Magnum loads

[Ed Kettner]

Just wondering if it is a good idea to shoot 2 3/4'' magnum loads occasionally out of a 12 ga Parker with titanic steel barrels. I would normally use trap loads in a antique, but thinking of going after a gobbler with it. What do you guys think.

[10 bore]

i wouldn;t just because the stock takes a pounding, pick up a 10 ga, scott

[John Hancock]

Ed, I am 67 and have been plagued with turkeys on my farm for years. I call them Hoovers, ie.vacuum cleaners, they get into a field and eat up lots of grain intended for the dove and quail. Over the years I have shot at least ------, well lots of them with anything with .030" of choke and regular 1200 fps 1 1/8 oz. of 7 1/2's. Usual shell is the Rem STS Light Handicap. At 45 yds. or less just put the bead right under the head I'll have holes all in the head and neck. At 25 yds. a lot of the head goes away. Don't know how close you hope to shoot one at but you might draw a head and neck on a piece of cardboard and see what your gun will do. The density of 7 1/2's out of a good shell is really something. Something to try. JH

[Richard Flanders]

"Plagued with turkeys"...!? Poor guy!! I think we better have a party weekend at Johns and help him out guys!! Would that be fun or what?!

[Paul P.]

Richard, I'll race you to see who gets there first.

[charlie cleveland]

ed i dont think a few of these shells through that old parker will hurt her...but as said a ten is better...im shooting 3 1/2 inch 12 ga through my old ten ga parke r for turkey...it aint hurt it yet...yep its twist steel... charlie

[Ed Kettner]

Thanks for all the good ideas. Charlie, I have not heard of that before, how do you accomplish 12ga in a 10? Is there an insert? Can I shoot 20ga in my 12ga the way you do?
Twist barrels Im sure is done to death on here before. Is there a bare bones basic on which twist barrels can be shot? My old Daddy told me you can never shoot twist because bad stuff (acid?) can seep inside from old time powder and cause deterioration. Since many guys shoot twist he was wrong. Are other brands weaker than Parker? What is the magic formula?
Thanks again. Ed

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Gentlemen,

Please know that the SAAMI specification for 10 gauge 2 7/8" and 3 1/2" loads pressure is 11,000 psi.

The SAAMI 12 gauge 2 3/4" and 3" pressure is 11,500 psi.
The SAAMI 12 gauge 3 1/2" pressure is 14,000 psi.

That extra 3000 psi is 36.6% over 11,000. The surface area of a 10 gauge compared to a 12 gauge is 9% larger so potentially there may be a 9% pressure drop but I have no data to prove this. Even if it would only be a 27% gain in pressure that doesn't seem to be safe.

I believe that one can do as they chose so long as it does't hurt others but...

Charlie if you blow off a finger or two you'll type worse than you do now! It is hard enough to read your posts now since punctuation escapes them! I do however try to read them because they are full of good wisdom. Please do not endanger any of your typing fingers...

Let's be careful out there!
Mark

[Eldon Goddard]

Charlie your got me scratching my head on that one. Does the 10ga have a 3 1/2 in chamber your shooting this 12ga 3 1/2s through? About the craziest thing I ever seen was my cousin shot a 38 special through my 300 win mag. Checked the gun over and could not find anything wrong. I have shot the gun for years after with no problem. I can only guess that the soft lead .357 bullet compressed itself through the .308 barrel.

[charlie cleveland]

to answer you boys question on the 10 ga shooting the 12 ga in it...i use a chamber adapter called gauge matesit allows the 12 ga shell to fit the 10 ga... yes you can get the gauges mates in many differant configurations like the 4 ga to 8 ga and 10 ga...8 ga to 10 ga and 12 ga.. 10 ga to 12 ga to 20 ga... 12 ga to 16 ga 20 ga to 28 ga to 410 ga....the list goes all the way down to the 28 ga....and they make custom gauge to fit anything you want...my 10 ga patters very well with using the gauge mate in the 12 ga set... these gauge mates are not very costly the cheaper ones are about 37.50 each...thanks big ten for showing the presure of the shells...im sorry for my typing i have tried to do better but heh im what i am a bad typer.... no offence meant ... i m not telling everybody to go out there and fire magnum loads through there guns with any parker barrel but i know my old gun as withstood heavy loads for 30 years or better...no barel problem and no stock damage...in my opinion i think these old barrels are better than we give them credit...only barrels i ve blowed up were fluid steel barrels on a 28 ga... mr bell tryed to blow up these old barrels and he did some of them but he had to use way above the sammi pressures given above even these modern mag 12 ga loads...ok fellows im out on a limb so dont think the less of me..ha charlie