So,what do you guys use for 10 gauges?
 

I got your 410 opinions, what do you guys do for 10 gauges? I mainly float hunt for ducks, so a nice sxs 10 banging around a canoe would be a bad idea, but curious to what you guys uses in 10, any classics take 3.5" shells?

Now why would anybody need 3.5" shells when a short ten is so incredibly effective?

Please expand good sir.

You should talk with Scott Kittredge, Pete Lester, Frank Cronin - all PGCA Members who all load and shoot the short ten for all manner of waterfowl as well as turkey. Their recipes are VERY effective even at looong ranges.

Thank you.

Michael,

I have an 1881 lifter Parker with Twist barrels. Both have .030 constriction. I load a 1 1-4 oz load at about 1200 fps using IMR 4756 and nice shot. It is a little more expensive, but a viable option to shoot Kent Tungston Matrix 12 gauge shells inside of Gauge Mates. When I get to the computer I will post a picture.

Harry

Michael

do a search on "short ten" - you will have enough to read for the weekend

here are a couple for starters

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthr...ighlight=short

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=11403

there are a lot of them still in use

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/g...pseb68c65d.jpg


http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/g...ps63a8ce5f.jpg

A couple of old 10's still in the field.

Harry, could the bottom picture be of your old #4 frame gun that now lives at my house?

Yes, Bill. I hated to let it go as it was a killing machine. If I told you I got a double on pintails with it I would be admiting to be a poacher. They were crossing fast and in the heat of the moment I did shoot at a second bird, but missed. I hope you are enjoying it.
Harry

I like just over the speed of sound 1160 or so see no reason for faster. Most of the time load my Parker's shot weight a bit under factory shell during the period they were built and well under modern shot weights. 20's 5/8 or 3/4 oz - 16 G 3/4 for targets 7/8 for birds. 12 G 3/4 for short range like Skeet 7/8 oz for sporting clays and rarely 1 oz.

My 10's use 1 1/8 oz shot for targets. Hunting I would go to 1 1/4 oz or the non toxic substitute no more.

Problem with the big boomer shells is most can't shoot them well. I know I can't. 1 1/4 oz at 1160 in a well choked 10 G is a formidable load for anything that fly’s

Parker shooting buddy of mine floats for Ducks a lot. Plenty of well worn Trojans out there that are prefect for canoe hunting. He keeps a couple of Stevens SxS's around for loaner guns that have taken a lot of ducks and crows from boats.

William

RST is the only source of 10 gauge ammo for old Parkers that I know of, unless you reload.

The first 10 gauge I ever knew was this W&C Scott back action that my maternal grandfather acquired right after WWII and since his passing eight years ago I've owned it .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...guns/Dove2.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...inghunt002.jpg

When I was 19 my dad bought this Ithaca NID Grade 2 and we never fired it until maybe 4 years ago , we'd had it over 30 years .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...ugeguns004.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...psf677d37d.png

Two years ago I believe I picked up a circa 1890 LC Smith Quality 2 .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...ps5c80a1b4.png

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...ps8ee0a988.jpg

And in the last two years I've acquired a 1882 Parker Lifter , 1884 Parker Grade 2 top lever and an 1889 EH .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...pszs5dq6yg.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f3...ps617537a9.png

In the past I owned a Remington SP-10 semi auto , a pair of Ithaca MAG-10's and a Browning BPS all for 3 1/2" 10 gauge .

As to the 10 gauge 3 1/2" I'd love to have a Parker and/or Ithaca NID 3 1/2" gun !

I'm convinced I need a Parker short ten, is RTS ammo ok to use with damscus?

as alway

it depends on the barrels- that is also true for fluid steel as well


if the barrels are in safe shootable condition, yes RST shells are made for vintage guns

I have no issue with RST shells I just prefer to load my own !

All of my 10's are damascus except my Ithaca NID . And I load everything as if I'm shooting it in a damascus gun then there's no accident of using the wrong shells .

If I had an Ithaca NID Mag 10 or a Parker Mag 10 I'd load the 3 1/2" shells for them and it would be no issue either since the shells were obviousely longer .

I have used couple hundred RSTs in my Damascus Parker mostly to get the hulls. They do just fine. 1 1/8 oz nice target load. My reloads duplicate them. Have some 1 1/4 oz RST # 6. It's some shel,l way it breaks clay's hard to imagine any need for more power. Saving them for Crows.

