Parker - Waterfowl hunting

[KCordell]

I thought I would post a few pics from my waterfowl hunt last Friday / Saturday with my dad and a few friends. While it's been extreemly cold here in the mid-Atlantic during the last month or so, last weekend was not so bad (high 20s low 30s AM). The birds have really been great. Last weekend we finished by 0830 (goose). Anyway, I decided to wrap up my year with my Parker 10ga hammer gun which I have yet to take to the field. With the advise from other forum users, I loaded, #2 niceshot over BP with Circle Fly wads. It was a real hoot to see and experience the old Parker flawlessly, belch two huge clouds of black smoke with every toll. Overall, the gun performed well on both days and allowed me to limit out.

I have to say hunting with SxS again is a real blast and the BP added much enjoyment to the day.



http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn128/code337/33c60d85.jpg

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn128/code337/64767fda.jpg

[C Roger Giles]

Canidate for Parker of the Month, I love that smoke cloud from the old coal burner.

Rog

[scott kittredge]

that does it i have to load me some of the back powder myself, that is a very nice pic! yes, parker of the month for sure :bowdown: nice shooting, scott

[Dean Romig]

I don't know what the policy is for non-PGCA members' photos being eligible for the POM but those are great pics nonetheless.
A friend shot skeet under the lights Wednesday night with a 10 bore with black powder and I'll tell you, the glare of the mercury-vapor lights on the smoke was surely something to behold. We never could agree on a score because we rarely ever saw the clay break through the smoke . . . but boy, were we ever doubled up with laughter :biglaugh::biglaugh:

[KCordell]

I don't know what the policy is for non-PGCA members' photos being eligible for the POM but those are great pics nonetheless.
A friend shot skeet under the lights Wednesday night with a 10 bore with black powder and I'll tell you, the glare of the mercury-vapor lights on the smoke was surely something to behold. We never could agree on a score because we rarely ever saw the clay break through the smoke . . . but boy, were we ever doubled up with laughter :biglaugh::biglaugh:



Thanks Dean. I am going through the process to be your newest member. Have a number of Parkers and this site has proven to be invaluable to me.

KC

[Dave Suponski]

KC Welcome aboard...:bigbye:

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Good work! Always nice to see a 10 gauge out doing what they should be.

Destry

[Richard Flanders]

That is a sterling shot of the geese with the gun for sure. I sure wish we had Canadians up here that were larger than a mature mallard. Those look like nice fat mature birds. I may have to try some BP loads for my next 10ga hammer gun outing. Every time a shooter friend leaves Alaska I inherit their BP as it's difficult to legally get out of the state...

[Bruce Day]

What! And I 've heard that a person needs to use facepaint, carry a plastic Benelli and shoot 1500fps 1 1/2oz loads to kill a goose. Next thing Mr Cordell will be telling us is that he waited until they were in range then shot for the head and neck.

[Richard Flanders]

1-1/2oz??!! That's a woodcock load in a 10ga Bruce.... I like the cover around his layout blind. Looks very good.

[Don Kaas]

Well Done! Mr. C....I used 2 ten bore Parkers this season for waterfowling a 30" T0 toplever and a 36" GH, both #3 frames. I used #4 bismuth handloads in Federal cases and #2 bismuth with 4 1/2 drams of FFG in RMC cases. Both were 1 3/8 oz loads and both worked well. Destry shot his new W&C Scott Bogardus Club Gun last Friday in MD as well. The old timers were very concerned with "penetration". This equates to mass and velocity. The use of lighter than lead non-toxics does not help the former so I tend to not scrimp on the powder side. Destry and I are after all followers of Robert Ruark's dictum...Use Enough Gun...

[Bill Murphy]

We would like to hear a report on the Chestertown shoot, Don. Remember, this is a "gun site" and we would like to hear about the guns and performance as well as the weather. Was it under or over 80 degrees F in the middle of the day?

[Destry L. Hoffard]

The sun was warm, the skies clear, and the geese spooky. We finally managed a limit but it was an all day affair. We did get to hunt over the biggest rig of stuffers I've ever personally shot over, that was fun to say the least.

I shot the Bogardus Club Gun with a Jotsam Monte Carlo leather comb raiser that I borrowed from Don. For ammo it was the new RST NiceShot 1 3/8 ounce shells that I've been testing.

Don was using his Fox HE Buckingham Tribute gun with 3 inch bismuth BB loads.

Davis had his BH 12 bore and some Kent TM 1 3/8 ounce of #3 shells that he's borrowed from me.

The Colonel was shooting some sort of camoflage automatic with god knows what for ammo. He's a fine fella but his choice of guns sometimes makes me wonder.

