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< 16ga. Ammunition & Reloading ~ Kent Tungsten Matrix Pheasant/Game Load |
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Posted:
Sun Jun 04, 2006 8:44 pm
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Member
Joined: 13 Feb 2006
Posts: 110
Location: California
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Kent is showing two 16ga Tungsten loads for pheasant. Both #5 shot,
1 1/16 oz is 9,600 psi, 1 1/4 oz is 10,000.
Any experience with these, or other Kent loads? I have a few boxes of Kent game load 8's, but really haven't done much shooting with them. Thinking of this load for both the 1956 Ithaca M37 and the 1930 Sterlingworth.
Thanks in advance.
3DocPop |
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Posted:
Mon Jun 05, 2006 7:35 am
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Member
Joined: 14 Jan 2006
Posts: 1007
Location: Lancaster county, Pa
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I have shot them for ducks in my Citori with great results.Less cripples than 12 gauge with steelshot. I have shot at least 400 shells no problems so far.
Shot a bunch of geese with them this year over decoys 30 yards and under end result dead geese. Tight chokes and careful shot selection didn't lose a single bird. Lost more with 12 gauge steel BB loads probably my fault tend to stretch the shots a little. |
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Posted:
Mon Jun 05, 2006 12:09 pm
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Joined: 26 Apr 2005
Posts: 743
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From my experience, I'd recommend the 1 1/4 oz load, even with the additional recoil. The 1 1/16 . . .that'd be fine if it were 6's, but your pellet count is pretty low with 5's. I seldom hunt waterfowl and don't hunt many places nontox is required on pheasants, but I've made some impressive kills on ducks with those TM's. |
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Posted:
Tue Jun 06, 2006 6:04 am
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Member
Joined: 13 Feb 2006
Posts: 110
Location: California
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Thanks for the input. I am less concerned about the non-tox than the pressures. The 1930 Sterlingworth is coming home today , and want to make sure the loads are appropriate. The ability to shoot waterfowl is a plus.
Still learning to reload, and build my own, so for now will probably go with a factory load for pheasant. That leads me to another question. Realizing that every gun is different, is there a generic upper pressure limit for pre-WWII guns? Any thoughts appreciated. |
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Posted:
Tue Jun 06, 2006 7:13 am
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I shoot pre WWII double (Fox, Parker, Ithaca NID and D. M. Lefever) guns almost exclusively. For target I favor 7/8th ounce of shot at 1150 - 1200 fps with a pressure at or below 9000 psi. For my hunting loads I use 1 ounce or 1 1/8th ounce loads at 1200 to 1220 fps keeping the pressure between 9000 and 10,000 psi. If I were shooting good condition Damascus I would keep the pressure below 7000 psi. If I were shooting an Ithaca Flues model I would keep the pressure and recoil low as they have a tendancy to crack the frame under heavy recoil stresses. |
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Posted:
Tue Jun 06, 2006 11:14 am
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Member
Joined: 28 Oct 2005
Posts: 665
Location: Louisiana
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I've been using the 6's for ducks over decoys for several years now--very few survivors if I do my part.
As Larry says, the 5's are a bit thin but I have found them adequate for that quick second shot at modest ranges with a tighter choke.
Performance, in my view, is essentially indistinguishable from lead. |
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Posted:
Tue Jun 06, 2006 11:36 am
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Member
Joined: 25 Jul 2005
Posts: 40
Location: Clarkfield, MN
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3doc, the 1 1/16-oz #5 are great for pheasants and ducks. Larry Brown's caution about potentially thin patterns with #5 should be heeded however. My IC/MOD 16 works well with them. Suggest testing the pattern with your guns. You should try to verify the pressure from these loads with regard to your 1930 gun perhaps. My 16 is only 6 1/4 lbs and recoil is not severe (for hunting) with those loads, but that doesn't necessarily mean the pressures are moderate. I have a few boxes of Kent matrix in one-ounce #6 and they are wonderful for teal and wood ducks. Haven't tried the #6 on pheasants, expect that they would be OK for all but late-season wild birds. |
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Posted:
Tue Jun 06, 2006 12:03 pm
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Member
Joined: 14 Jan 2006
Posts: 1007
Location: Lancaster county, Pa
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I prefer the #5 1 1/16 the extra velocity is important with waterfowl. Penetration is harder to obtain with all the thick down. The patterns with mod. and improved mod. are pleanty thick. My pattern tests actually showed less dense patterns with the 1 1/4 oz. loads. maybe they would pattern better with less choke say IC. Close range over decoys the #6's would be fine but ducks are tough birds. Try shooting whistlers on Lake Ontario in december with #6's and you will begin to understand the difference. Overall they are great shells and are the best option out there for the Sixteen with nontoxic shot. |
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Posted:
Sat Jun 10, 2006 10:45 pm
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Member
Joined: 17 Aug 2005
Posts: 75
Location: Saskatchewan Canada
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I've used both the 1 oz -6's and 1-1/16 oz 5's and like them both a lot. In a nonoxic zone I killed several sharptails at around 40yd with the 6's and didn't lose any. Shot a few ducks with the 5's jumpshoting ( the range can get a bit long ) and they worked better than anything else. I just bought a full case of the 5's and intend to use them for ducks and some geese over decoys. They seem to kill better than bismuth reloads that i've tried, and certainly better than steel. |
_________________ "At the periphery is where I can come to understand the central issues of living" - Hugh Brody |
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Posted:
Tue Jun 20, 2006 6:03 am
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Member
Joined: 26 Apr 2005
Posts: 743
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I doubt modern loads would hurt a 1930 Fox, but I wouldn't put a whole bunch of 1 1/4 oz mags through it! Service pressure on earlier American guns tended to run around 10,500 psi, which is about 1,000 psi lower than the current SAAMI standard. |
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Posted:
Tue Jun 20, 2006 3:27 pm
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Member
Joined: 24 Aug 2004
Posts: 225
Location: San Rafael, CA
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I shoot the TM's in my "Elsie" Field and my #2 frame Parkers but for damascus and #1 frame Parkers, I use handlaods at 1185fps and 5500psi. |
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Posted:
Tue Jun 20, 2006 6:37 pm
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P Trojan what powder are you using to get that much velocity with such low chamber pressures? |
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Posted:
Tue Jun 20, 2006 10:43 pm
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Member
Joined: 24 Aug 2004
Posts: 225
Location: San Rafael, CA
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I'm using the Sherm Bell loads as published in Double Gun Journal.The powder is IMR7625 |
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Posted:
Wed Jun 21, 2006 1:30 pm
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Member
Joined: 26 Apr 2005
Posts: 743
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Unless Kent's current catalog is in error, they no longer offer TM 6's for the 16--only 5's (both 1 1/4 and 1 1/16 oz). |
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Posted:
Wed Jun 21, 2006 1:37 pm
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Member
Joined: 14 Jan 2006
Posts: 1007
Location: Lancaster county, Pa
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Larry that's correct BPI was selling #6's on close out last year for $10.95 a box. I bought a bunch but I like the 5's better for ducks. |
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