doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com America's Fantasy with Magnums

Stand by, boys. This'll be a long one: Twenty five years ago, when I was fifty, I used to hunt a small marsh owned by my dearly beloved pal, John Zaleski. Each morning a huge flight of mallards crossed his land at first light. It seemed they were always about 60 yards and too high for my Model 12. I went whole hog and bought a nice AYA 10 ga. mag. Next morning I took a shot at a trailing single and killed him slap dead dead in the air. What a gun! When I plucked him I couldn't find a wound on the body. On closer examination I discovered a single wound on his chin (if ducks have chins?). Pellet exited top of his skull, and my love of the 10 bore faded. Went from that to my old faithful M-97. Took the next duck at around 45 yards with 1&1/4 oz. of #5's. Deader than the dollar today. Point I'm trying to make is that bigger ain't always better. These days I stick to light loads, when I am even able to walk. Never have regetted it. 20 ga. 7/8 oz. or 28 ga. 3/4 oz. Does it for me at birds within 30/40 yards. Ammo companys are always about bigger and better. All the things I've seen evolve in the world of scatter gunning are b---s---t. What's coming next --- a 5" 12 bore cartridge? We already have ported barrels, lengthend forcing cones, backbored barrels, choke tubes, newbies opening chokes, ergonomic Brownings that resenble a checkered shovel. I'm just getting older, and let me tell you, nobody needs to be 75! Chops

SAY IT AIN'T SO CHOPS

c. 1900



1924



1927

Yeah, most guys couldn't hit a flying bus at 60 yards let alone a game bird.

You mean my true blue shoulder has been for nothing all these years! That CAN'T be right....all pain, NO gain? (Maybe the American Dream IS dead!).

It's a real shame what happened to the 12 and the 20 gauge, but thank your lucky stars they haven't put their grimmy hands on the 16 gauge. That is if you can find a new one.

I believe in the effectiveness of lighter loads, 7/8 and 3/4 ounce in the 12ga. I gained confidence in them round after round of shooting trap and skeet. I don't think one poorly place shoot on a duck with a 10ga mag proves a thing other than a golden BB's are good. Bigger is better though, the short 10ga shines as far as care to shoot at clays, crows and waterfowl.

Mr. Chops:
Alas, the explanation for the folly of the magnum shot charge was discerned and revealed by none other than Maj. Burrard in 1930. If you have a copy of "in The Gun Room," I refer you to pages 78 and 80. The former stating that high velocity is no advantage at all at most any game ranges due to increased air resistance, and the latter stating that any hit over 50 yards with even a full choke 12-bore is pure luck.

I trust the Major... even today.

Hit's over 50 yards are not luck, I believe the pattern plate not a book.

If it's just luck this guy must be luckiest man on earth when it comes to 50+ yard hits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAWU-0RX-6g

Looks to me as if the guy is a swivel-chair salesman. Also, most of his shots are filmed with wide angle lenses; we all know how to make a five lb. bass look like a fifteen pounder. JM2CW. Chops

There is nothing wrong with big guns in the hands of those who can handle them. Poor shots are poor shots, no matter what gun they shoot.