Turn of events !

[6pt-sika]

Well roundball mold for a punkin ball as well as two molds for 000000 buck are ordered . Also looks as if a slug mold that nestles in the SP-8 is in the works . Got a couple cans of Hodgdon Clays and a couple cans of Hodgdon International Clays so now I’ve got four acceptable powders with published loads for the 8 .

[6pt-sika]

The guy I got the 8 from sent me a second box with an old wooden carry case that he obtained with the gun as well as some other accoutrements some empty hulls and five loaded rounds . So when I got home I tried one load in each barrel , I think his loads were the 1 7/8-2 1/4 ounce . They weren’t bad but still a skoosh more then I expected from a 14 pound gun .

[6pt-sika]

Well I have my press in hand now as well as the swagging stuff . Hopefully I’ll get it functioning tomorrow . Also have 50 WIN hulls now . Only thing I’m are the four molds and a couple MEC shot bars .

[6pt-sika]

At the present I’ve got 25 new hulls and 25 already fired hulls . So I loaded one of each . Loaded a fired one first , only problem was getting it out of the depriming sizer station next time I’ll use Imperial Sizing die wax on the brass .

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[6pt-sika]

Also loaded three with 0000 buckshot . Tried the first without buffer and then two with buffer . Ten of the 0000 buck pushed by 31 grains of Clays . In the two buffered I also put an overshot card just to try and keep the buffer from sifting out the tiny hole in the middle of the crimp .

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[Rube Burrows]

That is a beautiful shotgun. Looks like the restoration job was done nicely.

[6pt-sika]

That is a beautiful shotgun. Looks like the restoration job was done nicely.

Thanks ! He told me Chris Dawe in Newfoundland Canada did the wood , a fellow I forgot the name of redid the barrels and he said the action and small pieces had been redone before he got the gun . Gentleman I got it from also told me he’s killed a Merriams turkey with it at about fifty yards , an Osceola turkey and a Rio Grande turkey .

[6pt-sika]

Just tried the two 0000 buck buffered at 30 yards . Eight barrel looks good and I just mighta pulled the left a skoosh . I also found the 00000 buck and the .775” slugs I’d cast before . So perhaps after dinner I’ll load two more of the 0000 buck , four of the 00000 buck and four slugs . Wanna try the 00000 and slugs at 30 yards then all three at forty yards . Eight barrel was fired at the benchrest target and the left at the pistol target .

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[octagon]

Beautiful looking place to shoot! I have A single shade tree over my shooting bench..
Haven't been to Virginia in 20 years. With my last kid off to college soon, I may be free to travel more.

[6pt-sika]

Loaded up two more with 0000 buc

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k buffered , also loaded four with eight 00000 buckshot buffered as well . Then I loaded eight with the .775” 730 grain slug which needed one 12 gauge nitro card to have the correct height . All are using 31 grains of Clays and a CCI209M .

[6pt-sika]

Beautiful looking place to shoot! I have A single shade tree over my shooting bench..
Haven't been to Virginia in 20 years. With my last kid off to college soon, I may be free to travel more.

The truck is sitting in my driveway between the house and the state road and I’m shooting across where our drainage field is back into our woods that’s on a hill . You travel to central VA give me a yell we can do lunch or something

[octagon]

Thanks 6pt, I'll do that.

[6pt-sika]

Well I shot the 00000 at 30 yards and it was okay . Shot the 0000 and 00000 at forty yards and it wasn’t as okay . The slugs were not so okay , when they went off correctly they did okay at thirty and forty yards . However I had about 50% hang fires . I’m going to load some more slugs with Universal Clays and International Clays . Also wanna load some 000 , 00 and 0 buckshot to see if it does any better at forty yards . I may try the other two powders with the buckshot as well . Incidentally while I was searching my shelves for the open 8 pounder of Universal Clays I found I already had a four pounder of Clays , if I’d known that I’d have saved the forty bucks the two cans of Clays cost me last week LOL’s.

[6pt-sika]

Just finished a group all pushed with 32 grains of International Clays 0 , 00 , 000 , 0000 and 730 grain slugs . Think I’ll ease out front and try them now .

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[6pt-sika]

The stuff with International Clays wasn’t getting consistent ignition . But the hulls I was using cane from the group of 20+ that came with the gun they’d all been fired more than a few times . So I’m thinking the hulls might be on their last legs . Gonna try a couple of the new unfired as well as change primers from CCI209M’s to WIN209’s . Gonna try International Clays again as well but just two of slugs and two of buckshot and see what results I obtain .

