8 gauge all ready to go.

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

I hand carried my AYA Matador ten around the Dorchester County Maryland marshes for years, just because I had the shells and didn't want to give up a 90 yard chance if it presented itself. One time, we were invited to clear out a pond that had been populated by hundreds of RSA mallards that were run out of a polluted home base. I had my ten that day, but wished my eights were a little closer than 120 miles up the road. The lady of the house begged us to take a
"big shot" like in the old days, but we shot everything on the wing.

One of the last couple times I hunted the Blackwater for Sika during the gun season I carried my little Savage 220 bolt action rifled 20 gauge AND a Parker Grade 2 top lever 10 gauge in case they came by within 30 or so yards . Luckily that trip I was within a couple hundred yards of the truck and had a game cart for tree stand removal etc .

[edgarspencer]

As I get older, I only hunt with a twenty, and try to only keep a handful of 7/8oz loads in my pockets. I still carry a Zippo, even though a BIC is lighter.

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by edgarspencer

As I get older, I only hunt with a twenty, and try to only keep a handful of 7/8oz loads in my pockets. I still carry a Zippo, even though a BIC is lighter.

I carry a Zippo in my pocket every day . However my Zippo isn’t a lighter but rather a tape measure ! When I lay it beside my grandfathers old Zippos the lighter cases and the tape measure case match right up .

[Double Lab]

Originally Posted by CraigThompson

One of the last couple times I hunted the Blackwater for Sika during the gun season I carried my little Savage 220 bolt action rifled 20 gauge AND a Parker Grade 2 top lever 10 gauge in case they came by within 30 or so yards . Luckily that trip I was within a couple hundred yards of the truck and had a game cart for tree stand removal etc .

Interesting that you chose to carry a slug gun in that marsh as in that county you can use a rifle. You can see a long way in those marshes and a target could appear from 50-200yds.

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Daryl Corona

Interesting that you chose to carry a slug gun in that marsh as in that county you can use a rifle. You can see a long way in those marshes and a target could appear from 50-200yds.

Not on the Blackwater ! NWR gun regs are shotgun ML and I think handgun now . Dorchester county is rifle but not the refuge .

[Mills]

That is cool.

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Mills Morrison

That is cool.

Thanks ! This was a first I had the press clamped down on the breakfast table as it’s a bit warm out in my shop LOL’s !

[6pt-Sika]

I’ll try the 0000 buck for pattern this evening or tommorrow and if it does okay out to say 35ish yards I’ll cart it along Friday when we go damage control hunting . And who knows

[Mark Kircher]

We had another big day out at Vanderbilt yesterday. 95 degrees (with a nice 15MPH wind thank goodness) - We had a big turn out to shoot the .410 and .28 gauge course set up by Master course planner Craig! Louis and Jolly Bill were on hand also and gave us Vanderbilt guys a small bore lesson! Billy shot his .410 for the first time in 12 years and make it look easy! And Louis changed his shooting style and shot the best I have seen him shoot!

So after we wore out the small bores Craig had a surprise for us and we passed around his 8 gauge for a few shots each. Holy Moly! Going from a 5-6 .410 wand to 13 lbs 14oz of 8 bore back to back is a game changer. Louis had the longest shot estimated at 70 yards! Much to the entertainment of the group!

A nice discussion followed about how lucky we are to be able to collect and shoot these old masterpieces- most 100+ years after they were created.

BTW - I am now looking for an 8 Bore

[6pt-Sika]

I’ve got 00000 buck already cast somewhere out in the shop just couldn’t lay my hands on them quick . I also have a pair of .415” round ball molds and a .775” ball mold coming from the old Tanner mold company in the UK . The .415 roughly equates into 000000 buck and the big boy I’m going to try as a punkin ball . Also bought a mold from a friend in Ohio , he’d had Accurate Molds cut it for an LC Smith 10 he had with no choke barrels , I cast with it before but only used it in my McFarland 10 gauge ML , but those slugs are also .775 HB and 730 grains they fit quite comfortably in the SP-8 shot cup . When the mold from OH gets here I’ll cast a couple dozen and give her a go .