Today’s report contains several success stories. Following this, the fourth outing this season, I’m pretty sure that the two “home-modified” pieces of equipment new to this season have proven successful. (1) The doghouse blind with the roof cut out is the easiest blind that I’ve found to set up (and cheapest). I recommend it highly for low-to-moderate wind conditions. There’s a photo here of the sky, looking up from inside, about seat level. (2) “Crow on a Stick” works well with the low bushes like soybeans and smaller blueberry bushes. We have lots of fields of each around here. Thanks to Ted’s advice, I am now a believer in getting away from the tree lines and in the middle of the fields so the bandits cannot hide in the trees above, behind, and beyond. It’s not always possible to do this, but it will be my default position for the coming weeks. I had a problem today in that I could not find a suitable location to place my 40 foot “hotstick” with the sentinel crow on top such that it was silhouetted against the sky like the red tail hawk is in his photo. Also, I need more foliage tied to the blind to complete the camouflage, but that has been getting better each time.
Today was another first--hunting with a hand-me-down WWII “bring-back” Immanuel Meffert 16 ga. dating from the 20s or 30s—uncertain yet, as I have to do more research on this piece. I’ll show some better pictures (beautiful engraving) the next time I shoot a couple of more crows with it. This was backed up by other old-timer, the recently acquired 1926 M12 Winchester. Got going quite early today. Set up at a friend’s blueberry farm, had a cup of coffee, and turned on the caller upon hearing our black-feathered opponents’ first wake-up calls. Right quick, a pair came in to examine the area and the old Meffert’s right barrel brought one down and I then took a shot at the other with the left and missed. Switched the caller to “Dying Crow” and the other one came right back, just as I did a New York Reload by grabbing the Model 12 and got the second one—which came down in down in a perfect spiral, thumping the ground about 15 feet to the right front. Unfortunately, that was it for this neighborhood, as this was just outside the little crossroads town and these birds were likely pretty well-educated—except for these two early risers/fallers. In this case, “The early bird got the lead.” Heh-heh. Afterwards, there was much cawing in the surrounding area as a beautiful sunrise took place, but no others came even close. There was however, a large red-tailed hawk that kept an eye on the place for a while. I learned from my friend, the blueberry field’s owner, that this hawk’s a regular sight and the crows usually harass him a lot. So, three shots/two down was OK by me. By the way, breakfast was right outside the blind window—lotsa’ dew-covered blueberries!
I forgot to add a Crow on a Stick photo from the soybeans a couple of days ago...that was a dry morning with only one shot at a crow in the stratosphere (missed), but it was still practice setting up and, of course, a nice morning.
-- Edited by Old Artilleryman on Saturday 17th of August 2013 08:15:49 AM
-- Edited by Old Artilleryman on Saturday 17th of August 2013 08:18:36 AM
Excellent story and photo's in such an idyllic setting. Great tip from Ted, about getting out of tree lines, that the TCP needs to heed more this coming fall. We have protected various crops over the years, but never blueberries. Properly prepared blueberry pie ala mode with a scoop of our Texas original Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla, is tough to beat!
Thanks for sharing…I am working tomorrow and Sunday representing Remington at our local Cabela’s. We are looking forward to cooler temps in 5 or 6 weeks, so our noble pursuit of the common crow can resume.
According to my gun smith, this Meffert shotgun is said to have the same "problem" of chambers just a bit shorter than the US standard of 2 3/4--more like 2 3/8. A few years ago, when I had the barrel dings removed by my trusted gun shop, the gunsmith who worked on it told me that the Fiocchi shells, at 2 1/2 inches, would not pose any danger to me or the shotgun. I said, "You sure about that?" He said, "Of course, trust me." (He had test-fired it.) So I test fired it a few days later with the box I purchased (the same box I'm using now), cleaned it, and put it away. That is, until the light bulb went on in my head only a week or so ago, "Gee, why don't you try this one on the crows? After all, you're having fun with the other old-timer (the Model 12)."
As the Meffert brand is not uncommon, I am looking at the German Gun Collectors Association (http://www.germanguns.com/) website for further information. I can probably get some proper chamber info and also further recommendations for shells. Meanwhile, I would appreciate any wisdom out there regarding this situation.
Another more general question is about its chokes: my visual examination of the barrel ends makes me think that the right barrel's (forward trigger) choke has a shorter conical part than the left (rear trigger) barrel's. Again, visually the left seems tighter with a longer conical portion. Does this make sense? If so, my guess is that the right barrel has a middle-type choke (modified, light modified) and the left, perhaps a full to make it reach out further for the second shot. Your thoughts?
Thanks. Craig
Darn! Forgot the photo! As it shows, the unfired shell is a bit less than 2 1/2." The fired one measures 2 5/8."
