Low-pressure Factory Shells

[Barron Brittingham]

Hi Team, newb question here. I have a 1926 Parker VH 12 gauge. I've loaded some low-pressure shells for it, but I'd like to know a few types of factory shells I can pick up off the shelf and safely shoot. Looking for options for upland (lead) and waterfowl (non-tox). If another thread has already answered this question, feel free to redirect me, and I'll remove this thread. Thanks!

[Joseph Sheerin]

I've shot the Herters low velocity 12ga out of my 1927 Parker VH.

They are pretty light, 1060 FPS 1 oz loads.

[John Dallas]

Before you start shooting non, tox, I'd confirm that the chokes are open enough to handle the loads

[ED J, MORGAN]

Federal Game loads for upland work well.

[Bill Murphy]

It is difficult to impossible to blow up a VH 12 gauge Parker.

[John Reed]

I shoot about any 1 oz 1200-1250 shells out of my VH grade guns with Vulcan barrels as well as my DH grade clays gun.

[John Davis]

1 1/8 oz, 1145, works for me.

[Tom Jay]

Would Herter's low velocity 12ga 1060 FPS 1 oz loads be okay for Damascus barrels?

[randall rosenthal]

i've shot a bunch of mini shells just to get started. 5/8 ounce. they break clays. 1904 VH. 12 G. i guess it's time to move up a bit.

[Barron Brittingham]

@John Dallas, chokes are Mod/Full. Is there a certain choke that works for non-tox? Is steel the only non-tox that would be a problem... I believe Bismuth / Tungsten are softer?

@Everyone else, thank you. Great feedback. Going shopping for shells :)

[Brian Dudley]

Providing that the barrels are sound, that gun should digest anything you shoot out of it as long as the shell length is correct for the chambers.

[Arthur Shaffer]

i've shot a bunch of mini shells just to get started. 5/8 ounce. they break clays. 1904 VH. 12 G. i guess it's time to move up a bit.

This came up not long ago. The mini shells as a general rule are not low pressure at all. I remeber when they came out and the intent was to get the max number of rounds in a Rambo shotgun with extended magazine. They load them about to the max to keep from losing too much performance. I don't think they are a good idea in older guns.

I do load some in short shells to avoid fillers and multiple wads with light loads.

[randall rosenthal]

This came up not long ago. The mini shells as a general rule are not low pressure at all. I remeber when they came out and the intent was to get the max number of rounds in a Rambo shotgun with extended magazine. They load them about to the max to keep from losing too much performance. I don't think they are a good idea in older guns.

I do load some in short shells to avoid fillers and multiple wads with light loads.

thanks.....iv'e shot a bunch of them with no problem but ill rethink it. almost no recoil. after reading this thread i shot a few heavier loads last week...also with no problem. i guess it's time to start loading my own. i was aware of the more in the magazine aspect but not the pressure. i have heard there are shotguns they won't cycle. thanks again.

[John Davis]

thanks.....iv'e shot a bunch of them with no problem but ill rethink it. almost no recoil. after reading this thread i shot a few heavier loads last week...also with no problem. i guess it's time to start loading my own. i was aware of the more in the magazine aspect but not the pressure. i have heard there are shotguns they won't cycle. thanks again.

The problem I've had with reloading over the last couple of years is finding components. Everything generally but especially the primers I like.

[Arthur Shaffer]

thanks.....iv'e shot a bunch of them with no problem but ill rethink it. almost no recoil. after reading this thread i shot a few heavier loads last week...also with no problem. i guess it's time to start loading my own. i was aware of the more in the magazine aspect but not the pressure. i have heard there are shotguns they won't cycle. thanks again.

From things I have read, the problem with cycling is more a physical handling problem due to the mismatch between the very short shells and the stroke cycle travel length with auto's and pumps. The actions just simply don't handle the short dumpy shells well.

[Stan Hillis]

Try to find one box of B & P Comp One shells to try. They are not specialty loads as such, but do feature much lower pressure, at about 6000 psi. They're one ounce loads and hit plenty hard for smaller game birds. The reason I suggest only trying one box is to see if you have any problems with misfires, as I have had. Most of my vintage hammerless doubles will not fire them reliably, there being many light primer strikes due to a minute difference in shell rim shape allowing for excess headspace. All of my hammer guns fire them 100%. There is a simple and easy way around the misfiring, however, if anyone is interested.

Whatever chokes you would use for lead loads will be fine with bismuth loads. With steel you'd need to open up the choke somewhat, as it patterns so much tighter.

[Andrew Sacco]

Try to find one box of B & P Comp One shells to try. They are not specialty loads as such, but do feature much lower pressure, at about 6000 psi. They're one ounce loads and hit plenty hard for smaller game birds. The reason I suggest only trying one box is to see if you have any problems with misfires, as I have had. Most of my vintage hammerless doubles will not fire them reliably, there being many light primer strikes due to a minute difference in shell rim shape allowing for excess headspace. All of my hammer guns fire them 100%. There is a simple and easy way around the misfiring, however, if anyone is interested.

Whatever chokes you would use for lead loads will be fine with bismuth loads. With steel you'd need to open up the choke somewhat, as it patterns so much tighter.

Those are great shells. I found some locally recently but they were priced ridiculous so I passed. I asked the owner if they were priced incorrectly. $225 a flat. Nice try.

[Mike Koneski]

@John Dallas, chokes are Mod/Full. Is there a certain choke that works for non-tox? Is steel the only non-tox that would be a problem... I believe Bismuth / Tungsten are softer?

@Everyone else, thank you. Great feedback. Going shopping for shells :)

It has always been my understanding that even with modern guns you do not want to shoot steel with anything tighter than Mod. Tungsten is not softer than steel. It is harder and even more dense than lead. That said we shoot tungsten shells in turkey guns choked F/XF and in a BSS choked LM/IM. The bismuth, matrix, ITX are good non-tox to shoot in vintage guns. For the little bit of waterfowl shooting I do, ITX is on the bench to load. I do have TSS too but usually load that for turkeys.

[Mike Koneski]

As for what shells to use for clays or upland in your VH? I use Fiocchi, Nobel, Remington, B&P, Federal, RST..... 1 oz and 1200 FPS or less for clays. Keep the velocity reasonable and payload no more than 1 1/8 oz for hunting and you'll be just fine with that gun.

[Bruce Day]

The standard 12 ga load was 3 drams 1 1/8oz. The 3 dram equivalent today is 1180 to 1200 fps. You will be able to find many commercial loads in that category . Heavy loads used by Parker in 2 frame 12 guage guns were 3 1/4 dram 1 1/4 oz. Most shooters prefer light loads for targets and small birds .

[Mike Koneski]

The standard 12 ga load was 3 drams 1 1/8oz. The 3 dram equivalent today is 1180 to 1200 fps. You will be able to find many commercial loads in that category . Heavy loads used by Parker in 2 frame 12 guage guns were 3 1/4 dram 1 1/4 oz. Most shooters prefer light loads for targets and small birds .

BINGO!! No reason to beat yourself up or the stock with snotty loads when lighter loads will accomplish the same thing.

[Dave Noreen]

The OP stated his gun is of 1926 vintage. That is four years after the progressive burning smokeless powder, high velocity, 1 1/4-ounce loads --Western Super-X, Remington Heavy Duck Load soon to morph into Nitro Express, Peters High Velocity, etc. came on the market.

109717

109718

109719

And a couple of years after SAAMI specs came into the U.S. arms and ammunition industry.

The issue isn't that will the metal of a sound gun handle these loads, it will, but do you want to subject nearly 100-year-old wood and your shoulder to the recoil forces.