10 ga for fowling

C. Aaron Beck · 11-30-2009, 07:29 PM

So I joined the forum in order to tap into the wealth of information on using older guns to hunt with. Currently dont own a parker but am looking for a 10 ga to use for geese. I thought I had a line on a steel barrell Ithaca but it turned out to be too worn for shooting. Thus the search continues. Most 10 ga for sale seem to be parkers and almost all are damascus. Would you gentlemen please indulge me with a discourse on the possibilities of shooting waterfowl with damascus guns? I am aware of the rst loads (I even bought a case as I was eager to put the cart before the horse with the Ithaca) and periferally aware of the possibilities of handloading nice shot, bismuth, itx and the like. how does one determine which gunsmith is qualified to approve a certain gun? how does that gunsmith tell if the gun is safe and if so with what qualifications i.e 1 1/4 oz loads but not 1 1/2 oz loads etc..
You have a great internet forum here and I hope you will share some information.

Aaron

Bruce Day · 11-30-2009, 07:55 PM

Barrels on the face, no seam splits, no bulges or big dents, good wall thickness.

A big Parker will usually have at least .035 wall thickness and frequently over .040.

Same criteria for fluid steel.

The most difficult part of hunting with a damascus gun is pulling the trigger the first time, then after that, keeping your head down and keep swinging.

MarketHunter · 11-30-2009, 08:31 PM

There's actually a running thread in the reloading forum about this same thing.

I don't roll my own shells but I do shoot a Parker 10 gauge at geese and ducks on a pretty regular basis.

Here's John Davis and I after a 10 gauge hammergun goose hunt on the Eastern Shore this past January:

I was using the 1 1/4 ounce RST Niceshot loads and they were pure poison. The new 1 3/8 ounce ones are even better!

Harry Collins · 11-30-2009, 08:45 PM

Aaron,

I have three Parker 10 gauge's. One has twist barrels and the other two are Damascus. I shoot them all. I shot a DH this weekend at sporting clays with 1 1/4 oz of shot. They are unbelievably far shooting and hard hitting. Here is a picture of the D and the DH with a product of their abilities.

Harry

Labowner · 11-30-2009, 08:49 PM

Aaron, I few us here water fowl with the 2 7/8 or super ten. Mine is a Parker 1890 with Damascus or twist steel barrels. The gun was in real high original condition, what this means is bores real clean not honed hadn't been subjected to the effects of Black powder. You can use the RST's or reload with the Sherman Bell recipes for the old ten's. These gun are made for water fowl, long barrels choked tight. I've hunted with mine for two years and it still amazes me some times when it just crumbles a pair Geese or ducks. I would look for a gun in good to high condition that hasn't been messed with use low pressure loads and enjoy.

Autumn Daze · 11-30-2009, 08:55 PM

And It does well on turkeys...Right Bob?

Labowner · 11-30-2009, 09:26 PM

Yes

Bill Murphy · 12-01-2009, 02:23 PM

Wow, Robert, that is a high condition gun. If you want a good start and don't have the patience to fool with Damascus and Twist barrelled guns, the AYA Matador ten gauges from the sixties and seventies are wonderful guns, strong and with reliable double triggers. I use the AYA Lightweight which is a case colored frame ejector gun which seems to digest steel with no apparent damage, so far.

Don Kaas · 12-03-2009, 09:23 AM

I have 3 Parker 10ga guns including a G toplever with fluid steel Magnum barrels all on #3 frames, a 20g 3"/10g 3" #2 frame DH set and an Ithaca NID 10ga Magnum. I think they are superb weapons for the big water and Canada goose shooting. The lighter Parker Damascus tens are quite useful over decoys and one can buy RST Niceshot loads or use Sherman Bell's prescriptions for relatively low pressure handloads of Bismuth. I am heading off to Mississippi next week for a few days at Beaver Dam and one of the tens (the 36" GH D2 or the 30" T1 Toplever, most likely) will be coming along. Bill's recommendation of a AyA is a good one. Excellent guns and most have ejectors. Non-ejector Spanish tens can also be good buys and often can use the cheap steel factory loads especially if the chokes have been relieved.

C. Aaron Beck · 12-03-2009, 09:35 AM

This is all good info. Does anyone have a PDF of the Sherman Bell articles so often refered? Id like to read them for myself. Damascus is sort of a gray area i guess, some assure you that good quality is safe and some say otherwise. Sort of like the steel shot debate, another one I wrestled with and dismissed. Shoot only steel and hevi shot out of my 1904 lc smith oo grade. Principal duck gun so long as it isnt pouring rain.