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Joined: Mar 2005
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2005
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Good MOA group Ted!! Patterns looks more like a rifle then a shotgun. Still a beautiful shotgun by the way.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 709
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 709 |
If you like the gun and are getting birds with it who cares how it's choked. There are times when it is better to be dumb and happy then smart.
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,421 Likes: 198
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,421 Likes: 198 |
Ted, I have 3 Merkels. A 12-20-28 ga. All are choked iC/MOD. Interestingly, they all measure .008 and .018, what you would expect for 12 ga. boring. Oddly, they all pattern IC/MOD beautifully at 25 & 40 yards. I'm still trying to figure that one out, but there you are. I really don't care for spreaders either by the way. Karl
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,788 Likes: 767
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,788 Likes: 767 |
16mm or .630 is a tad overbore, but not excessively and not uncommonly for other brands.
Polywad to the rescue.
Pack a box of their 20ga spread loads and hit the early grouse woods.
No worries.
Not excessively or uncommon for other brands, when? This gun was built in the 1940s, long before plastic shot cups were in use. What was the point of a backbore of .015 when your wad was felt, circa 1948? I've seen Darne guns that were pre-war with the same 16mm bore. I don't know exactly what they were after. I assume it tightened the pattern up slightly with old felt wad ammunition, at the risk of blown patterns with heavier loads, and tightens the pattern to the next constriction, say, modified to full, with plastic shot cup ammunition. It is choked too tight for the type of grouse hunting I have done with it. That point might be difficult for someone who has never been in a northern MN. grouse woods to come to grips with, especially in the first 40 days of the season. 25 yards is a very long shot in that setting. I have no plans of opening it, I have others that will do. I actually have good "depth" on sliding breech guns choked for grouse hunting, either of these will do nicely: I eschew spreaders as I usually have a pooch along for the day, hell, I wouldn't hunt birds if I didn't have a dog. I'm not convinced the "spread" of spreaders is very well controlled, or, predictable. Karl, have you ever measured the bore of those different guns, and discovered how close to industry spec they are, or, aren't? Best, Ted
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,788 Likes: 767
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,788 Likes: 767 |
When you get tired of two piper a new 16ga Auto-5 inertia driven semi-auto is excellent substitute. With 26" it has low weight and excellent handling. By changing choke tube you can select pattern you like with different loads. It is modern international design with parts from all over the world assembled at a secret location. PJ, I own, like, two dozen shotguns. I have guns with choke tubes, but, none are doubles. I did change a choke tube in a King's Ferry Ithaca model 37 3" 12 gauge (ever see one?) a while back, to shoot a round of trap-I had an IC tube in it for pheasant hunting, and replaced it with a modified. But, I seldom do that. I have two autoloading shotguns, I didn't purchase them, and haven't used either in about 4-5 years, I'm guessing. We are on a double gun site, and when I'm hunting, I guess I prefer to use good, old fashoned, double guns. I've managed to avoid screw choking any good quality double guns. I have opened a few, but, again, not recently. That is why I hang out here, and not, say, on a Browning autoloader site, or, a plastic stock/glow worm bead site, or, a shotgun barrel porting site. I guess this post was more about discovering where a gun I own will best serve my use as it is, rather than running out to buy the latest new gun. Early season grouse hunting doesn't typically offer shots with a truly clear view of the bird, a lot of time, or long shots. Most of the leaves are still on the trees, at that time. I'm leaning toward not using or bringing this gun along, based on the short range perfomance I saw today. I don't need another gun. Thanks, anyway. Best, Ted
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,421 Likes: 198
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,421 Likes: 198 |
Ted, The barrel flats indicate that they are slightly overbored for the respective gauge. I've had the bores measured as well as the chokes. The choke measurments indicate a very long choke taper. I suspect that is why they pattern as such. RE: Spreaders. Years ago I was on a hunt with a couple of guys, one who was using spreaders. The dog took a pellet in the lung with deadly results. That hunt still haunts me. Karl
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,421 Likes: 198
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,421 Likes: 198 |
Ted, This is my Merkel doing what it likes best. Karl
Last edited by Karl Graebner; 03/26/17 01:59 AM.
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,421 Likes: 198
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,421 Likes: 198 |
Ted, By the way, I was able to finally post the picture above thanks to the previous advise from Ken61 in a previous post. Now I can finally share pictures painlessly. Many thanks again! Karl
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,047 Likes: 54
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,047 Likes: 54 |
My comment wasn't a historical perspective.
I also have no clue 'why'. Why is my current production German 410 bored .401? There is a chart online of max/min diameters and sure enough, German minimum is .401.
I respect your safety decision on the spread load over your dog.
Have a nice summer and good hunting next season.
"The price of good shotgunnery is constant practice" - Fred Kimble
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 5,021
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 5,021 |
Another beautiful shotgun. Karl, ordered from Merkel?
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