Parker NH short 10 load results

[George Lang]

I just recently was acquired by a 10 gauge Parker NH (my first 10) which led to a substantial out lay for all the goodies necessary to load shells for it. Since I never loaded shotgun ammo before I needed everything. I have been loading for lead only right now but will soon be into Nice Shot loading. I want to thank all the members of this great site that allowed me to pick their brains. So after loading and shooting at assorted inert objects and squirrels (no Dr. Pepper cans as yet) I decided to pattern this gun, another first for me. I hung some paper table clothes on the wash line back up as far as I could (measured 36 yards) and let loose. Wife was out shopping fortunately and wash line is still intact. The bores on the NH miked out at .800 with chokes of .035 & .037 and load was 1 1/4 oz. #6 chilled lead. By actual count my bushing threw 248 pellets.
Results were unbelievable---.035 bbl 246 pellets on paper, 240 in 30" circle/ .037 bbl 248 pellets on paper 245 in 30" circle. Both bbl's had a sparse area to lower right. This should be a great turkey gun. Sorry to be so long winded but I had fun and just wanted to share. Thanks again everyone----George

[wayne goerres]

Those are pretty good patterns. Sounds like a keeper.

[CraigThompson]

I loaded for the 12 , 16 , 20 , 28 , 410 and the Long 10 for a good many years and finally got tired of the whole thing . Sold all my PW loaders and said shyte on it !

After my maternal grandfather passed and I got his W&C Scott Short 10 I felt the need to load for his old gun so I could use it . And got a MEC600JR and a short kit !

Since that time I've loaded for his old W&C aswell as my Ithaca NID and a fairly new to me LC Smith . And I gotta say loading for these old cannons has reignited my intrest in loading for shotguns !

Glad you had satisfying results with your old Parker 10 !

[charlie cleveland]

george i really like to hear reports of what these old guns will do on paper you know every old parker left the factory with a card that told how well they did on paper so i think its up to us present day owners to do the same..you have a good turkey gun there... charlie

[George Lang]

Second round of patterns showed similar results. Next up are waterfowl loads in #2 & #4 Nice Shot as soon as I can find or concoct a load using Rem hulls, Win 209 primers & IMR 7625(all I could find to purchase). Will try 1 1/4 oz loads for a starter, then maybe 1 3/8 &/or 1 1/2 loads Any one have any experience with these components. Would try Blue Dot or Longshot or Fed hulls but they seem to be non-existent. Hopefully results will be similar to lead loads.

[Rick Losey]

Second round of patterns showed similar results. Next up are waterfowl loads in #2 & #4 Nice Shot as soon as I can find or concoct a load using Rem hulls, Win 209 primers & IMR 7625(all I could find to purchase). Will try 1 1/4 oz loads for a starter, then maybe 1 3/8 &/or 1 1/2 loads Any one have any experience with these components. Would try Blue Dot or Longshot or Fed hulls but they seem to be non-existent. Hopefully results will be similar to lead loads.

The information I found on line and advice received here is the nice shot raises pressure about 1500 psi. So if you work with some of the lowest pressure loads you can work up from there.

A roll crimp is thought to reduce the pressure some 500psi or possibly more over a star crimp, so that may be a way to mitigate the increase a bit.

BTW, I checked out of the way shops and bought some Federal turkey loads at a reasonable price (for today anyway), dumped the load, cut them down and loaded them for short loads. I saved the copper plated 6's to reload in the spring

[CraigThompson]

Second round of patterns showed similar results. Next up are waterfowl loads in #2 & #4 Nice Shot as soon as I can find or concoct a load using Rem hulls, Win 209 primers & IMR 7625(all I could find to purchase). Will try 1 1/4 oz loads for a starter, then maybe 1 3/8 &/or 1 1/2 loads Any one have any experience with these components. Would try Blue Dot or Longshot or Fed hulls but they seem to be non-existent. Hopefully results will be similar to lead loads.

FWIW my short 10 load is ,

REM or Federal hull

REM SP-10 wad

30 grains SR7625

WIN or CCI 209

1 1/4 ounce lead shot

I also put a 16 gauge 1/4" wad in the bottom of the SP-10 wad and a card overshot wad on top the shot before putting the crimp .Mine are all 6 point folded crimps by the way . Without the overshot cardthe crimp caves in a bit kinda like some folks 410 skeet loads .

I found this same setup without the 1/4" or overshot cards works well with eight 000 Buck , twelve 00 Buck , sixteen #1 Buck or twentyeight #3 buck .

The buck loads are closer to 1 1/2 ounces then 1 1/4 ounces but they pattern very well in all three of my guns . Oh yeah I do not add buffer . I tried it with the first 00 Buck loads and saw no improvement over the unbuffered loads .

I'd like to take credit for the original load but to be totally honest I got it out of a "Reloader Magazine" from a Ross Seyfried article written maybe 10 years ago . He has a gun that appears to be identicle to my W&C Scott . Although he hadn't made mention of the buck loads . He stated he used it with birdshot namely #2 , #6 and #8 .

[CraigThompson]

I've been wanting to get enough of the Nice Shot to kill a goose and a duck or two with grandfathers W&C just not gotten around to it yet !

