If a person takes the effort to read what Parker said they will find that Parkers stated that " a good bird load " is a 1 oz 2 3/4 dr for the 12 ga.

These are available today from many sources. I have cases of rems like that.


Source : Parker small bore shot gun brochure.

When Pete buys and shoots factory ammo he waits for sales at Dicks Sporting Goods and in 12ga the Rio 1 ounce load at 1150 fps is a great load too.

The original poster asked about Remington 16 gauge game loads. Remington 16 gauge game loads are very acceptable in Parker shotguns. I last bought these shells at Dick's, where Pete shops. I paid about $5.00 a box plus tax. They are probably a bit higher now. Dick's also has a rebate program if we choose to participate. Yesterday, I bought Federal 20 gauge four packs at Walmart for $19.94 plus tax. These are also very acceptable 1200 fps loads. The Federal Top Gun 12 gauge 7/8 ounce, 1200 fps loads are delevered to our gun club for $5.65 a box. These three bargain loads cover all 12, 16, and 20 gauge shooting for my Parkers.

WHAT!!! And your gun did not blow up, the stock did not fall apart? How can that be??

That is kind of funny. I think I recall seeing a picture of some guy in a crash helmet and padded clothing shooting a damascus gun for the first time, he kind of looked like you Bruce. I guess we are long way from that day. :bigbye:

While I understand the barrels and actions and gun were originally built to handle such loads, Bruce are you saying that a 100+ year old stock is in as good of condition to handle recoil as it was when it was new?

I am not arguing you on this, I am merely inquiring as you have much more knowledge and experience of this then I do, however, I would think that just as with 100-200 year old wood furniture my family has, it doesn't hurt to treat the wood a little more gently then when it was first made.

If I am mistaken in this belief I welcome the education. However, I imagine there isn't really any way to tell if a stock head will split prior to shooting it and I would just as well shoot a lower recoil shell then have to go to the trouble of getting a parker glass bedded or repairing a split head.

Again, 99% of this is from reading this forum, very little of it is from experience shooting parkers, but I am eager to learn.

Smiths are not Parker's but,

Fellow was at the gun club with a real high grade LC Smith, family gun, shooting Rios from Dicks. Never give unsolicited advice but suggested B&P 7/8 oz loads.

Two weeks ago saw him again guys were looking at the cracked stock. What's the point of trying to save a few bucks on shells. 1 1/8 oz 3 dram Promo shells are objectionable to me in a modern gun much more so in a nice double.

William

I suggest you look carefully at a smith stock on comparison to a Parker stock.

Somehow, I can't understand people who own and shoot nice guns like L C. Smiths and Parkers, then put overloaded "on sale" cartridges through them to save a few dollars. The cracked stock William mentions is the price they often pay.

"Let me be perfectly clear" on my point (sounds familiar): Most of the Parkers and L. C. Smiths still extant are close to or well over a century old. Many were stocked with American Black Walnut that has been drying out and/or oil soaking for the same length of time. The stock heads are thus weakened from when they were new.

In addition, these guns do not have a lot of recoil absorbing surface area in their designs. Combine this flaw, with dry weakened wood, hot loaded "cheap" ammunition and repeated shooting and viola -- you crack stock heads.

This has nothing to do with what the guns could safely digest when they were six weeks old.

But heck... these guys saved the price of a KFC bucket of extra crispy on a flat of shells in the process....

Cost to travel to a shoot like the Southern rooms gas meals entry fees, and a nice old shotgun worth thousands, false economy looking to save a dollar a box on shells.

Not to mention you are probably going to shoot higher scores with light loads. I am told Cabellas has a cheap shipping deal on B&P Competion Ones 7/8 oz they land about 8 bucks a box, dollar more than Dicks Rio's.

William