buckshot loads

[charlie cleveland]

was sitting here wondering how many of us hunt with our old parkers useing buckshot for deer hunting..as for me i have used buckshot in the 10 ga and 20 ga...with the ten i have killeddeer with it it is a good up to 40 yards i use a load of 00 buck with 12 pellets of 1 1/4 ounce in weight also use 0 buckwith 16 pellets to a load of 1 1/4 ounce good up to 40 yards....may try some no 4 buck this year in the ten...in the 20 ga i have only used the no 3 buck factory loads have not got to shoot a deer with this parker and load yet...should be a good load up to 25 yards and closer....dont know why i aint tried a 12 ga parker yet but maybe in time..i have took deer with the 8 ga with buckshot and slug and the 10 ga parker with buckshotso maybe i can take one with the 20 ga and then the 12 ga don t own a 16 ga yet...i know a few of you other parker fellows have used your parkers on deer and such whats your storey....charlie

[Jeff Christie]

When I was stationed at McGuire AFB NJ in the 80's I was invited to hunt with a local deer club on many occasions. There were always two guys from Philadelphia there. Both were cops. Both guys shot Parkers. One shot a 10 ga and the other a 12. Buckshot was required. I found it interesting that they weren't Foxes.

[wayne goerres]

Buckshot is not allowed in Ga. Did you see the PM I sent you last week Charlie. There was something pretty interesting in it.

[CraigThompson]

Lets see I've loaded buck for the 10 , 12 , 16 and 20 . Parkers , Smiths and Foxs along with a single Ithaca NID and a W&C Scott .

And I'm now dicking around with home cast/loaded slugs in the 10 and 12 .

But what I do with these guns loaded as such may not constitute what you are referring to . 90% of the time when I have a shotgun with buck or slug I also have a rifle up the tree with me in case the deer is further then I care to shoot with the shotgun or if the deer is big in the head gear I'm going to pound him with a rifle .

So yes I use them but generally it's more of an option for me .

And with that being said I've killed deer with the 10 using 000 , 00 , 0 and 1 buck . In the 12 with home cast slug and factory loaded slug(factory loaded sabot ammo was used in a rifled gun) . in the 16 with #1 buck and in the 20 with factory loaded sabot slugs (a rifled gun).

This coming season the tops on my hit parade will be the 10 gauge with 0000, #2 , #3 buck and slugs , the 12 gauge with 0 Buck , the 16 with Brenneke slug , the 20 gauge with #2 and #3 buck as well as Brennneke slug .

[Mark Garrett]

6pt-Sika , Do you have tested data for buckshot loads for the short 10ga ? I have wanting to shoot some hogs with my NID, and shoot a deer or two with it this coming season .

[CraigThompson]

6pt-Sika , Do you have tested data for buckshot loads for the short 10ga ? I have wanting to shoot some hogs with my NID, and shoot a deer or two with it this coming season .

Define tested !

If you mean did I send them to someone to check pressure etc the answer is a definite NO !

If you mean have I shot them and used them over and over the answer is a definitive YES .

[Mark Garrett]

If they work for you they should be fine for me , would you mind sharing the loads ?

[CraigThompson]

If they work for you they should be fine for me , would you mind sharing the loads ?

In my 10 gauge guns I use 30 grains of SR7625 a Remington SP-10 wad and either six 0000 , eight 000 , twelve 00 , twelve 0 , sixteen #1 , twentytwo #2 and twentysix #3 pellets . I also add some type of granulated buffer .

When I run out of SR7625 I'll switch over to Universal Clays .

With the 16 gauge I used 21 grains of Unique with the Claybuster knockoff of the WAA16 wad and ten #1 pellets . Again with some buffer .

In the 12 gauge I used SR7625 and 0 Buck with the Claybuster knockoff of the WAA12 wad but off the top of my head I don't remember the number of pellets or amount of powder . Also use buffer in this one .

I have data for the others in my loading room , if I remember I'll get it tomorrow or some time soon .

But again I reiterate this stuff worked in my guns , but as to whether it works or is safe in someone elses shotgun that's yet to be seen . I dare say none of my shotgun loads are what I'd call hot other then possibly my 28 gauge and 410 loads .

I will also say this and some folks may or may not agree . But I use the same powder charge in the 10 gauge with buckshot , birdshot or slugs . Same can be said for the 12 , 16 and 20 . Now with that being said the shot or slug weight are pretty much the same in each gauge . For the 10 I stay around 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 with the 12 I stay around 1 1/8 to 1 1/4 , with the 16 I try to stay around 1 to 1 1/8 and with the 20 I try to stay at 7/8 to 1 ounce .

[CraigThompson]

I forgot to mention with all my buckshot loads if the star crimp on the top isn't flat I'll add an overshot card just to keep the crimp relatively flat and usually put a drop of candle wax right in the middle of the crimp just to make sure the buffer doesn't seep out .

