16ga.com ~ View topic - A-5 Loads

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

This may be considered heresey, but next week going to SD and I am taking the 12's. This whole month, birds have been wild and any shot is a long one. So I am not going to take any 16's. I think the 12 ga will do me better this late in season.

My question is, I just bought some 12ga Tungsten Matrix at Cableas, but they are the waterfowl loads, 2 3/4" 1 3/8's at 1375fps.

Is 1 3/8's pushing the A-5? I would sure hate to crack a stock or forearm on it. But really rather shoot the A-5 than the Siver or the Beretta.
How about Federal's Hi Velocity loads? Any Thoughts anyone??

To be honest, if I had enough time right now, I would load a bunch of 10ga 2 7/8's with some nice shot and take the o/u 10ga.

No harm in using enough gun for the purpose at hand. Having said that, it's hard to imagine Federal Wing Shock 1 1/4oz. 4's out of a 16 not being enough. But I've never hunted Nebraska late season, so I'll defer to your experience. I'm afraid I don't know much about a-5's.

Member Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 451 Location: La-Tx

As long as you have the gun set right all will be fine. It's what the gun was designed to do.

I take it you can't shoot lead where you are going?

Make sure your friction rings are positioned properly for a heavy load and tighten the nut that holds the fore end and you should be good to go. Check the nut from time to time and make sure it stays tight. If it loosens up then you stand a good chance of cracking your fore end.

If you need any additional info. go to shotgunworld.com and scroll down to the I love my Browning section. There are some real pros on the A5 there. You will also find a sticky on how to set your friction rings.

Don't freeze to death in SD. Good luck.

Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 787 Location: Indiana

IF you can shoot lead where you are going, and if you have any 1 1/8 oz. Remington Express #5's or #6 factory loads you might take them along. We were out there near Onida, SD in mid Nov. and I used my 16 ga. modified-choke Belgian A-5 to shoot the roosters. There was some long distance shooting invloved too and these factory loads worked fine; we all limited every day out. IMO if they are too far to kill with these loads, I don't shoot. With the colder weather and snow, maybe they'll sit tighter for you...good luck and have a great trip!

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

Thanks for the input. Some of the places I will be hunting are non-toxic.
This time of year, pheasants are pretty tough. I like high velocity anyway, but I am more comfortable shooting the 12ga in this case. Will kick myself for all the hassle when it turns out every shot I take will be more than capable for the 16ga.

I usually switch to hevi-shot this time of year too. And if I had more time, would load some up in 16ga at about 1400fps, and call it good. But alas, have little time. Also about 4 degrees out right now. Wind blowing near 40mph. Don't feel like strolling out to reloading shed.

I will take upland special in 12ga too, can run hevi-shot through it.
What I really need to do is buy a Japanese invector barrel for it.

Member Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Posts: 781

I think the A5 will handle the chamber pressure, just put the rings on the heavy setting and make sure there is no oil on the mag tube.

One other thing, the hard tungsten/iron pellet loads should not be shot out of the Belgian A5 barrels....it will bulge the chokes. If this is an invector choked gun your in the clear.

Jeff

Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 728

No offense guys, but after owning several Browning A5's and Remington model 11's my experience says cracked forends are due to operator error. The forend wood is somewhat thin where it meets the receiver which is why Browning warns against squeezing the forearm too tightly. The forend cap screw should be tightened "firmly" enough to make the barrel recess even with the front edge of the receiver and no more! (in fact even one "click" less works fine)! There is nothing on the recoiling barrel/receiver assembly that would compress the forearm and cause a crack and the spring loaded bearing in the front of the forearm that creates the ratchet sound when the forend cap is screwed or unscrewed will stop the nut from loosening. In fact, judging from the plier marks in the metal forend caps I've seen on many cracked forends; my guess is that the forend nut was tightened more than the "firm contact" recommended in the owner's manual and when the temperature and/or humidity increased significantly the wood swelled, then cracked. Tightening the forearm cap any more than required to make the barrel recess even with the receive and the wood meet the receiver is unecessary.

Member Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 451 Location: La-Tx

Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 728

You are correct...there is no forward or back movement in the forearm if you tighten the forearm cap nut enough so the barrel recess and the wood meet the receiver. The forearm cap nut has recesses which are engaged by the ratchet bearing in the end of the forearm. This assembly is working correctly and causes the ratchet sound heard when the cap nut is screwed or unscrewed and the cap nut cannot come loose if it is working correctly. If the cap spins freely or comes loose when fired, replace the cap nut ratchet bearing at the front of the forearm. You should always be able to easily tighten and loosen the forearm cap nut with your thumb and two fingers.Tightening the forearm cap more than necessary however, causes cracks.

see Browning owner's manuals at

http://media.browning.com/pdf/om/auto5_mag_2up_s.pdf

http://media.browning.com/pdf/om/auto5_light_om_s.pdf). l