Argentina Doves W/ a Repro. ??

[AmarilloMike]

There is an original Parker DH at Steve Barnetts that I would like to take to Argentina. I copied the description:

1 FRAME 32" 21 AND 028 2 3/4 DOUBLE TRIGGER EJECTOR SPLINTER FOREARM PISTOL GRIP EXCELLENT CONDITION WITH LIGHT HANDLING MARKS IN WOOD AND LIGHT BLUE WEAR ON BARRELS NO CASE COLORS 7LB 9 OZ X 2 9/16 X 1 9/16 X 14 1/2

This is a twenty gauge. Looks about like the perfect statistics to me.

Best,

Mike

[GH-16]

Originally Posted by Mike Shepherd

There is an original Parker DH at Steve Barnetts that I would like to take to Argentina. I copied the description:

1 FRAME 32" 21 AND 028 2 3/4 DOUBLE TRIGGER EJECTOR SPLINTER FOREARM PISTOL GRIP EXCELLENT CONDITION WITH LIGHT HANDLING MARKS IN WOOD AND LIGHT BLUE WEAR ON BARRELS NO CASE COLORS 7LB 9 OZ X 2 9/16 X 1 9/16 X 14 1/2

This is a twenty gauge. Looks about like the perfect stastics to me.

Best,

Mike

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the heads-up on this gun. I looked it over and your spot-on that it would be a really cool gun to take with me next June.

Unfortunately my pockets aren't deep enough to buy this gun and be able to afford the trip as well. I do need to buy ammunition while I'm on the trip and this cost can add-up real quick down there as you well know. So the ol'budget will only allow so much for a gun and the trip costs when added together.

Wow, a 7lb 9oz 20ga must be some kinda gun. I know the 32" barrels will add some weight, but they must have thick walls and that must be some really dense wood as well. Pretty gun though!!

The hunt continues for the right gun, but I may have found the repro I've been looking for to do this trip. I'll keep you informed when the deal is done.

Thanks,
Paul

[AmarilloMike]

I know what you mean. It does add up. I have been twice and had a fantastic time each trip. The only thing keeping me from going a third time is the money.

The first trip I bought just for Argentina a 28 gauge Beretta O/U with 30" barrels. I sold it when I got back for almost what I paid for it. That trip I also took a Beretta 20 gauge O/U with 30" barrels which I am selling now.

The second trip I took an SKB 28 gauge SxS which I sold after the trip. I also took the the Parker DHE 16. I still have it and am keeping it.

Best,

Mike

[William Stevenson]

Paul, when I shot in Argentina I used a pair of light 20 ga side by sides. Very enjoyable, but after 2000 rounds the thought came to me that 28 ga guns would be even better. As you know, light weight and light recoil would be great in that environment. If your outfitter can provide 28 ga shells, I would recomend a Reproduction in that guage with a Beavertail forend and English stock. Bill

[GH-16]

William,

Great minds think alike.

I'll be taking two guns with me on this trip. The one will be a 20ga repro 28" pistol grip, beavertail, double trigger that a member here hooked me up with.

The other gun I will be taking with me is my 28ga repro. It's a 28" barreled straight grip splinter that I've had the mod-full chokes opened to .007" & .016". I have two reservations about using the 28 as my main gun. One is the fact that it is so light weight that even with dove type loads, it can have about the same recoil as a larger gauge gun that weighs more. The other is the light weight can make me throw the gun around some and if I don't watch myself I start mis-mounting it & shooting it pretty choppy by stopping my swing.

One of the other reasons for the 20ga is the Pigeons down there. Last year we had a couple of good pigeon shoots and with the so-so 20ga loads the outfitter provided. I felt the need for even a larger gauge or some heavier/larger shot. The 28 will be fine for the occational pigeon flying with the doves, but if we get the chance to do a primary pigeon shoot I will want the 20ga and some tighter chokes.

Thanks for the advice,
Paul

[Dean Romig]

I believe the 20 ga. with 28" barrels will take it's toll on you in the fast and furious action of dove shooting due to it's weight. I would stick with the 28 ga for the doves and, like you say, use the 20 ga. for pigeons.

[GH-16]

Dean,

The sweet part is: By taking the two guns. I will have the option to switch from gauge to gauge, gun to gun as I feel might be needed at the time.

There is a little consideration to the trip costs associated with shooting the 28ga as the primary gun. The 28ga ammo is $2.00 more a box than the 20ga and in Argentina this could add to the trip cost's real fast.

Here's my plan.

The package I'm doing will be a six day's of shooting, which is what they call twelve hunts. The outfitter includes in the cost of the trip package 4000 rounds of 20 or 12ga, but if you choose to shoot 28 or 16ga the rounds included drop's down to 3000 rounds. So my plan is to use the 28ga for most of the rounds that are included in the package. Then when I exceed these, I'll start shooting the 20ga when the ammo costs are totally on me.

As far as the weight of the gun is concerned.

The 20ga repro I'm buying supposedly tips the scales at 6lbs 12oz. In my book that's still not what I think of as a heavy weight gun. It's not like I'll be carrying it for miles a day, but I will be mounting & swinging it a bunch. One bit of advice I got before last years trip was to make sure to practice mounting and swinging the gun before you go. I did that last year and it payed off IMO. I started about three months before the trip and the last two weeks before the trip I was up to 200 mount's & swings per evening session. I also went to the range at least once a week for the two months prior to the trip as well.This year I'm also planning on doing some extra upper body work at the gym. Hopefully this will help compensate for the half pound more the repro weighs over the gun I shot last year.

All good stuff though!

Thanks,

Paul

[Dean Romig]

Good points Paul, and I'm sure you're right. 4,000 rounds comes to about twenty-six boxes per day or thirteen per hunt. Call it a hunch but I think you'll be buying ammo.

Upper body workouts is a really good idea. I can't imagine what it must be like at the end of a day of nearly non-stop swinging and shooting. When are you scheduled to go?

[GH-16]

Dean,
Here's what I experienced last year on ammo. The case lots of ammo down there are like our's used to be with twenty boxes per case. When we would show up at our shooting blind for a hunt there would be a case of ammo waiting there for us. When I first saw this my mind processed shooting 500 rounds and I thought there would be no-way to do that in one of the half day shoots. "After all I'm shooting an O/U not an auto-loader" Boy did I have a eye opener when my bird boy starting yelling out for more ammo and I had only been shooting for a couple of hours so far. I learned real quick to pace myself and only take high percentage shots or practice certain shots so I wouldn't just blow through ammo.

Even with taking it at a nice pace, I would still average about 26 boxes per shoot or 650 rounds. So with two shoots per day that comes out to about 1300 rounds per day. Last year we did a four day/eight shoot trip that resulted in my shooting a little over 5000 rounds total. Now you can add in the extra two days/fours hunts that we will be doing this year and you can see that if it holds true I should shoot some where between 7500 & 8000 rounds this year. This should give the old repro's and my wallet a good work out!

If I just buy 20ga shells the extra ammo above that supplied in the package will probably add up to another $2000.00. So you can see where saving $2.00 a box can make a difference to the trip costs.

The trip is scheduled for mid-June. Six months and waiting!

Paul

[Ray Alvey]

Was there ever a follow up post from the gentlemen that was taking a Parker Reproduction to Argentina for Dove Hunting? If not, has anyone been there / done that? If so could you tell us how the Parker Repo held up under the heavy shooting conditions?