2 7/8" 10 gauge goose loads

[Richard Flanders]

I've had good results with load #79 with the SR7625 powder charge raised to 33 grains and no card wad under the shot. Just fill the shell to the right level. 1-1/8oz bismuth or 1-1/4oz KTM or lead fills it about right and I get a VERY clean burn and no signs of over pressure. I'm thinking I'm getting around 1200 or a tad more velocity and pressure well within desired and safe limits for my damascus gun. I think you can use that 33gr load with a full charge of any shot you desire and be safe in a sound damascus gun. The only thing I've noticed is that with shot sizes over #2 you have to measure each shot charge as the larger sizes will clog and stick in the feed tube. Bob: if you want to buy some BB size bismuth, I have more than I'll ever use in my lifetime and would love to sell some of it off. It should make a good goose load.

[Bill Murphy]

Bob, I would test your 5400 loads after a night in the freezer to make sure they work in cold weather. That is pretty low pressure. If you get any off sound loads from the freezer, you may consider going to a slightly faster powder to get the pressures up just a little. On the other hand, the 5400 loads may be all you would want to shoot in the under eight pound gun. How thick are the barrel walls in your light gun?

[Bob Brown]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. Computer problems and work prevented me from posting earlier. Trigg Davis and I used the loads I did up when he and Richard Flanders came down to Debolt the last week of September. In hindsight I should have used a 16 ga card in the wad to fill it a little more. The shells were hard to fit in the chambers and extract. Live and learn. They worked fine on the geese and ducks we shot, especially for Trigg who was using my light 10. He was hitting almost everything he shot at. Unfortunately, I had to retire my 3 frame 10 after I put some cracks in the stock head the first morning. Three days after I returned home the temperature dropped and all the waterfowl vanished. Living on the northern edge of cultivated land the waterfowl season is best described as sudden and short. Bill, the MWT on my light 10 are 32 and 33 thou. Here's a few pictures of the old girl. After seeing the beautiful refinished barrels on Rich's Parker I'm thinking of sending these out to have them redone.



30" barrels, 2 7/8" chambers, and mirror bores. She's marked J.L. Rawbone, Toronto, Canada, but obviously started out at Westley Richards. A great handling British gun, lighter than several of my 2 frame 12s. Richard, thanks for the offer to buy some of those BBs you bought, and thanks again for leaving me some of your hand loads and shell boxes. I used them to adjust my Mec so any I load now shouldn't give the same chambering problems. It will be a while before I need any more non tox, we'll talk about it in the new year. I've also have that 1880, 10 ga, grade 2 lifter I mentioned on the way to me now, not sure of the chamber length. Hopefully it will make it into the blinds with us next year.

[Bill Murphy]

Bob, an early gun like the Grade 2 you describe may have square edge chambers. In that case, you should trim your shells to the exact length of the chambers so the wads make a smooth transition to the bores.