DHE New home

[Mark Parela]

I have purchased another Parker 1926 DHE 32" with all the bling. Barn yard pigeon decoying is right around the corner. There's nothing more enjoyable than sitting in a hide with your friend a line steady lab and a sheet rock bucket of shells. I normally shoot Remington Premier Nitro 27 7.5 or an equal handload of nickle plated 7 shot 1 1/8. Can this P shooter take these loads by the case load. Then we move in Flyer pigeon shooting. First barrel is also the Rem Premier Nitro 27 and then a 1 1/4oz 3 1/4dr pigeon load either a Federal or B&P or should I use a lighter load in this gun. I certainly don't don't want to shoot the Rib off like a I did to a 21. But 21's always seem to have that VR issue after grinding on them.

[John Rutledge]

Dear Boxbirder, where are the pictures and could you please give me a price range of what you paid. I am thinking of selling my 32 inch 1916 DHE and have no real idea of value.

Regards, John Rutledge

[Dean Romig]

Why beat a nice Parker if you don't need to? Whatever lighter load gets the job done is the one I would choose.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Why beat a nice Parker if you don't need to? Whatever lighter load gets the job done is the one I would choose.

This from a man who has obviously never laid his money down and shot flyers...

It's a big money game, you shoot the best and brightest as far as loads. Using some kind of powder puff shell isn't something anybody who ever shot pigeons seriously would ever do.

I've never fired anything but a Parker at a pigeon match and I don't believe I'll start anytime soon. Last time I was out in PA I borrowed a steel barrel hammer DH from Bickel that he's set up for pigeon shooting.

It was not the gun or the loads that was lacking in my shooting I assure you. I was into my precious stock of AA Super Pigeon copper plated #8's.


Destry

[Mark Parela]

MH yes those super pigeons were always stellar loads. There is a batch of Federal Papers out on the west coast that were made up for 2 clubs 400 flats total, 1 1/4 copper 3 1/4dr of 7.5 I located 40 flats out in NV but they don't want part with them. All you have is the B&P flyer loads or Federal Flyer ammo, unless you want to man up and go for the 3 3/4dr TNT, there not me. I like a super handi cap load in my first barrel.
I try to keep the same load for everything, this will be my first year shooting a Parker, might be a change from my 21's trust me I will give it my best:rotf:

Then who was shooting the 34" DH at Phili???

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Those Federal flyer loads in the paper hulls are the best, wish I could find some myself. If you ever get the inside track on a few cases I'm in for whatever it takes.

I've got about 50 boxes of AA Super Pigeon left, copper 8's and regular 7 1/2's. Those should last me awhile but I like the 7 1/2 for other things so those might get shot up a little faster.

I was shooting a 34 inch DH at Philly last year, was just out this winter shooting in the coal regions using the hammer gun.


Destry

[Dean Romig]

This from a man who has obviously never laid his money down and shot flyers...

You're absolutely right - never have shot pigeons for money and likely never will.

It's a big money game, you shoot the best and brightest as far as loads. Using some kind of powder puff shell isn't something anybody who ever shot pigeons seriously would ever do.

[I]I was responding to his "barn yard pigeon decoying" and didn't really pick up on his "flyer pigeon shooting" until you brought it to my attention. It is not my intent to talk about things I have no experience in like high stakes pigeon shooting...


:whistle:

[Dean Romig]

From what I understand from speaking with Alex last fall, RST has developed a very competetive and effective pigeon load that they were shipping by the pallet to the southwest. He told me someone had won $30K using them and the loads became very popular almost overnight.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

I've heard good things about the new RST load as well but have yet to see them in action. Alex and Morris were going to come up to the shoot I was at recently but then couldn't make it. I believe they're going to start going to some of the upcoming flyer shoots to sell and promote the new load.

Destry

[Bill Murphy]

I have been shooting the RST Pigeon loads and they are wonderful. They are available in at least three velocities, 1200, 1250, and 1300 feet per second. They are all 1 1/4 ounces. I shoot Model 21 Trap guns but not at pigeons. My pigeon gun is a Parker PHE trap, vent rib, and it doesn't know much other than 1 1/4 ounce loads. It shows no sign of distress from shooting these loads for almost ninety years. It came out of pigeon country a rusty relic with evidence of having been shot a bunch and put away wet more than once. Yes, you can shoot big bullets in a Parker. You can also shoot them in Model 21s and have the ribs reset maybe once every fifty years, no problem.

