16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1377 Location: Denver, Colorado

Below zero here now. Strong drink and a warm fire are not a bad idea tonight. I'm trying to remember when bought this book. From Stackpole in 1985 so...probably late 90s. It's still very pertinent today. Concise, well-written (not-preachy), and still quite practical. Good stuff on birds, habits, covers, equipment (guns & gear), cleaning (and even aging!) and then cooking (w/some very good recipes!). If you only had one book on the subject (egad!) this wouldn't be a bad choice. Nothing seems desperately out of date, except maybe the fact that he's not talking about onX or the other new GPS & mapping technologies (which I don't use....yet). When I opened it to the guns section there was a prize awaiting me (a nice big grey cockbird tailfeather) and a question was answered that I'd been wondering about for some time now....where did I get the idea about using a 28-gauge on these birds. It was from Mr. Walrod himself.

While I prefer my English 16 for this game, until RST or somebody else gets going on 2 1/2-inch shells again, my little 28 has been doing honorable duty here.

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RST has some 7/8 oz 16 ga shells for sale, or they did when I posted this.
Good Hunting,
Mike

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1377 Location: Denver, Colorado

Good! Let's hope it only gets better there.

Lloyd3,
Nothing I have read or heard makes me think the shell shortage is going to improve this year. No one seems to have a good flavor for why we have a shortage, although government demand to supply Ukraine may be involved (wild guess). I called one U.S. source for 2 1/2” shells (not RST) and they told me they couldn’t get enough components to satisfy their target shooters 2 3/4” demand, and that is their bread and butter.

Oddly there is no shortage in England. I had contacted Sportarm about a gun I was interested in and I also asked about 2 1/2” shells and they had plenty available. I took a pass because the export/import fees drove the cost to over $40 per box.

So it sounds to me like a Stateside issue.

Good Hunting,
Mike

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1377 Location: Denver, Colorado

Mike:

I even have the means to reload for short 16 but...the 28 has been too-darn convenient. It's modern, so it'll eat almost anything (it even has choke tubes!). 28-gauge shells seem to be plentiful and... other things have just taken precedent. I'm sorry to hear the problem is largely confined to our shores, but I'm not entirely surprised by that.

Joined: 07 Sep 2011 Posts: 567 Location: wheeling, wv

Lloyd3,
That is a good book for a winter's read. I probably read it back in the late 80's-early 90's. I too, load 2 1/2" 16's, and have enough loaded up that I doubt I load any more this year. Mostly 7/8 oz, but also alot of 3/4 oz.
Curious, what is the 28 that you are shooting? I picked up a like new Dickinson Estate last summer and love it . 30" barrels, 14 7/8" LOP , and choke tubes, it swings like a dream and became my favorite to carry for grouse this year. I recently picked up a Mec 600 jr and had "picked" plenty of empty hulls, and have 13 lbs 20/28, so good to go there.

Lloyd3,

Glad you liked Walrods Grouse Hunters Guide book, Dennis did a great job writing the book, some fine educational information on Grouse & Grouse hunting. I recommend his book to all my clients and teach a lot of the information in it, as a mentor to the RGS members. I definitley am a big 28 gauge advocate, have been using one sense I was taught to Grouse hunt, as a very young boy.
One of the reasons the I am a very good Grouse gunner is that I started out learning to Grouse hunt with a 28 gauge SXS double gun. It was choked M/F and with the right shells I was able to due quite well, with the little Parker gun.
Wanted you to know RST has some 28 gauge Pigeon shells in, 2 3/4" 1 oz, #5 @ 1300 FPS, give them a try in the Grouse woods, these shells are exceptional for gunning Grouse in the thicker habitat, if you want to use your 28 gauge gun early in the season.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Master Waylon, a future big time Grouse hunter following his father as he learns.

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1377 Location: Denver, Colorado

3BD: Mine's a Dickenson Estate as well. It's the .410 & 28 bore combo (on the .410 frame) w/28-inch tubes and 14 3/4 LOP. It came from Cabelas (Lonetree) after it had sat there for some time. I traded a nice, early M31 Remington pump-gun and minimal cash for it. The triggers were abysmal (way too-heavy) so before I took possession I had my buddy (who ran the Cabelas gunroom then) send it to the Dickenson authorized service facility (PISCO in Oregon) to have the triggers adjusted to the pull weights I wanted. After some minor threats (on my part), they finally acquiesced to my demands. About 2 years ago I had a buddy refinish the stock so it sheds water and looks pretty good now and... it seems to work pretty flawlessly. At 5lbs5 it's very easy to tote around and... a pocket full of 28s is almost nothing to carry as well.

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Not just a boxlock, they're true trigger-plate guns and the round-action feels pretty good in the hands.

I haven't used the .410 barrels much yet.

Lloyd3,
Real nice trigger plate .410/28 combo gun for sure, you definitely did right by the gun! Very serious little bird gun for sure.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.c. Smith Man

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1377 Location: Denver, Colorado

Thanks Dave! It's Turkish so...I managed my expectations of it, but...after a little work it was alright.

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with my brothers 1920s Scottish Graham 20 BLNE.

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In action last Fall...

My own version of aging birds...

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with the minnows in the shed refrigerator.

Joined: 07 Sep 2011 Posts: 567 Location: wheeling, wv

I've read where some had heavy triggers, a friend sent his back because of that, but luckily mine seem fine.
Dave, dont think I want to shoot 1 oz thru that light little gun--I'll grab a 16 for that, but I was never a fan of heavy loads in any gauge..I'll stick with 3/4 oz for grouse.

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1377 Location: Denver, Colorado

Dave: I patterned this gun with 5s and it wasn't happy (choked 1/4 & 3/4), it does like 6s however. I've been using 7/8 oz. Finocchi's in it (that I can buy up there). I lead with 8s & follow with 6s.

3BD: I wish this one had 30-inch tubes. The 28s aren't bad, but I'd bet 30 would be better. This gun is so-petite w/that .410 frame (and light!) that I had a hard time taking it seriously, but... I was killing lots of game-farm pheasants with it (batting clean-up on Mondays at the local club) so I gave it a try on grouse. I wouldn't call it a "fine" gun, but it is very practical and it was fairly inexpensive when I bought it. They aren't anymore.

3Birddogs,

I definitely do not use them out of my light 28 gauge guns, I use them out of my L.C. Smith 20 gauge, sleeved for 28 and man they are a real nice Grouse killing load. I have also used them out of my CZ 28 Gauge Bob White G2, it has real heavy wood on her and the RST Pigeon loads really work nicely. I also use the 3/4 Oz Fiocchi 28 shells in my modern L.C. Smith, different shells for different guns! The gun has to be a little heavy if you want to use the 1 oz RST Pigeon shells.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man