Crow Busters Forum

M12Shooter · Guru

Graveyard Dead Crows

chip · Guru

Beautiful country, 12!!!! That 16 you got propped up there looks like a slick one. I have a featherwieght that I shoot, its a 12. Don't get it out much anymore its kinda rough on the shoulder. But man does it throw a tight group biggrin

Skip · Guru

Shooting DOWN on crows!! Wow... it does not get any better than that!! Nice pictures and fine shooting. Well managed.

skip

Lone Star Phil · Senior Member

You're my hero Ted with your vintage pumps!!

Let a few slide past, though, so we get some opportunities!

Phil

Big Honkers · Guru

Ted,

Great photos and write up. I love the scene of your hunt.

Graveyard dead...for sure!

BH

Bob · Guru

Ted,

Had many good shoots with a pair of 20 gauge model 12's back in the old days.

It's good to see another model 12 man.

Bob A.

M12Shooter · Guru

Interesting commentary guys. I only hope that when I pass on to the big flyway in the sky that someone will have the decency to shoot a few crows over my final resting place biggrin

Ted

Big Honkers · Guru

biggrin biggrin

Best statement of 2011 thus far. Well played Ted.

BH

8fishermen · Guru

There is a running thread over on Shotgun World about loading cremated dog ashes into shell and shooting them in honor of the dog. Someone loaded dear ole dad into a 28 ga and shot one last round of clays with him.

Guess he went out with a bang. biggrin biggrin

wingmaster · Senior Member

Yep does not hurt take a 16ga out every now & than. I got a 16ga Rem Wingmaster. Got keep it in shade or it tell on me with shine stock But it does shoot good & take it squirrel hunting some times. I plan on trying get a fall turkey this season comeing up Got a deer with is last season shot it 25yards drop like a rock

Bob · Guru

Hi Wing Master,

Jim Lundquist was in with the Federal Rep years ago and he got the deal of a lifetime on ammo. The reason I'm mentioning this is because Jim used a 16 gauge 870 for almost 30 years on crows!

He bought shells for $ 10.00 a case, now this is a case of 500 to the case! He had to buy em all so he went in with a friend and purchased 300 cases of ammo from Federal! Jim had 150 cases which was his share and it took him over 25 years to shoot them all up on crows! These shells were factory seconds and the only thing wrong with them was that the print on the shells was smuged and you could barely read it.

Before I started hunting with Jim I knew where some of his blinds were located. I'd go by and pick up hundreds of 16 gauge emtys for a friend of mine who reloaded for the 16 gauge. When Jim would come back and shoot out of some of those blinds he wondered for years "where the heck are these empty hulls going" He found out later when we teamed up that I was the culprit. He said that drove him crazy for years trying to figure out what was happening to those empty hulls.

Bob A.

Gadget Bob · Guru

Hi Ted,

Love your "Subject" and photo's! Keep those "Perfect Repeater" pumps running strong.

Texas Matt and I have been using my Maxus with a Metro barrel and those new Federal "Metro Field" stamped loads. Texas Matt discovered they function fine in our Maxus's so the BPS's we normally used are relegated to second line service at this point. Quick follow-up shots are just easier than an auto,

I do hope to get my Model 12 Skeet 20 gauge back from restoration this fall and go old school crow hunting with it and its Cutts Compensator.

Take care,

M12Shooter · Guru

I like your ammo story Bob. I have shot thousands of crows with 16 gauge guns. One of my favorite crow and upland game gauges. Only problem with 16's is the lack of quality ammo these days. Good stuff will run you over 10 bucks a box, much more than premium 12 gauge trap loads. Therefore one would be best off shooting a 12 IMO. Mostly use the 16's in more populated areas or when crows are tolling in well.

Apparently Federal in Minnesota has started to produce more 16 gauge ammo due to demand. Got this from a seasoned guest American trap shooter at our range. Must be something to this as a local outdoors store is now stocking much more 16 ammo. Still, at 8 bucks per box of 1 ounce loads it's rather expensive stuff confuse .

Best part of this anecdote has to be that I noticed someone had mistakenly priced the 16 gauge ammo at 12 gauge promo prices. Ran one flat through the checkout to see if the bar code would relate this price...and it did. Told the checkout girl I needed more and bought every flat of that load in the store. Eleven flats that is! Tough to sneak that one home past the wife but now I'm into 16 gauge ammo for years to come. That's my 16 gauge ammo story Bob biggrin !

Ted

M12Shooter · Guru

Gadget Bob wrote:
Hi Ted,
Love your "Subject" and photo's! Keep those "Perfect Repeater" pumps running strong.
Texas Matt and I have been using my Maxus with a Metro barrel and those new Federal "Metro Field" stamped loads. Texas Matt discovered they function fine in our Maxus's so the BPS's we normally used are relegated to second line service at this point. Quick follow-up shots are just easier than an auto,
I do hope to get my Model 12 Skeet 20 gauge back from restoration this fall and go old school crow hunting with it and its Cutts Compensator.
Take care,

Gadget Bob, those old M12's just keep firing, can't kill them. IMO that's one of the reason Winchester went teets up...just made the 12's too good. If a guy has any mechanical background then tearing one down is a real treat. All part were machined, Reciever cut from a solid block of carbon steel and great care was taken in barrel production. Just way too expensive to make. Bob who is doing your 20 gauge restoration? Be sure to post some pics of the finished product as well!

Ted