After reading Jay's 170 & 190 pellet counts, I'm rethinking my IM and Full comment above... to maybe more like Mod.





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We could probably put together a Parker specific table with pellet count and the approximate choke. It wouldn't be definitive, but a good general guide.

That is a good idea and I have thought about that. The thing is there are so many variations.

Could some one explain the reasoning behind 18x24. I have always thought a pattern being round it would be evaluated in a circle. I have the feeling I am missing some thing very basic here.

The older lifters had one gauge larger bores to accommodate the interior dimensions of extruded brass shotgun shell. In a 12 gauge you will typically find bores to be .751 or 11 gauge rather than the standard today of .729. A rough guess at constriction is to measure the muzzle with calipers and subtract from .751. Roughly improved cylinder would be .741, modified .731, full .721, and extra full .711. You can pattern your gun at 10 yards and the results will be: Cylinder 19 inch circle, Improved cylinder 15 inch circle, modified 12 inch circle, and full a 9 inch circle.

That is a good question and I was wondering the same thing. I have always seen circles as patterns

Occurred to me it may mean an 18 in. within a 24in. circle. Would differentiate the core from the rest?

Who knows. There are a lot of mysteries with the early Parker days. Frustrating sometimes, but it makes it fun too.

To the best of my knowledge they were patterned for rising birds... so, 18" wide and 24" high would likely have been the way the pattern board or target was measured.






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If the patterns dispersed fairly equal across the 18x24 piece of paper it’s just as good in practical application as a 30” circular target . We have guys at our club that are anal about patterning their tube sets in all gauges . Center of pattern in relation to the aiming point was always more important to me then how many pellets were in this quadrant or that quadrant . Plus the fact that patterns on paper are ONE dimensional and an actual load of shot in the air isn’t .