[Don Kaas]

DeHo, you young wippersnapper, you should have more respect...The Colonel was using a Benelli Super Black Eagle II with Remington Wingmaster HD #4s. His age and health make the light but light recoiling SBE an excellent choice (as opposed to the 25 double guns he leaves at home...). I am an owner of a LH version of same. If I had to earn a living waterfowling, I would use nothing else...

[Jack Cronkhite]

What! And I 've heard that a person needs to use facepaint, carry a plastic Benelli and shoot 1500fps 1 1/2oz loads to kill a goose. Next thing Mr Cordell will be telling us is that he waited until they were in range then shot for the head and neck.

Judging from the angle of gun to ground, I'm thinking final approach - feet deployed wings flapping to stop the glide. Perfect for head/neck to keep breast undisturbed for one of many fine recipes. A bird dropped in the decoys makes for short retrieves. Nice shot (camera and Parker). Face paint and plastic guns not for me thanks, but I may have to check out BP hunting. :)
Cheers,
Jack

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Kaas,

I understood about the gun really, but I still don't like 'em. Though I suppose if Nash could go to a light autoloader late in life, I shouldn't fault the Colonel.

He's certainly a fine companion in the field and has good stories to tell. It's always a pleasure to be out with him.


DeHo

[KCordell]

Judging from the angle of gun to ground, I'm thinking final approach - feet deployed wings flapping to stop the glide. Perfect for head/neck to keep breast undisturbed for one of many fine recipes. A bird dropped in the decoys makes for short retrieves. Nice shot (camera and Parker). Face paint and plastic guns not for me thanks, but I may have to check out BP hunting. :)
Cheers,
Jack


Hi everyone and thanks for the replies. Yes, it was final approach and the toll was a real beauty but had a number of great tolls that day. I have 2 additional 10ga top levers that are eagerly waiting to be used next year...I cant wait... :)

I learned a few things on loading BP and was confirmed by others in the thread above.

- I went with the "heavy BP load" for 10ga. I was just a wee bit shy of 4.5 dr #2F BP. I had the gun is in great shape and was checked for functionality by my gunsmith.
- As mentioned above, I used niceshot #2 which performed well at short range.

One question for the group, I did not use a shotcup in these loads and went traditional with CircleFly. Would I get a better pattern if I added a shot cup?

[Richard Flanders]

KCordell: go to this site if you haven't already for good info on BP shotshells: http://www.tbullock.com/bpsg.html

Seems I've read that BP burns too hot and melts the shotcup bases. I'm sure someone else will chime in on this one.

[KCordell]

KCordell: go to this site if you haven't already for good info on BP shotshells: http://www.tbullock.com/bpsg.html

Seems I've read that BP burns too hot and melts the shotcup bases. I'm sure someone else will chime in on this one.

Thanks Sir. Yes, I have read this sight numerous times and is kind of the Bible for BP shotgunning IMHO. Others have recommended using the shotcup hence my question to the board.

[E Robert Fabian]

A shot cup may tighten your patterns up to 90% at 40 Yard's. I find that # 4 shot [ nice shot] like Elmer Keith, pattern's on theses super ten's the best all around. I use it on ducks and geese, at first not by choice, but by patterning them and the results I've had on birds I would highly recommend them a try.

[KCordell]

A shot cup may tighten your patterns up to 90% at 40 Yard's. I find that # 4 shot [ nice shot] like Elmer Keith, pattern's on theses super ten's the best all around. I use it on ducks and geese, at first not by choice, but by patterning them and the results I've had on birds I would highly recommend them a try.

excellent! Now was this with BP?

[E Robert Fabian]

No, but I believe Sherman Bell found very similar results, pressures at different distances down the barrel, as SR4756. The only way to tell is a pattern board. I lucked out as mine will easley pattern around 90% with different loads compared to Scott K who has similar barrel bore choke to mine but doesn't get the tight patterns.

[KCordell]

No, but I believe Sherman Bell found very similar results, pressures at different distances down the barrel, as SR4756. The only way to tell is a pattern board. I lucked out as mine will easley pattern around 90% with different loads compared to Scott K who has similar barrel bore choke to mine but doesn't get the tight patterns.


Mr. Fabian, thanks for the reply. I have not reloaded nitro yet for my 10ga. I downloaded the PDF on the reloading page from Mr. Bell and may try. Can anyone recommend a good overall load for waterfowl and then one for 5 stand?

BTW, I met many of you at Vintagers. I am excited at the opportunity to join your organization.

Thanks greatly,

KC

[Harry Collins]

KC,

For 1 1/4 oz of shot I use Fed hulls trimmed to 2 7/8", WW 209 primer, 35 grains of IMR 4756, Remington SP10 wad with a 16 gauge over powder card in the cup and a star crimp.

For sporting clays and small game I use the same Fed hull, WW 209, 30 grains of IMR 7625, SP10 with 1/2 a 16 gauge cushion wad in the cup and a star crimp.

Both loads are from Sherman Bell.

Harry