[Bruce Day]

I shoot ducks with a 12ga 2 frame Bernard that has 6 1/2lb, thick, barrels and weighs 9 lbs. Don't like to carry the gun very far, its built like a tank, but it will really blast out the 1 1/4 oz , 3 1/2dram loads. Its more solid to shoot with heavy loads than a Mod 21. Then I also have another 12ga 2 frame 30" Bernard with severely contoured thinner barrels that weighs 7 1/2lbs. It likes 1 1/8oz, 3 dram loads or less. Both guns were proofed to the same standard but each gun is different on what feels best with it.

I shoot factory loads through each but choose the loads.

Lets take an example of a factory "pheasant load", say its a 12ga 2 3/4" Fed premium Black Cloud at 1 3/8oz at 1375fps. As near I can figure looking at load tables, that thing generates 11,000psi, and I don't know what in recoil. Some folks are shooting those out of Parkers. If its an older Parker, damascus or fluid with 2 5/8" chambers, then the gun was proofed at 13,700 with service load average at 9500. If a late Parker with 2 3/4" chambers then it was proofed at 15,900 for a service load average of 10,500. Safe, probably, but over the service load averages and hard on the gun and shoulder. I sure killed a lot of wild SoDak and Kansas birds last season with a 16ga loaded with 1 oz 2 1/2 dram Fed Game loads.