duck loads!

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Originally Posted by Richard Flanders

I could be wrong here but bet that if one were to reload shells with a double layer of shot wrap or a layer of wrap inside a cup, no type of hard non-tox shot, be it steel or the iron Hevi-shot, could hurt a Parker. I've only shot KTM, bismuth and Classic Doubles out of mine and give KTM the clear nod for being the best of the three.

Roger that Richard!

I do not recommend a steady diet of steel or Hevi Shot in a Parker mostly because of the strain it will put on a 100 year old stock.

Modern steel shot shells have really thick wads, at least the good ones do.

The problem with steel is the extra velocity needed so that when the shot finally gets to the duck or goose, it has the required energy to penetrate. To achieve the extra muzzle velocity, and to cycle dirty autoloaders, steel shot is loaded to near SAAMI maximum mean working pressures. A Parker with good barrel thickness will withstand the pressure but that pressure may in turn loosen the action. Maybe, maybe not...

Then there is the recoil produced by those high velocity steel shot loads...

I like Nice Shot, Kent TM, and Bismuth for my Parkers. In a pinch I'd shoot a low condition "shooter" with steel or Hevi Shot.

[charlie cleveland]

i too shoot steel shot thru my double barrel guns..mostly thru a lc smith with modified chokes both barrels..so far the barrels and wood are holding up great.. i shoot bb and no 2 steel shot and it will kill a woody duck at 50 yards ever shot.these were 1 1/4 in 2 3/4 and 3 inch length shells at 1300 fps...i would buy the no tox other brands except they cost way to much for me....charlie

[Jeff Christie]

Has anyone out there suffered damage from steel to a classic double? If so under what circumstances? I won't do it mainly out of fears for the stock. I could not care less for a classic pump.

[MarketHunter]

I'll never forget my buddy Kenny Clements face when he showed me the big fat ring bulge behind the choke in his Winchester Model 23 that was caused by steel. Or my high school friend Dale Dodd's Stevens 520 that had grooves deep as rifling in the barrel from early steel shells.

[Big D]

I think Jeff is singing off my song sheet.

I have never had anyone show me a gun ruined by modern steel shells, assuming a choke that was Modified or more open, and shot size no bigger than 2. Time for Sherman Bell to do another test on this.

[Noel McCormack]

I've had good results hand loading 1 1/4 oz #2s ITX non-toxic high density premium shot pushed by 32 grains of IMR SR 7625 powder. Easy to do with a Lee loader. This recipe provides a 111 pellet count in my 1884 10 ga. Parker hammer Gun and is strong medicine for Canada Geese in Maryland.

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Noel McCormack

I've had good results hand loading 1 1/4 oz #2s ITX non-toxic high density premium shot pushed by 32 grains of IMR SR 7625 powder. Easy to do with a Lee loader. This recipe provides a 111 pellet count in my 1884 10 ga. Parker hammer Gun and is strong medicine for Canada Geese in Maryland.

It's my intention to load by weight 1 1/4 ounce of Bismuth #1 in a SP-10 pushed with 30-32 grains of SR7625 . I'll use that load in all my Short 10's .

[charlie cleveland]

noel that sounds like a good load you have there..bet it will reach out there...charlie

[Jeff Christie]

What case, primer, and wad do you use? It would be hard to think of a better way to burn up 7625.