should I shoot my old Parker or hang it up

[Richard Flanders]

Jeez. Dean is spot on; please don't E V E R put an 1-1/2oz load into that nice gun! We have members who kill turkeys with Parker .410's. A decent 1oz load will do just fine for turkey.

[edgarspencer]

The best way to fully understand what these guys are saying is to go get some modern, fixed frame shotgun, and fire a few 1 1/2 ounce loads, after firing a few 1 ounce loads. Notice the difference? That recoil you're feeling is being transmitted through the butt stock. In the case of your 112 year old DH, transmitted through a dry, antique piece of wood. There are two screws, going vertically from the bottom tang to the top tang, and the two tangs themselves. They are desperately trying to split that wood like a log splitter. Using the right choke for the application, that extra 33% of the shot load is just going by old Tom like a bunch of skeeters.