While it may sound like a lot of trouble it really isn't as I rarely load more then ten of this or ten of that at a time . Matter of fact for the 10's each season I have 10-12 of each shot size loaded and waiting . I could decide on one size blah blah blah and make it a heck of a lot easier but I kinda like trying this then that etc etc etc .

[CraigThompson]

This is the first deer I ever did in with buckshot . Used my maternal grandfathers old circa 1882 W&C Scott 10 gauge loaded with 00 and dumped him at 26 yards boom flop . This gun got me started in loading for the short 10 .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/10%20gauge%20shotguns/12-18-10eveninghunt001.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/10%20gauge%20shotguns/12-18-10eveninghunt001.jpg.html)

The second I dropped with a 10 gauge this is an LC SMith Quality 2 10 gauge circa 1890 . Used #1 buck and shot this deer at about 9 yards and as one might expect DRT !

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Deer/9-2-13010_zps8ee0a988.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Deer/9-2-13010_zps8ee0a988.jpg.html)

Used my Ithaca NID Super 10 for this little buck . Shot him during a man drive , hit him with the first barrel at about 20 yards straight on with #3 buck the left barrel was loaded with 000 and I hit him behind the shoulder at about 10-15 yards . After the shot he ran maybe 40 yards and was dead when we got to him .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Deer/9_zpsc6d89303.png (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Deer/9_zpsc6d89303.png.html)

Couple seasons ago I got this pair with a circa 1884 Parker Grade 2 10 gauge loaded with 0 Buck in both barrels . That was also my first time shooting an actual moving pair with buckshot . Popped the button first and he went maybe 20 yards and dropped then shot the doe and she was DRT .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/6_zps617537a9.png (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/6_zps617537a9.png.html)

Shot this one last season at 13 yards with 000 using my circa 1889 Parker EH 10 gauge and this one was also DRT .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Deer/IMG_8552_zpsacpxlpq4.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Deer/IMG_8552_zpsacpxlpq4.jpg.html)

The more you read on this stuff the more you'll see folks saying the tighter chokes only work well with the smaller buckshot like 1 , 2 and 3 . Well I'm here to say that's not always the truth . My Ithaca is full and fuller yet , and that fuller yet barrel likes 000 . So it may take a bit of trial and error to find what you want .

[Mark Garrett]

Great stuff, thanks for the loads . I have some O buck and some #1 , I will load both up and see what they do .. I have a great buffered #1 buck 12 pellet 16ga load if you are interested , it is not low pressure though .

[CraigThompson]

Great stuff, thanks for the loads . I have some O buck and some #1 , I will load both up and see what they do .. I have a great buffered #1 buck 12 pellet 16ga load if you are interested , it is not low pressure though .

Thanks for the offer but I've already plunked one with my circa 1911 GH 16 gauge . Ten#1 buck and 21 grains of Unique with the Claybuster knock off of the WAA16 wad . Still have a few drilling a and a Fox A grade I'll try eventually 👍🏻

[CraigThompson]

You know there was an NH 10 gauge on Gunbroker back around the end of March of this year . The gun looked to be a decent shape other then the fact that the barrels had been lessened 2 1/8" . I had all intentions of bidding on the gun and when I do I wait until the last 20 minutes of the auction . The auction was scheduled to end the day after I arrived home from the Philippines . And me being me I fell asleep about an hour before the auction was to end . And I later saw it received one bid and sold for $425 if my memory is correct . That guns was virtually sans chokes and woulda been perfect for my smoothbore buckshot/slug stuff .

Here are pics of the gun I saved from the GB auction .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/pix017845642_zpspetklxvv.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/pix017845642_zpspetklxvv.jpg.html)

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/pix929975835_zpsm5tvcdhp.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/pix929975835_zpsm5tvcdhp.jpg.html)

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/pix695602174_zpsbwz6a1fj.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/pix695602174_zpsbwz6a1fj.jpg.html)

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/pix042059490_zpsqxzsze2a.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/pix042059490_zpsqxzsze2a.jpg.html)

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/pix286427470_zpswfbvohrf.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/pix286427470_zpswfbvohrf.jpg.html)

Woulda been a touch nicer if the NH had been on a #2 frame , well atleast for what I was interested in the old gun . But since I failed to bid it makes no difference now .

[Bruce Day]

Hope you don't do what this fellow did. I couldn't resist taking a picture.

This was out here. But it would have provoked great fun parked in a suburban Connecticut mall.

[CraigThompson]

Hope you don't do what this fellow did. I couldn't resist taking a picture.

This was out here. But it would have provoked great fun parked in a suburban Connecticut mall.

Very rarely does a deer make it in the back of my pickup . At my house they get hung and turned into pieces . If at my gunsmith buddies they also get hung and turned into pieces . No need in Virginia anymore to take them to the check station . Call it in or check it via the net .