Lead shot is high enough but that stuff is even worse (pricewise) :whistle:

I suspect my best option for the Nice Shot will be to get a box or two from RST and be done with it !

[charlie cleveland]

your probably rite about just getting shells from rst in bismuth loads.stuff costs to much for me to reload..i like a turkey load in the 3 1/2 inch ten ga in bismouth it really patterns well..if i shot ducks and geese much i would use still shot on acount of the prices of the shells... charlie

[CraigThompson]

your probably rite about just getting shells from rst in bismuth loads.stuff costs to much for me to reload..i like a turkey load in the 3 1/2 inch ten ga in bismouth it really patterns well..if i shot ducks and geese much i would use still shot on acount of the prices of the shells... charlie

I'd like to plow one turkey with the old W&C also !

Don't care if it's a hen , jake or beard dragger . Just wanna say I killed a turkey with that gun !

My grandfather killed several turkey with the old hun shooting Remington factory 1 1/2 ounce loads of #4's !

I'm thinking my load with 1 1/4 ounce of Magnum #4's outta be goodnuff inside 35 yards !

[George Lang]

Turkey season opened Oct 1, went out with the 10 gauge NH and my 1 1/4 oz. handloads. Was fortunate and took 2 birds over the next 2 days 12# hen @ 25yards and a 17# jake @ 35yards, one shot each The gun and loads performed flawlessly. I guess the VHE 16 ga 30" F/F will be semi retired except for those long walk way back in turkey hunts. The 10 sure is a fun gun to shot. My Dad was right along time ago when he touted the benefits of his 10 ga LC Smith as the perfect water fowl gun I should have paid more attention, I'm sold now.

[charlie cleveland]

good going there..your dad was right no better duck and turkey gun than a 10 ga... i take the old 10 out for turkey and squirls and deer pretty often... charlie

[CraigThompson]

good going there..your dad was right no better duck and turkey gun than a 10 ga... i take the old 10 out for turkey and squirls and deer pretty often... charlie

Doesn't make a half bad dove gun either provided the birds are flying well !

[CraigThompson]

You know as I accumulate more 10 gauge and 16 gauge guns I'm starting to think about giving Ponsness Warren a call !

I know they'll put together an 800 in 16 gauge for me but I'm wondering if they can rig up an 800 or 1000 for 10 gauge 2 7/8" shells !

Of course I'd keep the pair of 600Jr's for buckshot and possibly roundballs . But for uhm bird or skeet/trap loads a PW 800 would be wonderfull !

With the 800 I could load 100 shells in about 30 minutes taking my time ! Same amount with a 600Jr would be about 2 hours .

[CraigThompson]

I just sent PW and email asking if they'd modify a new 800 or 1000 loader for 10 gauge 2 7/8" !

A new 1000 is $900 with $30 additional for 10 gauge so I assume if they'd do the work the price would be about $1000 to $1100 .

[charlie cleveland]

you get that new fangled loading machine you may have to start loading for all of us..it will give us more time to hunt with the ten ga..boy 4 boxes an hour is something... charlie

[CraigThompson]

you get that new fangled loading machine you may have to start loading for all of us..it will give us more time to hunt with the ten ga..boy 4 boxes an hour is something... charlie

With a PW 800 or 1000 that cycles 10 gauge 2 7/8" shells smoothly 600 shells and hour should be no big deal :cool:

[charlie cleveland]

man that thing would spit out shells better than a big 50 browning.. charlie

[Pete Lester]

With a PW 800 or 1000 that cycles 10 gauge 2 7/8" shells smoothly 600 shells and hour should be no big deal :cool:

I thought I was a high volume short ten shooter, I average probably 1000 rounds a year. Half of that at crows, most of the other half at clays and maybe 100 rounds at waterfowl. I have found it pretty easy to stay supplied using a single stage 10ga MEC. How many rounds of short ten are you shooting annually and at what?

[CraigThompson]

I thought I was a high volume short ten shooter, I average probably 1000 rounds a year. Half of that at crows, most of the other half at clays and maybe 100 rounds at waterfowl. I have found it pretty easy to stay supplied using a single stage 10ga MEC. How many rounds of short ten are you shooting annually and at what?

I would say I shoot maybe 500-750 rounds a year of the 10 gauge and it's mostly skeet , trap and Jap Trap . Sometimes I might take it on a dove shoot thats no more then 50 rounds . Also some buckshot !

I just like PW equipment !

But regardless of whether I was able to get a PW 800/1000 I would still need a PW 375 or 600JR for buck loads and possibly slug loads if I ever get around to that !

Loading buckshot on a PW 800 is a capital PITA .

Since I got that little 600JR 16 gauge loader I'm now wishing I'd gotten a 650 instead so I could knock 100-200 of them out quick . But then it would be difficult for the buck loads .

You gotta understand my FIRST shotgun loaders were PW 800B's and 800C's so ANY single stage loader seems slow to me .

I may be the only shotgun shooter in history that started out with the Rolls Royce of shotgun loaders and then went to the Ford Pinto of shotgun reloaders !

[CraigThompson]

Incidently I've not gotten a reply from PW about making me a short 10 800 or 1000 loader !