William

I use RST in short tens at Clays out of a super 10, and load My own for hunting. I loaded some #2 itx in 31/2 for a Swan last year. Fun to shoot out of my Ithaca Magnum 10.

http://i449.photobucket.com/albums/q...ps6182569f.jpg

Well....forgive me guys, I just got a berretta 3.5" 10 gauge...a Lc smith or Parker 10 is next.

I can remember when the Beretta was still being made . Think it was the mid to late 70's !

We had a rather nice Bernadeli side by side 3 1/2" 10 gauge come in the shop today !

What are they asking?

Pretty sure I'm odd man out here. I have a San Marco O/U and a BPS. I reload for all my guns
2 5/8" and 3 1/2" lead and steel.

The short ten is a mighty killer. I've taken ducks, geese and turkeys. I've used RST's and then switched to hand loading all brass hulls using both smokeless and black powder. This past April I killed a turkey stone dead at 60 yards using black powder and 1 5/8 oz of #5 shot. I'm a believer in the short ten's ability

I think $1800 !

I think Richland or American Arms or some company marketed an O/U 10 gauge turkey gun with 22" barrels I think . Anyway I was somewhere back when they were being made and saw one to pick it up . I thought the gun actually handled pretty well .

Damn! Can you pass along the contact info to me?

I shoot BP in my favorite Parker 10....too much fun.

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/n...2C3F45842A.jpg

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/n...30D0901DD1.jpg

Have a new to me Dougall in 10 that I may try the S. BELL Longshot load in. I loaded a few last year to try in the Parker and it tested well on clays.

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/n...splwxpaqq.jpeg

Is the Dougal a lockfast action?

Hi Bill, it sure is.

I sold my long time friend, an AYA lightweight that I hauled around for many years. I am now left with Parkers, hammerless, top action, and lifter, L.C. Smith pre 1913 Ideal Grade, a Lindner hammer with single trigger, a 1900 Harrington and Richardson single, a Sarasqueta Honker single barrel, a mag ten NID Ithaca, a little Sauer bird gun at 6 1/4 pounds, and maybe one or two others. I would like to add a couple of more early Smiths and maybe a Lindner hammerless. My favorite may be the D Grade #4 frame hammer gun that my friend Harry Collins sold to my high school buddy and PGCA member, George Blair. I bought the gun after George passed away. I love the 11 pound #4 frames because they are indestructible and many have early competition shooter provenance.

Someone on here recently let a top lever hammer Grade 2 on a #4 frame go on GB . I bid but not quite enough , now I'm wishing I'd bid more :banghead:

Craig, I don't need any more heavy tens, but I would like to look at the GB gun. What was the item number?

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=498793464

Wow! That is a nice gun.

Only issue I had with it was needing the hammer screws . And of course my recently acquired Jewish outlook on spending :rotf:

Maybe I outta sell 90% of my guns bank most of the money and get a new set of Callaway clubs and start chasing the little white ball again LOL's !

My Short Tens are utilitarian. From top to bottom, a 30" 8 3/4 lb Remington 1894 AE, a Lefever 30" 9.5 lb G grade, and a 32" 10 lb 5 oz, Parker NH. All with modern dimensions. Each has their place, the Parker is the most comfortable with heavy loads, the Remington is the nicest to carry around and is the tightest shooting of the three guns at 93%.

The 2 7/8" 10ga is fun to shoot, they will break clays and kill birds at very long range. If you shoot them enough you will learn why the 10ga was banned from competition shooting. Factory loads are a bit cost prohibitive but reloading is easy once you learn to trim hulls and use a filler wad inside the shot cup.

Short Ten = Big Fun

Pete reminded me that I had forgotten to mention my seven or eight ten gauge Lefevers, a collection I started before I entered high school. I also have an 1889 Remington that is so minty that I am afraid to show it at a gun show for fear of being accused of displaying a refinished gun. It isn't. It has steel barrels, 30", is about mint. Anyone interested? I really love the tens.

Id love an 8 gauge! How do you load for it?

I also have the 10 gauge sickness. Current lineup includes 5 LC Smith's, a Q-3 Syracuse gun, a Ideal 30", a 30" Pigeon, a 30" No. 3 and another No. 3 30". One Parker a #6 frame 36" D grade top lever hammer gun. I reload both target loads and bismuth hunting loads.

I am glad I don't suffer from that affliction.