[Chris Travinski]

Mark,
Is your new gun the one that sold a few weeks ago on the doubblegunshop website?

[Dean Romig]

John Rutledge, to get an idea of what a Parker DHE with 32" with "all the bling" including an extra set of barrels might bring, see Julia's Auctions current catalog lot no. 1212. Estimated auction value of $4,500 - $7,500. But that's just one. See other recent auctions for a better idea.

[Mark Parela]

Chris no, I was more interested in the set of Parker barrles for sale with holes drilled in them. HAHA

That gun has a fitted set of repro barrels. 2 8ga's up in the other lot also.

[todd allen]

I shot a #2 frame GHE live bird gun on flyers for approx. 1 year, as an experiment to see what it must have been like back in the day. Never won a shoot with it, but hit quite a few 2nd & 3rd place over-alls.
It evolved into a friendly Winchester vs. Parker rivalry between me, and Don Criswell.
Don made a funny little reference to our "competition" when he signed my M-21 book.
Anyway, IMO, a SxS on pigeons is most effective when used with a trap load in the first bbl, and ideally nothing more than a 3 ¼ dram 1 ¼ oz 2nd bbl load.
I don’t shoot pigeons very much now-a-days, but when I do, I shoot trap loads in both bbls of a Perazzi SC3, with a release trigger.
I’ll admit to preferring the O/U on box birds, but think the edge goes slightly to the SxS for hand thrown birds.

[Bill Murphy]

In our little flyer club, purses are kept to a minimum so those who wish to shoot a good gun instead of the best shooting gun can do it with minimum investment. I prefer it this way so that I can shoot my Parkers without worrying about winning. Oddly, a side by side shooter wins the HOA purse on a fairly regular basis.

[Richard Flanders]

I found a win super pigeon shell somewhere a while back and shot it in my Daly not too long ago. Never again. About took my shoulder off. The clay just disappeared... Pretty stout those....

[Destry L. Hoffard]

They're the King of Modern Shotshells in my opinion.

I used to use the copper plated 7 1/2's on ducks early in the season back in the good old lead days.

Deadly

[Mark Parela]

Even Bob Brister loved the Super Pigeon load. I have had the chance to rock through 5-6 cases in a day shooting pigeons in South America.

As for the O\U gun for pigeons seems to me the top flight shooters use SxS's from Purdy, Boss, Winchester and Parker. Billy Purdue, the Lenick brothers, Russo's were always switching.

[todd allen]

Mt favorite load was the old "Federal Flyers". As for guns, Perazzi is the gold standard in pigeon guns.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Todd,

Those were good ones too, particularly the paper hull version. You can buy them again but they've changed the powder charge and by all account they just ain't quite the same.


Destry

[Mark Parela]

I was wondering if the 3 1/4 dr load will be to strong for my new P shooter.

[todd allen]

A Parker in good shape should handle 3 1/4 Dr pigeon loads with no problem. I don't consider myself a competitive pigeon shooter any longer, so I limit my abuse to trap loads.

[Dean Romig]

I've been racking my brain since this thread started "Where did I read that article about pigeon shooting with a Parker DHE?"
Finally, arter skimming through a few of piles of DGJ I found it! In the Autumn 1993 issue beginning on page 82 is Don Whittaker's story of his European pigeon-shooting adventures of the early 1960's "Preparing for Europe". Early in his tour, after losing a few too many birds, he retired his Purdey for a Parker DHE that would shoot 86% patterns from both barrels. He mentions a couple of shells he used but never discussed how they were loaded even though he also mentions Bob Brister in the article. There are two not so good pictures of his Parker and it has a single trigger, a pistol grip and a BTFE but doesn't appear to have a ventilated rib. He has the safety taped forward and it looks like he may have taped a spacer pad to the side of the already wide "trap style" comb.

In any case, he doesn't mention any problems with the Parker after he retired the Purdey to "back-up".

[Dean Romig]

Does anyone know if Don Whittaker is still with us?

I'm going to make an educated guess that in view of the fact that he shot a late Parker DHE configured as a trap gun (with the exception of a ventilated rib) that it was highly likely to be a 1 1/2 frame gun.