Kent Tungsten Matrix 12 gauge 1400 FPS safe in a 3 frame parker?

[Cold Spring]

Originally Posted by Craig Larter

OK so you guys think I'm nuts but I have a Super Fox in nice shape I shoot regularly with 1 3/8th Oz TM. That's what it was designed for and no issues so far. My 2 and 3 frame 12ga Parkers I shoot 1 1/8 Oz bismuth handloads.

Same as Craig, I regularly shoot the 1-3/8 ounce TM load in Super-Foxes and Winchester 21 Duck guns. Actually the later Supers were made after introduction of the 3-inch 1-5/8 ounce progressive load @ 1315 fps. I'll also shoot the Kent TM 3-inch 1-1/2 ounce load in factory chambered 3-inch Supers when conditions warrant use of the heaviest soft/non-tox shells. Same with the 21 Ducks and my Model 12 Heavy Duck pump gun.

[Kevin McCormack]

Originally Posted by Frank Srebro

Same as Craig, I regularly shoot the 1-3/8 ounce TM load in Super-Foxes and Winchester 21 Duck guns. Actually the later Supers were made after introduction of the 3-inch 1-5/8 ounce progressive load @ 1315 fps. I'll also shoot the Kent TM 3-inch 1-1/2 ounce load in factory chambered 3-inch Supers when conditions warrant use of the heaviest soft/non-tox shells. Same with the 21 Ducks and my Model 12 Heavy Duck pump gun.

Ditto Ditto Ditto! - With all the heavy clothing worn while waterfowling and the adrenaline rush when they cup their wings and drop their feet, who's thinking about felt recoil anyway! Last week at Beaver Dam we shot everything from 3" Mag 1 1/2 oz. to 2 1/2" (not a misprint!) 1 1/4 oz. Kent TM without so much as a hiccup! Big Birds; Big Guns!!

[Drew Hause]

1220 fps 3' from muzzle is 665 fps at 40 yds.
1400 fps 3' from muzzle is 691 fps at 40 yds.

[Cold Spring]

Originally Posted by Drew Hause

1220 fps 3' from muzzle is 665 fps at 40 yds.
1400 fps 3' from muzzle is 691 fps at 40 yds.

Drew, I presume those figures are for lead shot but you didn't cite the shot size(s).

Smaller shot will "bleed off" speed more rapidly than larger shot.

Also, bismuth shot is about 0.8X the density of lead and thus a bismuth pellet will lose speed at a faster rate than a lead pellet of the exact same diameter. Who has figures comparing the same pellet diameter of bismuth, ITX, TM and lead, at the same muzzle speed, along with their respective 40/50/60 yard speeds?

The bottom line for me is to use TM which is about as dense as lead, and to use the same payload and velocity as we did 30 years ago. I'll make an exception with lighter loads of bismuth for closer work and decoyed birds but I'll let longer range birds pass without shooting if that's what I have in the gun and there's not enough time to switch shells.

We usually only hear about the day's bag. When was the last time someone posted how many birds were feathered, crippled and lost with light loads that were overstretched?