doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What shells should I be using for my Parker VH 16?

I agree that the Australian loads are light enough. However, what is the frame size of your gun?

Fiocchi 'GT' is excellent.

Available from Graf's.

I highly recommend.

Rio makes a soft 7/8 lite load.

+1 on the Federal G&T 16s, approx 7k psi as I recall, I have good results on Game and Targets just as they are named.

The gun I own that I am wondering about is a 1 frame.

I would expect that the 1 oz Feds would be fine in a Parker 16 with sound V barrels, and recoil shouldn't be a huge issue if it's on the standard 1 frame. However, we do have to exercise caution when giving pressure values for American factory loads from Fed/Win/Rem. They load to a velocity standard, not a pressure standard--other than to stay within SAAMI's 11,500 psi service pressure standard for 16's. They will change powders (and sometimes other components) without much concern, as long as the velocity remains fairly constant and as long as they don't exceed the SAAMI pressure. So if you have a few factory Fed/Win/Rems pressure tested, that's no guarantee that the next box might not be a different pressure. (Could be lower as well as higher.)

I have a sound old PH 16, redone and rebarreled with excellent V barrels, through which I'm not afraid to shoot 1 oz loads. 0 frame, barrels with pits (or maybe honed to remove pits) . . . I might be more hesitant.

Oh crap I had a bad moment and said Federal Game and Target when I meant to write Fiocchi Game and Target.

I sincerely apologize !

Col. Brown thank you for catching my mistake.

If it were my Parker, I would have a gunsmith glass-bed the "head" of the stock, at the rear of the action. The newest Parker is probably 60+ years old, and the wood may have shrunk, softened, or become oil-soaked.

Glass bedding can be done withour changing the outward appearance, and will strengthen the stock in a critical area.

JERRY

A friend of mine bought a VH 16 Ga. Parker with 26" barrels and it kicks hard. The gun has 2 1/2" chambers and unfortunately the previous owner shot heavy 2 3/4" ammo for 2 bird seasons. I suggest he buy ten 2 1/2" RMC brass hulls and with the help of the 16 Ga forum guys we loaded up some outstanding hunting loads with payloads ranging from 3/4 oz. to 1 1/8 oz. Felt recoil was greatly reduced and those brass hulls belong in the old Parker.