-- Edited by Old Artilleryman on Monday 19th of August 2013 12:39:21 AM
-- Edited by Old Artilleryman on Monday 19th of August 2013 12:40:31 AM
-- Edited by Old Artilleryman on Monday 19th of August 2013 12:41:04 AM
OA, it was standard practice by US double gun makers to have the more open choke (if there is a difference between barrels) on the right side (front trigger) and the tighter choked barrel on the left (rear trigger). I think european makers did the same but I am not familiar with them.
Have you ever had the chamber measured on the model 12 from 1926? If it's a 12ga the chambers could be 2 5/8" and if 16ga 2 9/16". 2 3/4" did not become a SAMMI standard until the 30's.
There is evidence that US makers held chamber lengths 1/8" short to provide a better gas seal in the days of paper shells and wads. Sherman Bell did testing as reported in the Doublegun Journal some time back showing shells fired in 1/8" shorter chambers only produced a few hundred pounds more chamber pressure.
Nice old guns but I think you still a few decades ahead of 10gacrowshooter and me . He used his Parker from 1889 this weekend and I have been breaking in a new to me Remington 1894 10 bore from 1905.
PS. Chamber length is for the length of the fired shell, although stamped 2 1/2" your picture of the fired blue hull shows it is 2 5/8" bordering 2 11/16" in length, so technically it is not a 2 1/2" shell.
-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Monday 19th of August 2013 12:23:21 PM
I love me some vintage shotguns! Those two old warhorses speak volumes. My brother acquired a Belgium double very similar to yours, and had a great time restoring it. It was a 16 gauge also, but after measuring the chambers, he learned that it is not the standard size 16 gauge, but is a few mm's shorter. He actually found some antique shells for it, but he doesn't plan to hunt with it regularly. It's not like he will ever run out of "scatter-guns".
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"When you have shot one bird flying, you have shot all bird's flying. ...the sensation is the same, and the last one is as good as the first." E. Hemingway "Fathers and Sons"
Nope NH, have not measured the chambers on the M12 or the Meffert, although these are on my things to research list. Neither piece has shell length stamped on the barrels. Your assessment of choke/barrel/trigger L/R makes sense and likely follows tradition from Europe. Re the REAL-Old-Timers, do those you mention have Damascus barrels? Use blackpowder? Matchlock?
Re. the Fiocchi shells pictured: Tell that to Fiocchi. They have 2 1/2 stenciled on them, they appear to be about 2 1/4 unfired, and I agree that the fired case is 2 5/8.
All fun stuff and will keep me occupied for a long time--just like crows.
Thanks!
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"Arms are the only true badges of liberty. The possession of arms is the distinction of a free man from a slave." -- Andrew Fletcher 1698
Re the REAL-Old-Timers, do those you mention have Damascus barrels? Use blackpowder? Matchlock?
The guns we use have damascus and twist steel barrels. We shoot all nitro powder loads; Red Dot, Green Dot, 700-x, SR7625, 1 1/8 ounce and 1 1/4 ounce loads in 2 7/8" hulls for the 10 bores. Sherman Bell's testing proved sound composite steel barrels are just as strong as fluid steel. Been shooting them for several years without issue. The things to look for in these old guns are sound barrels with adequately thick barrel walls and load shells equaling the payloads and pressures of the shells that were in use when the guns were built.
Here is my latest, Remington 1894 10ga A grade ejector gun built in 1905.
It can shoot a 92 to 93% pattern at 40 yards with 1 1/8 ounce of #6. It's a long range crow wrecker.
They used to let us bring shotguns to school on the bus in the mornings so we could hunt squirrels on the sides of the ridges on the way back home in the evenings. The shop teacher kept them and the ammunition in his tool room until school was out. I can't remember anyone ever having an accident or threatening another student with one of those shotguns, or the pocket knives that every boy carried. Some of the kids refinished old shotguns and rifles that they had been given or traded for for shop projects to get a grade on. There were some rare brands of long guns that came through that shop. The shop teacher gave good guidance and advice when it came to the finishes for the wood, and would help fabricate metal parts that might be missing. I know some of those guns are still around and in use thanks to that shop teacher and bus driver.
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"When you have shot one bird flying, you have shot all bird's flying. ...the sensation is the same, and the last one is as good as the first." E. Hemingway "Fathers and Sons"
Great story and nice photos Artilleryman. Good to see the old shotguns in the field as well. I have just returned from holidaying in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Beaches and seafood were stellar but the only large group of crows I had seen the entire time were over a blueberry field...if ya can believe that!
Ted
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Life's tough... It's even tougher if you're stupid. John Wayne
. He used his Parker from 1889 this weekend and I have been breaking in a new to me Remington 1894 10 bore from 1905.
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10gacs 
I will pull this bus over and spank all of you! Play Nice! 