10 ga. loads

[Denny/Oh]

While looking for a 12 ga. dbl I came across a 10 ga. Cabelas dbl. Real good shape and apparently unshot and priced right {anyone interested in a 12.ga.TC?}.

This thing has a noticably high comb. Anyone out there shooting one of these? Could you suggest some loads you might use?

Primary use will be turkey but loads for general use would help. Thanks

 

[Bob J]

Is it the Pedersoli with fixed chokes ( IC and Mod.) or the one with adjustable chokes? My pedersoli has fixed chokes and actually patterns better with the improved cylinder barrel (right barrel). My turkey load is;

110 grains Goex 2f
thick overpowder card
1/2" pre-lubed cushion wad
1 1/2 0z. #5 lead shot
thin over-shot card

or;

same as above except use two thick overpowder cards instead of the cushion wad.

Circle Fly Wads has the thin and thick cards, wads, etc. Mine uses 10 ga. cushion wads, not 11 wads as some 10 gauges prefer.

Enjoy the 10 gauge!

 

[jdixon]

Yes, got one of the Cabela's 10 ga. with choke tubes. Reliable gun, have taken turkey and doves with it. I have spent a lot of time patterning that thing for the best results, in fact it is still a work in progress. To date the best patterns are coming from this load column.

105 gr. Ffg (I always use black powder in this gun - I would get occassional mis-fires using Pyrodex Rs)
1 - hard card
1 - .80" X 1" styrofoam cushion (made from scrap styrofoam using a 3/4" copper water pipe to cut them)
Volume load of shot to powder - about 1 3/8 oz. # 6 (right barrel), #4 for the left.
2 - thin over shot cards.

I have put as much as 23% of the total pellets into a 10" circle @ 30 yrds using this combination. The styrofoam wad improved shot placement almost 50%.

 

[Denny/Oh]

Thanks for the replies. This gun has the choke tubes.

I was thinking about starting at about 80 grs. but I'm not surprised this big bore might need a little more 2f.

I'm going to make some of those styrofoam wads too!

 

[AJFedak]

I bought a Pedersoli 10 ga SxS for waterfowl hunting. It also has the screw-in chokes. I used the following loads to harvest 3 sandhill cranes in Katy, Texas this past season.

The loads I patterned for my 10 gauge Pedersoli SxS with screw-in chokes using a modified choke (left barrel) and improved cylinder (right barrel) are as follows: 4 drams Goex 2F, ½ over-powder card, ½ cushion wad, Federal steel shot cup, 1 5/8 ozs. steel BBB’s (approximately 90 pellets), and an over-shot card. With a modified choke, I get 70 pellets in a 30-inch circle at 30 yards; this is 77% or full choke patterns. I figured this should harvest a sandhill crane.

To get the components for this load I bought a box of Federal 10 gauge BBBs steel shot ($13.99) and disassembled the shells. Now I have both BBBs and the shot cup. To do an equal volume shot to powder did not seem practical due to the size and weight of the shot so I decided to use the same amount of shot that was in the factory load. It measured almost 2 ounces according to my powder measure.

 

[jdixon]

77% is amazing! I will have to give a load like that a try.

Sandhill Cranes :shocked2: I didn't know you could hunt Sandhill Cranes. What do they taste like?

 

[Pork Chop]

What do they taste like?

Why chicken, of course!! :rotf: :rotf: :blah:

 

[AJFedak]

J.R.
I've found them to have the texture of beef and as my grandson says "It's better than steak". Last weekend I grilled a ½ breast and had two of my grandkids try it. Zach is 5 and Alexandria is 2. I figure if these little guys liked it then it had to be good. I cut small pieces for Allie and she was very careful when she first tried it. After about 2-3 little pieces it then became two handed eating.

I have a friend in Katy, Texas who cooks it just as you would a beef roast.

I should also mention that I have to take a small hammer and a dowel rod to get the wad past the choke into the barrel section. I dropped the first one with the modifed barrel at about 35 yds. It looked like it ran into a wall and just folded. The other two were a double IMP first then the MOD, both folded up at 20-25 yds. I'll be going back again this year.

As for now I'm waiting to apply for a Tundra swan permit in NC. Swan's with a muzzie, I'm ready.

 

[Denny/Oh]

Sandhill Crane = Ribeye of the sky

 

[jdixon]

I had no idea. What states other than Texas have a Sandhill Crane season?

 

[colt100]

I believe that you can shoot them in South Dakota, but I would have to check to be sure as I live in WI.

 

[AJFedak]

You can also hunt them in Oklahoma and Montana.