Jay -

I shoot a 2 3/4" 1 oz load in my 0 frame.

I have shot a 3" 1 1/8 oz load through my 1 frame (widgeon gun) but I have only ever hunted that gun twice and only shot 4 3" shells through it (the balance being 2 3/4's on those two hunts). I have subsequently turned over the balance of that case of 3" 20's to Rick L. to reload into 10 bore duck loads which I hope to introduce to some greenheads in the not to distant future!

In my opinion 2 3/4" 1 oz. 5's of Kent matrix is all that is needed.

Mark

Thank you Mark. My VHE 20/32 is a 1-frame with original 3" chambers (typical "wigeon" configuration) so I thought I would ask. I have never been impressed by 20g, 3" ammo.

Have you ever shot Bismuth and if so why do you prefer TM over Bis?

Jay

Jay -

Absolutely The Tungsten Matrix. Not even close in my experience. I would take that load over any other in the 20 bore. The only load I have had similar success with was the original Hevi shot from 15 years ago and we of course cannot use that in our Parkers.

It will cost more but is worth the extra $$$.

Mark

Last hunt with 20/32 for the season. Moving to the 16/30 1 1/2 frame.

These were circling to land ducks over cut corn. We certainly had the advantage. I made a couple nice long ones on ducks trying to get away after others shot:rotf: - then finished off by missing a crossing layup at 20 yards!:banghead::cuss:

Great season with this little gun. Certainly not the highest condition or grade in my small collection but quickly moving up the ranks as my favorite.

Nice!

that 20 is a duck gun for sure....charlie

Ok - My Bad. - I pushed it tooooo far. Ugh!
I knew it was a mistake. I made the decision to move up to a bigger gun for the later ducks ..... and then I grabbed the 20 again......:banghead:

These fat red legs fresh down from near the top of the world are really tough for 1 oz. #5 shot in a marsh like ours, with numerous escape routes and no dog. I killed most but I lost two birds I had down and considered dead. If we had a dog I am sure we would have had both but we didn't, and I know better. A lesson I will not soon forget.

Craig and I had a 3 day run surrounded by Ice - I Hunted my new to me 3 frame DHE (Thanks again Mr. Swanson!) on day 3 with TM 1 1/4 #3 bone breakers - much better results.

A nice double by each of us. Although.... Craig's was a thing of beauty I will remember for a very long time:bowdown:!

Counting down days till second set Dec. 26.

Me with Mallards on day 1
Craig's Superfox day 2 - Mallards and Blacks
Forgot to take pics on Day 3 -

I enjoy your duck hunting stories and pics Mark! Keep them coming!

What Mark does not mention is our day two hunt. We had 8 birds down but without a dog to pick them up we broke down our boat blind to collect what we thought was a limit of mallards, 4 hens and 4 drakes. What we discovered after motoring around the ice covered pothole was instead of 4 hen mallards we had 1 hen mallards and three blacks. Mark looks at me and says should we set up again I said dam right!! We no sooner got set up and I had two more drake mallards on the water. So we were short one black and it was Mark's turn to shoot. No sooner than I said it's your shot a big drake black duck comes screaming in over our decoys left to right. I am positioned behind Mark and I see him swing on the black with his 32" 20ga straight grip G and crush the bird. Unfortunately we lost the last drake mallard but a high five hunt we will recall for years. God I love duck hunting!!

Nice!!!