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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Sun Mar 22, 2020 5:46 pm  Reply with quote
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I took my early 1880's damascus E grade Lefever to the range yesterday and patterned it on paper, counting pellets to get a pattern percentage, to verify choke constriction. It mic'd out at cyl/sk, and the results verify that as you can see from the pics below. At 40 yds, using a 7/8oz load of 7.5's (my 600 Jr. is supposed to be throwing 1oz, but must be throwing light charges gauging by the pellet count), the right barrel was more uniform than the left. The core of the pattern looks great, but there are quite a few holes. Both barrels shoot exactly to point of aim. While it would be too sparse to use with larger shot at range for chukars, it should make an outstanding close to medium range gun for quail and grouse (or woodcock if I was on the east coast) as one would expect.

That said, it's great to confirm it on paper, to know exactly what you really have, so you can use it accordingly. I would recommend everyone take the time to do this so you aren't surprised in the field. I've shot about a flat through it so far at skeet, and it's a great shooter. I used it for field trial close range chukars last month, and it hammered 'em. Uncle Dan Lefever sure knew what he was doing Wink





Last edited by UncleDanFan on Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:50 am; edited 1 time in total

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skeettx
PostPosted: Sun Mar 22, 2020 6:18 pm  Reply with quote
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GREAT report

Mike

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double vision
PostPosted: Sun Mar 22, 2020 6:58 pm  Reply with quote
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Grouse gun!
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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Sun Mar 22, 2020 7:19 pm  Reply with quote
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Dave Erickson wrote:
Grouse gun!


Yep.

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WyoChukar
PostPosted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 6:04 pm  Reply with quote



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Sparse? Yes, but at that range, 7/8 oz. of 7 1/2 and little or no choke should be. I use #8 for chukars in such open choked guns. For huns and chukars 8's are good to about 35 yards...which is about the furthest anyone should expect skeet choke to be goo for anyway. It doesn't get much better that getting 'em close with open chokes.

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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Sat Mar 28, 2020 6:42 pm  Reply with quote



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UncleDan,

I agree always pattern your double guns with the shells you hunt with, I usually pattern at 25, 35 & 45 yards. These are the yardages I shoot most of my Grouse at.
I like to pattern 8's under the 1st trigger and 6's under the 2nd trigger. I now pattern the RST & Poly SpredR's also. They throw great patterns out of my L.C. Smith & J.P Sauer double guns.

Nice job on your patterning!

Pine Creek/Dave
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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:48 am  Reply with quote
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WyoChukar wrote:
Sparse? Yes, but at that range, 7/8 oz. of 7 1/2 and little or no choke should be. I use #8 for chukars in such open choked guns. For huns and chukars 8's are good to about 35 yards...which is about the furthest anyone should expect skeet choke to be goo for anyway. It doesn't get much better that getting 'em close with open chokes.


To be honest, I've never used anything less than 6's on chukars, because my shots tended to be longish, at 30-45 yds. However, the last year or so, I've been circling around in front of my dog on point, rather than walking up from behind, and pinning the birds between myself and the dog. Flushes have been much closer, in the 10-25 yd range. This gun with 7.5's in the right barrel and perhaps 6's in the left, would indeed be perfect in that scenario. Wink


Last edited by UncleDanFan on Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:54 am; edited 2 times in total

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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:48 am  Reply with quote
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Pine Creek/Dave wrote:
UncleDan,

I agree always pattern your double guns with the shells you hunt with, I usually pattern at 25, 35 & 45 yards. These are the yardages I shoot most of my Grouse at.
I like to pattern 8's under the 1st trigger and 6's under the 2nd trigger. I now pattern the RST & Poly SpredR's also. They throw great patterns out of my L.C. Smith & J.P Sauer double guns.

Nice job on your patterning!

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man


Yes, I've been shooting RST copper plated 6's, and they are wonderful!

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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 11:01 am  Reply with quote



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Uncle Dan Fan,


You bet the Copper #6"s are great stuff! Simply great patterns from my old guns!
My LeFever/Ithaca 12 gauge on the 16 gauge frame, is a bird murder with the Copper #6's. It cleans up Pheasants something awe*some. I seldom carry a 12 gauge in the Grouse woods except when I hunt Pheasants along with Grouse and Woodcock. The hold over Pheasants in Potter county, Pa are some tough old birds, and that old gun with the copper #6's really tunes them up.

all the best

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Course that old gun really tunes up the Grouse and Woodcock also.


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Beagleman
PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 12:21 pm  Reply with quote



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Mark, it appears that the gun patterns perfect for close work. Ive never hunted grouse, but I do hunt quail and it would be a grand Bobwhite gun. It seems the gun looks and shoots to your purposes. If not, I know where it can get work...

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Lloyd3
PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 12:41 pm  Reply with quote



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It's been quite a while since I've patterned anything, so I'm probably way overdue on a few newer purchases. It would be a good use of time if I had access to my old patterning board at the club, but our governor has eliminated that option for the moment. The last shells I used were 2 1/2-inch RSTs and they were stunning(!). Almost perfect patterns out of my 16 Brit BLE.

UncleDanDan: Sure would like to see pix of your E grade Lefever.

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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 1:42 pm  Reply with quote



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Lloyd3,


I agree would like to see some pictures of her myself!

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:03 pm  Reply with quote
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Quote:
I would like to see some pictures of her myself!



Gentlemen, thank you. Your wish is my command:









At 6lbs 10z, she's a typical 1880's early American sxs from Dan Lefever, the father of American sxs's. Not a feather, but well built, solid, and still tight as a vault. It's an extremely rare gun (it's the only Lefever thumb push 16 I've ever seen in over 20 years of buying Lefevers). She's a bit on the plain side for my tastes, but has an understated elegance I do like. I have other custom guns that satisfy my artistic side, including a Husqvarna 103A factory straight grip 12ga hammer gun I picked up a while ago, that I'm working on now, with a full coverage "bird gun" treatment on the stock, which is an idea I've had for a long time. Stay tuned...

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double vision
PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:12 pm  Reply with quote
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Very sweet 16 there, Mark. About those chokes, I had a hell of a good year using my Iside with the Cyl/Mod chokes in place. The vast majority of the birds came down dead from that Cyl barrel, and not all close shots.
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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 3:14 pm  Reply with quote
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Beagleman wrote:
Mark, it appears that the gun patterns perfect for close work. Ive never hunted grouse, but I do hunt quail and it would be a grand Bobwhite gun. It seems the gun looks and shoots to your purposes. If not, I know where it can get work...


I agree, it does seem to be set up perfectly for grouse and quail. My setter is getting older (he'll be 11 in June), so I'll be doing more quail and grouse hunting this fall than I have been.

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