Parker small bore classification

[Southpaw]

Agree with you Dean.

I really enjoy carrying and shooting a nice lively small bore when hunting and 99% of the time that is what I am grabbing when shooting upland style hunting. Can only really remember one time that I felt really under gunned and that was grouse hunting in MN carrying a 20 ga. Got into an area that was maybe timbered 5 to 7 years before and new growth was thick with 12 to 15 foot tall tree saplings about wrist thick and in some places spaced about the same distance as jail cell bars. It was so tight in there and most still had leaves on em and every 75 yards we beat thru that grouse maze we would hear or see a flush. Most of the time never saw dog but if did not hear his bell would move to last position we heard him and sure enough he would be on a bird. They would flush about 25 yards from us or further. Lost count of flushes but it must have been 30 to 40.

I don't know how many actual birds or reflushes we got but I only saw 15 of them. Had quick fleeting shots on 10 of them and scratched down 3 and felt damn good about it due to some incredible dog work. Only got those because they flew like pheasant or woodcock flying straight up to break cover then flattening out. I thinned the tops of a lot trees. We zigg zagged all through that just trying to follow dog. That was first time in my life I actually felt I had a legitimate chance to daily limit out on grouse and thought some extra shot would have been helpful. That is also first time in my life where I got so turned around somewhere with no landmarks that I needed my compass to orient out of some place.

Having a 12 gauge with open chokes and more shot in the pattern might of helped. In the immortal words of Jack Elam after John Wayne tells him his splatter gun is useless. "Don't mind if I shoot do ya? It makes me feel better."

[Heff]

I like to think of small bore Parker’s being anything below a 12 gauge, especially since I would only have 1 small bore Parker if you didn’t.....

[Dean Romig]

Can’t say much about the spacing of jail cell bars never having been close to them. But I imagine they look pretty close together from the inside... much like the spacing of sapling stems in a fine woodcock covert.






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[Southpaw]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Can’t say much about the spacing of jail cell bars never having been close to them. But I imagine they look pretty close together from the inside... much like the spacing of sapling stems in a fine woodcock covert.






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Never been behind bars myself. But toured an ICE facility that had temporary holding cells.

Actually I thought we were going into a woodcock den because that is what it felt and looked like but for some reason no woodcock were holding there. Did find some in another area that looked same as other cover thinking that was where grouse were holding, but it only had a few woodcock. Go figure.

[C.O.B.]

IF your going to use 1oz of shot in a 16 then you might as well carry a light 12. The only 12 I have hunted with in decades is a British light game gun and as it comes in under 6lbs I have only used RST 2 inch shells and 3/4 0Z of 7's.

I used to use #5 for pheasant way back in the day when we actually had pheasants but haven't used anything larger than 7's in a very long time.

Maybe we should think of the 16 as an in between bore, not a large bore but not really a small one either. It is however just about perfect.

[Tom Flanigan]

Originally Posted by Rich Anderson

IF your going to use 1oz of shot in a 16 then you might as well carry a light 12. The only 12 I have hunted with in decades is a British light game gun and as it comes in under 6lbs I have only used RST 2 inch shells and 3/4 0Z of 7's.

I used to use #5 for pheasant way back in the day when we actually had pheasants but haven't used anything larger than 7's in a very long time.

Maybe we should think of the 16 as an in between bore, not a large bore but not really a small one either. It is however just about perfect.

British light 12 bores are a whole different category. I consider the best London game guns to be unsurpassed in every way. The light 12's built by the best British makers and proofed for light loads are wonderful. I have a case of 12 bore Eley 2" shells (full 20 two piece boxes roll crimped) given to me by my grandfathers close friend. His name was Elliot Bell and he ordered a Purdey 2" game gun back in the twenties and killed a lot of game with it including pheasants. When he had the early stages of Alzheimer's, he gave me a case of 2" shells for the Purdey and a light Belgian guild gun that was his knockabout and rainy day gun. I never got the Purdey. His wife sold that even though they didn't need the money. He was the founder and owner of Business Week magazine and was the banking commissioner of New York state in the 30's. I had always hoped to get the Purdey since his only child was a girl not interested in guns, but it didn't happen.

[Opening Day]

Originally Posted by Tom Flanigan

British light 12 bores are a whole different category. I consider the best London game guns to be unsurpassed in every way. The light 12's built by the best British makers and proofed for light loads are wonderful. I have a case of 12 bore Eley 2" shells (full 20 two piece boxes roll crimped) given to me by my grandfathers close friend. His name was Elliot Bell and he ordered a Purdey 2" game gun back in the twenties and killed a lot of game with it including pheasants. When he had the early stages of Alzheimer's, he gave me a case of 2" shells for the Purdey and a light Belgian guild gun that was his knockabout and rainy day gun. I never got the Purdey. His wife sold that even though they didn't need the money. He was the founder and owner of Business Week magazine and was the banking commissioner of New York state in the 30's. I had always hoped to get the Purdey since his only child was a girl not interested in guns, but it didn't happen.

Rich might have his gun..........

[Dean Romig]

I shoot 7/8 oz. hand loads in my 16’s with either 7.5 or 8 shot. I shoot #6 shot at puddle ducks �� under 30 yards or so. Never have used #5 for anything, ever.





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[Tom Flanigan]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

I shoot 7/8 oz. hand loads in my 16’s with either 7.5 or 8 shot. I shoot #6 shot at puddle ducks �� under 30 yards or so. Never have used #5 for anything, ever.





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I use 5's out of a 12 bore for early season and late season pheasants. I use only a 12 bore late in the season but early on I might use anything. I like to rotate my guns. The reason I use 5's on early season pheasants is because this is typically close range shooting and I have less pellets in the bird than with 6's. I don't shoot pen birds but I would imagine that 5's would be perfect for them also for the same reason. Shooting pen birds is a lot like early season wild bird hunting.


My perspective on shot loads for hunting is a bit different than others. If I am going to use 1 oz., I use a 16, 7/8 oz. I use a 20 and 3/4 for the 28 bore. For hunting I use the standard load for the gauge. If you're going to carry around a heavier 16 bore, you might as well use standard loads for it. I consider 1 oz. the standard load for a 16.


By the way, not to start a debate, but I would not take a 410 hunting. It has no use in the field in my perspective. The 28 bore, however, is a good hunting gun used within its limitations. It's not a serious game gun, but a seasoned and careful hunter can have a lot fun with it. The 410 shoots 3/4 oz. like crap. Put that 3/4 oz. in a 28 bore and you have a real gun.

[Southpaw]

16 Gauge- Hits like a 12 and shoots like a 20. It's an old slogan or cliche` but it still means something and rings as true today as it has for years.

It was such a popular gauge as a do all gun but fell out of favor. Myriad of reasons and most of them have nothing to do with performance. I like shooting mine and its on a 1 frame and I don't really notice it being any heavier than any 20 gauge.

I like shooting a 28 gauge on plantation quail and even some put out pheasants and chuckers using 7.5 shot. It is not a Parker but its great little shooter to play with. Bruce Day enlightened me with some pages from his Parker Story about patterns, shot count and velocities of gauges on a table or chart. The 28 gauge patterned well and the shot velocity was outstanding. It delivered a great pellet count with a lot of energy. After reading that could really see the keen interest and attraction of using a 28 gauge. Gun is so light and lively it feels like a sissy gun but its fun to shoot.

I tend to agree with Tom on .410 which is calibre not a gauge. I don;t know why they don't call it what it is, a 67 gauge. I know some guys that if talk about their 410's, the next answer your giving is "Honest officer that is all I said before the fight broke out".