

Harold, Because of the variations in the condition of damascus guns, I don't think there is a black and white answer to your question. I am no expert metallurgist by any means but common sense tells me that there is probably some degradation in 100 year old welds and solder joints in all doubles, especially damascus. For that reason and because I am proud of my hands and fingers and other body parts, I won't shoot loads in my damascus more than 7,500 PSI. This is my personal limit, I am sure others have different opinions and I surely respect those. Again, just my personal limit.

[John Farrell, Charter Member #33]

What would be really nice would be a comparison of old twist or Damascus barrels with a "tuning fork test" as the measure of condition of the welds and steel. If one were to "tink" a good condition older twist or laminated barrels - and determine the key they were sounding - one could have an idea of the condition of another set of barrels. Having a good "musical ear" or knowing a musician that was also a gun nut would be a plus for this kind of analysis. An oscilloscope would also be beneficial.

[OH Osthaus]

i wonder how many shooters into doubles still have a good ear

[Bruce Day]

A person can always do what a friend did the first time he shot a Damascus gun:

[charlie cleveland]

looks like them old barrels are still together.. charlie

[John Farrell, Charter Member #33]

You will note that I think using an oscilloscope, (to measure the sound wave) would be a good thing. I recall starting out in the benchrest shooting game in the late 50s - the days of Harvey Donaldson, Bob Hart, Mike Walker and other BR shooters - there were a lot of "what's that?" and "huh?" in the conversations. As a result, discussions on shooting and hunting ran on and on - as everything was repeated several times for the story to make it around the table. We used to stuff used cigarette filters in our ears to muffle the noise on the shooting line. I still own the first set of ear muffs I bought in the early 60s.

Now I ask "what's that you said?" and "huh?" a lot.

[OH Osthaus]

hence the old saying

"you can tell an old skeet shooter
but you can't tell him much"

[Harold Pickens]

Buddy, I think you will find the info I mailed to you very useful. Thanks for your reply on the max pressure. All the loads I am using now are around the 6000psi level, 16 ga. I should talk to my brother, who by the way IS a world renowned metallurgist-he travels and consults all over the world. Still, I doubt he ever did anything with Damascus.