doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Fox HE owners - what do you shoot out of it??

Damn, I just checked Griffin and Howe and they don't take international credits cards. Would have bought the balance of their 16 gauge stock!

They don't have as much in stock as their website says...

Eley loads good shotgun shells.

Thanks, Joe. I'll look into that at Mack's. Just got my new W'fowl catalog yesterday.

SRH

Thanks for the info.

So with today's ammo constraints is there still an advantage to the HE? Does it still do a more efficient job of delivering a denses cloud of shot at a longer distance?

I'm just wondering if the extra $$ HEs command is really worth it, or if it's just for nostalgia.

BTW: I have no problems with nostalgia, I just want to know what I'm really spending my money on.

Continuing my obsession,

OWD

I have 2 HEs both 32", one an XE Special and the other a plain gun. I generally shoot 1 3/8 oz. Bismuth and Federal Tungsten Polymer #4 loads (because I have cases of the stuff-Niceshot is the best imho). With this ammunition, I notice no practical difference in performance between the HEs and my 3" M21 Duck, 3" M12 Heavy Duck,Browning 3" Superposed,or my "rain gun" a 3" pre-war BSA Wildfowler. They are all choked full. My Ithaca 3 1/2" 10 ga. NID, however seems a step above the 12s in the field if only for its payload of 1 3/4 oz of #4 Federal Tungsten Polymer...I also have a Benelli Super Black Eagle II. If I had to earn a living shooting ducks, I would shoot that with Remington HD...luckily I don't. HEs are neat old guns with an interesting history and connections and they shoot very well. They are rather hefty and do command a premium over there contemporary competitors. I used to shoot Perazzis at live birds, for the past few years I have shot a 1893 Purdey pigeon gun because I like to... "nostalgia", isn't that the whole point of shooting these old guns? Unlike antique cars, antique shotguns can still be a practical, if not superior, option for the daily use they were intended for.

Much depends on how one looks at it. When classic fowler was needed I reached for 3" Model 12. Found one in about 95% original condition for less then price of new Remington 'Wingmaster'. It will kill fowl as well as HE plus give you 3rd shot at fraction of the cost. If you want classic sxs fowler look for English one from specialty maker like: Bland, Greener, Tolley,..... English nostalgia is no less precious and less expensive I might add.

That's quite a list of Heavy Metal. Do you have a Heavy Metal music preference as well?
There weren't that many HE's made and very few 3.5" NID 10s as well. The NID 10 magnum is a brute. I wish I never sold mine.

I have a 10 ga. Ithaca NID 3 1/2" but I can't shoot it laying in a rice field. It will kill Sand Hills WAY out there but is cumbersome. My answer to that was to get a Money Maker Guncraft Big Bore (10 ga. bore with 12 ga. chamber using Briley 10 ga. choke tubes) barrel for my Rem. 870 3" Wingmaster pawnshop gun. I load 1 3/8 oz. Nice Shot and Bismuth #2's for it and get great patterns.

An HE would be great but I just won't haul one of them into the rice mud / salt marsh world.

If I'm out with the NID mag ten, a big Parker, or an HE, I find that I don't have to kill as many fowl to bring a smile to my face. One outrageous long kill with a big gun is more fun than a limit with an 870 or a Benelli.