[GunnyMack]

Are you getting enough pressure? I tried some Universal in the 28 and was not impressed, lower velocity and lots of unburned powder. Wad pressure? I know you are kind of stuck for load data...

Do you have any idea what chokes are in the 8?

[6pt-sika]

Are you getting enough pressure? I tried some Universal in the 28 and was not impressed, lower velocity and lots of unburned powder. Wad pressure? I know you are kind of stuck for load data...

Do you have any idea what chokes are in the 8?

I think it’s on the Fullish side as the walls are pretty thick at the muzzles and it’s been my experience when that’s the case they’re pretty full or more .

[GunnyMack]

That makes sense as it was probably a waterfowl gun when it was made. Might explain why it doesnt like the larger buckshot. Maybe some #1 would ease through those chokes a little better.

[6pt-sika]

That makes sense as it was probably a waterfowl gun when it was made. Might explain why it doesnt like the larger buckshot. Maybe some #1 would ease through those chokes a little better.

No it did okay with the 0000 the first time I tried but that was with new hulls . The old thing about large buck needs more open doesn’t always hold true as I have several very tight 10 gauge doubles that do well with the larger sized buck but then again I’m usually satisfied with 25 yards where as I’d like to get Brutus decent out to 40 yards .

[6pt-sika]

You know as to the Universal Clays I’ve got four friends that shoot 28’s for most everything flying and they swear by Universal Clays . I have one of my 28 gauge 9000’s set up for Universal Clays and the other 28 9000 set up for Unique .

[6pt-sika]

Okay just loaded a pair of the slugs with International Clays as well as filling the bottom cavity with wax and a nitro card in the bottom of the shot cup for proper height . Also loaded two more with sixteen 00 buck pellets and buffer again with International Clays . All four are in brand new unfired hulls with WIN 209’s . They look nice but let’s see if they boom correctly

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[6pt-sika]

Well all four went off as one would like . The slugs however were kinda low and the left barrel of buck I think I pulled it a bit left off the box . I’m going to take the four once fired and try slugs in them again two for the left and two for the right . Then I’m going to load two new hulls with sixteen 0 buck pellets and try them . Below is the 00 at 30 yards 14 of the 16 pellets are on the box all be it a little left and a little low .

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[6pt-sika]

Okay shot the four slugs and the pair of 0 buck . I’m going to need to go to the range and shoot something larger than my cardboard boxes for the slugs might also need a wrap or two of masking tape to snug them a bit . But I’m pleased that the snap .... boom ceased . The 0 buck shot nicely at 30 yards so Tuesday I’ll carry the 8 gauge and sit a different spot until dark or until I plunk one .

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Here’s the lone slug that hit the boxes at thirty yards and to be honest it shows me nothing .

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And the two with 0 buck .

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[gamekeeper]

Great thread, thanks for the detailed reports. I don't know if I could stand up to all that 8 gauge shooting nowadays, I have only ever fired one once, that was at a county fair many years ago, where a guy with a single barrel 8 was selling shots at clays, I only had one shot but did bust the clay, I would have been mighty embarrassed to have missed it.....

[6pt-sika]

Great thread, thanks for the detailed reports. I don't know if I could stand up to all that 8 gauge shooting nowadays, I have only ever fired one once, that was at a county fair many years ago, where a guy with a single barrel 8 was selling shots at clays, I only had one shot but did bust the clay, I would have been mighty embarrassed to have missed it.....

You see that slip on pad I have on the gun plus it’s 14 pounds and they’re pretty much low pressure loads . I’ll take the pad off before we go out Tuesday . Might carry a rifle more suitable to be with that 8 rather than a synthetic suppressed rifle , something blues and walnut

[6pt-sika]

Well Monday first thing I need to do after breakfast is head to the range . Loaded 12 more slug loads but with three different powders . Also filled the HB with candle wax Nd our one wrap of masking tape on each slug , maybe snugging them up a skoosh will help accuracy . Also have my 6mm-06 , MS 7x57 , Savage Hog Hunter 338 FED and AR-10 338 FED to check sight in . The pair of 338’s I wanna check suppressed . Tuesday if no rain I might just take the Mannlicher Schoenauer 7x57 along with my 8 gauge .

[6pt-sika]

Well just returned from the range I dunno if shooting from the seated bench made a difference or the one wrap of masking tape around the slug before putting them in the shot cups but all the slugs hit the boxes and two of them were rather decent all be it one powder for the right barrel and a different powder for the left barrel . I’ll just post the two I deem acceptable .

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