A good day in the off season
 

Today began about as normal as any day does. Cuppa coffee and a check of cyber world and then off to the doc's office - this time routine stuff for Kay. I dropped her off knowing I would have some spare time on my hands. Our gunworks shop was a short drive away, so I went to browse the consignments and general chit chat. One Ithaca that had seen better days, stock taped up like a hockey stick. Lots of Model 12's in but I just looked. Browsed in the ammo area and buried amongst the normal fare was a box of Canucks, a well known brand from my childhood. Pulled it out and it seemed so familiar. Opened it up and they looked pretty decent. Emptied the box and studied each shell and then put it back into the box. That seemed eerily familiar, filling the box, alternating each brass end as I went. That was my job as a kid after a hunt when the gear was being cleaned and put away 'til the next trip. Pockets were emptied of loose shells and handed to me. I took it seriously and was very careful about alternating each shell. Here I was doing the job again with one of the two only brands ever used by Dad. Canucks and the mighty Imperials. As I examined each one, I found a re-load. So 24 originals and a reload. The marked price was $15. Now that's not a lot of money but it needed to be haggled just a bit with that reload and the fact that the last box of Canucks I purchased was likely under 2$. I mentioned the reload to one of the guys and how that was causing me to re-think making a purchase. He said if you got 10 bucks, they're yours. I did have two fives, so the deal was sealed. #4's for late season roosters with a GHE that can handle the load. Headed back to the doc's and Kay was just finishing up. A quick lunch, a few stores and home for the dog hike. A nice hour on the snow shoes with the sun glistening off wind packed snow drifts and the dogs eating candy the whole distance. (Dog candy is strewn all through the area by hordes of jack rabbits). Back home and a quick change and Kay and I headed off to an annual game dinner hosted by the RCMP and Conservation Officers. The fare included whitetail deer stew, elk meat balls, moose stew, mule deer sausage, wild boar and wild pacific salmon. No birds this year. These events always have door prizes. The grand prize was a weekend fishing at a great lodge in the far north (Jan Lake for those who know Saskatchewan). I didn't win that but Kay won a decent 52" hard case which she thought might be useful for hauling a Parker back and forth to the pheasant fields. I think she said I owe her big time. Not sure what she has in mind but I'll go along with it. Yep, a good day all around.
Cheers,
Jack

i like the look of the old canuck boxes and shells...i have a 10 ga canuck box in my collection...those treasures we findin between hunting fill in the gaps....i believe this is what makes us hunters want to stay on wnen its really time to leave these things to someone else...charlie

A year or more ago, on an internet forum, some mention was made of a box of Canuck 10 gauge shells in the hands of a Canadian poster. I mentioned that I would like to buy such a box of shells for my collection. The poster said he would try to find a way to send me a box. Border regulations being what they are, it became too involved a procedure. Time went by and this great Canadian gunmaker, Claudio Opacek, showed up at the Southern Side by Side and presented me with not one but two full boxes of Canuck Standards in 10 gauge. They are 1 1/4 ounce BBs in beautiful roll crimped paper 2 3/4" cases. I have never seen a 2 3/4" ten gauge box. Of course we have probably seen the shells, but assumed they were 2 7/8". These are marked 2 3/4" right on the box. What a wonderful gift. I had done Claudio a minor favor a couple of years back, but the returned favor was pretty overwhelming.

Charlie, what load is your ten gauge Canuck box?

bill my box is not stamped with any lenth on the box...but they are 2 7/8 lenth the load info says 4 1/4 1 1/4 no. 2 marked on box as a heavy load but they are reallyjust standard low brass ....your box is fairly rare with the 2 3/4 inch lenth but i have seen a few boxes for sale on the tube....sound like you made a good trade..... charlie ps bet destrey or richard could tell us about these shells...i think we had better add jack for sure....i do love those old shells

Jack,
I have never come accross any of the Imperial shells in my area but I did find this old Canuck box some time ago.

Patrick

NICE :):):)

jack do you shoot with a ten gauge have some canuck 10 can drop some off next time I'm out west.

Thanks Jerry: I have one, as yet, unshootable 10 ga. Maybe a box of Canucks is just what it needs to move to time to get on with it project. Or, find a decent 10 :)
Cheers,
Jack

I killed at least one pheasant in North Dakota this fall with a vintage hi-brass 12 ga CIL paper load. If I remember right, that load booted me pretty good shot from my little Daly. They really are pretty shells.

[QUOTE=Jack Cronkhite;34149]Thanks Jerry: I have one, as yet, unshootable 10 ga. Maybe a box of Canucks is just what it needs to move to time to get on with it project. Or, find a decent 10 :)
Cheers,
Jack[/QUOTE

get her ready for this fall Jack :)