my favorite load is no 6 shot...in the 8 ga i usally load up 40 grains of bluedot powder and 1 1/2 ounces of no 6 shot...i ve got to take the 8 out soon on a hunt maybe this saturday....charlie

You are killin' me with that big 8, Charlie. Forty grains of Blue Dot?!?! How can that not have pretty vicious recoil? I've been looking for one of those guns for years and they have always managed to elude me. I recently found a fairly nice (okay...shootable) Parker 10 gauge top-lever hammer gun local, but the bores are rough and it's priced right at the absolute high end of what I'd be willing to give for it at $700. I have an SP-10 Remington that's been my waterfowl gun for years, but I don't reload for it as it doesn't get shot that much. It's not an 8, but those otherwise useless 3.5" hulls could easily be cut down to 2-7/8 and re-purposed...

When are you gonna post some more pics of that big gun? :corn:

john 40 grains of bluedot is more like a low powered load in a 8 ga...now 50 to 57 grains will be pretty hefty loads...i ve shot the 57 grain load with 3 ounce of shot..it is full house for sure but the kick is not as bad as you think more like a big shove...i m not to good at posting pictures on account of my cumputer skills...i will get the wife to take pictures of them...i think that hammer 10 would be a good buy..i have several parkers with bad pitts in the barrels and have never had no problems...several guys have 8 gas on here maybe they will show them be a parker or other brand.....the 8 ga i have are in shooting condition butin rough condition...i have a 8 ga fa loomis with 4 inch chambers with 36inch barrels...a parker 8 ga with cut barrels from 32 inch to 26 1/4 that is the 25 parker 8 ga made....a top lever hammer gun with27 1/4 inch barrels that is was in the worst condition you ever seen...still rough but shoots now....and a parker 8 ga with hammers fish tail lever 32 inch barrels..plus this gun and the gun in rough rough shape are sisters they were 2 of 6 guns sent to california...long storey on how they got back to gether... charlie

John here are a couple for you to look at. Sorry about the pics I am not a photographer. The first one is Belgium and the secound is my W&C Scott (safe queen).

Holy crap, Wayne! Is that Scott original or a refinish? What a beautiful gun that is, and I'd probably leave it in the safe, as well. I've ran across a few of the old Belgian 8's but they were all terribly loose and poorly cared for. I'll keep looking but it seems to be getting harder and harder to find good old guns like that at a reasonable price. I made an offer on that 10 gauge Parker mentioned earlier. Now, we wait...

How about that big Parker 8ga. listed on gunsamerica right now? Description says "PARKER PH IN RARE 8GA WITH 38" BARRELS, VISIBLE PATINA ON PLAIN TWIST BARRELS, SILVER BROWN RECEIVER WITH SOME SPOTTING, NICE STRONG ENGRAVING, MARKED P ON WATER TABLE WHICH HAS NICE CASE COLORS AND SHOWS ALMOST NO SIGN OF USE ON THE FACE AROUND THE FIRING PIS, GOOD WOOD WITH NO CRACKS AND SOME HUNTING DINGS, BEAUTIFUL SHINY BORE, 1 OF 11 38" PARKER 8GA GUNS AND ONE OF 2 MARKED PT 8GA 38" IN THE PARKER BOOK(CHART ON PAGE 1003), MADE IN 1913" Just a hair under $20k.

:envy:

The gun was completely restored by Brad Bachelder. I would say that 20k is the I wish price for a PH anything. I guess time will tell. 8ga guns arn't getting any easier to find.

Nice story on your morning in the woods. I shot almost all of my squirrel with a Trojan 16 for years. Lately I have been using a model 42 .410 which is also a fun way to go.

I liked the story and the pics. Those big 8 ga parkers are usually very expensive but who wouldn't want one? Got a good squirrel recipe? PM me.

I'll post my default recipe here, Mike. It's a fairly common way to cook them among my friends, but some folks may not have thought of it.

First, get some squirrels. One will feed me just fine but if you're really hungry, feeding the family, or expecting company, get more. I think squirrels taken with a Parker always taste better, but that's just my opinion.

After thoroughly cleaning the squirrels, cut each into six pieces. Four legs, back strap, and rib section. Some people like the heads, but I don't fool with them. Soak the pieces for awhile (overnight is best, but a few hours works just fine) in heavy salt water. This draws the blood out, and I've always done this in the refrigerator if going on for any length of time.

Getting ready for the first cooking step, I dredge the squirrel pieces in Kentucky Kernel seasoned flour. If KK isn't available in your area, it can be ordered online or there are numerous recipes out there that approximate this mix. Put some oil in a skillet and get it just hot enough so that a droplet of water flicked into the oil sizzles and pops and pretty quickly evaporates. Dredge the squirrel pieces again right before laying them into the hot oil.

Fry the squirrel for about three minutes per side. If your temperature is right, this will produce a crispy, light golden crust on the meat. Right before you turn the pieces, sprinkle a bunch of that Kentucky Kernel into the skillet, as if you were going to make white gravy. This will pay dividends later.

When done, lay the squirrel pieces on a couple folds of paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Continue stirring the skillet to finish the flour mixture you sprinkled in at the halfway point. When it looks right (vague, I know, but it'll have a nice golden, crunchy look to it), skim out what you can while leaving as much oil as possible in the skillet.

While the squirrel rests, get your crock pot out. Cut up some onions, carrots, potatoes, and anything else you fancy with a pot roast. I'll sometimes throw in a small can of sweet corn and some green beans. Start loading stuff into the crock pot in any order that appeals to you. Doesn't seem to matter in the least as it'll cook up just fine, regardless. Add salt and pepper in moderate amounts, and I've found a sprig of rosemary works well with this dish as long as you like the taste of rosemary. Now cover your ingredients with water and seal it up.

I cook this on high for about five hours, or set the pot on low if you want to cook it all day. This will make the vegetables very soft, almost mushy, so modify this to add the vegetables later on if you like them firmer. A couple of hours before it's finished, I'll add about half a cup of the seasoned flour and let the reduced liquid set about making its own gravy. I like a really coarse, unsweetened cornbread with this recipe but it's pretty much a whole meal in a bowl. Mix, match, add or subtract to suit your individual taste. You won't go wrong and even the toughest old, white-muzzled squirrel will be tender and the meat practically falling off the bones!

you got them squirls done yet....charlie