I have been looking over some of my Parker letters today and notice that all the letters which include choke pattern information specifies the number of #8 shot in a 30 inch circle at 40 yards. All very interesting I guess, but it doesn't tell me the choke.
In order to convert these numbers into general choke sizes I need to know the total shot count of the shell they used so I can compute the percentage of shot in the circle. Then I can use the table at
http://parkerguns.org/pages/faq/ChokeSize.htm to determine what choke it probably is.
So, two questions for anyone that may know the answer.
- I have letters for both 12 & 16 gauge and they all use #8 shot for the test. Did they use #8 for tests on all the tests and on gauges?
- Is there any documentation anywhere that lists the brand or type of shell Parker used to test so we might open one of each gauge and get a shot count; or is there any record of what Parker Bros. knew to be the total shot count in their test shells?