large shot (4s) in a 16, for use on 
large duck and geese, but without much 
success. In all powders available for 
hand loading 1 oz. appeared to be the 
limit, for beyond this patterns appeared 
to suffer, were irregular, and velocities 
PATTERN No. 3.—LOAD SUPER X, 1% OZ. 
No. 7V 2 , 388 PELLETS TO LOAD. PARKER 
GUN, 16 GA. MODIFIED. DISTANCE, 35 
YARDS; CIRCLE 24 IN. DIA. IN CIRCLE 
264 PELLETS, 68%. A GOOD TRAP 
LOAD ; ALSO FOR SMALL DUCK 
were lost. The best hand load for such 
heavy shooting was found by the writer 
to be 3 dr. bulk nitro and 1 oz. shot. 
In shooting such game on the Texas 
coast, the best sport is generally to be 
had during a “norther” when the wind 
is blowing a stiff gale, and then every 
few feet of extra velocity counts, for 
under such conditions, slow loads drift 
badly. It is then that l-Vs oz. shot, 
backed by a stiff charge of shot, is de¬ 
sirable, and this new load, apparently 
PATTERN No. 5.—SUPER X TOAD, No. 9S 
TRANSFERRED. GUN. WINCHESTER MODI¬ 
FIED. LOAD IV* OZ. SHOT. CIRCLE, 30 
IN.; DISTANCE, 25 YARDS. IN LOAD 658, 
IN CIRCLE 449, 69'/-%. GOOD FOR QUAIL 
UP TO 40 YARDS 
meeting these requirements, will no 
doubt add much to the popularity of 
the 16 with that class of sportsmen who 
seriously object to carrying around 
more than 6 -V 2 lbs. of gun metal. 
In the ordinary factory loads, con- 
Page 499 
taining % to 1 oz. shot, the 16 ga. does 
not suffer in comparison to the 12. As 
before stated, the standard factory 12 
ga. load for duck is 3*4 dr. xiy 8 oz. 
No. 6 shot; the velocity of which is 
given at 948 f. s. The 16 ga. load of 
2-3.4 dr. and 1 oz. No. 6 shot is given 
at 941 f. s. same range. Breech pres¬ 
sure of the 12 is 3.89 tons, of the 16 
4.15 tons. The killing circle of the two 
loads is practically the same; the 12 is 
the thickest in the center, but the 16 is 
thick enough, and if held fairly well 
will account for a kill as far as the 
12 ga. Reducing the shot charge to % 
oz., but retaining the powder charge of 
2% dr., we increase the velocity 30 f. s. 
and reduce the pressure. If we hand¬ 
load 3 dr. bulk and 1 oz. No. 6s, we 
get a velocity of 967 f. s. with only 4.59 
tons pressure, a load which compares 
very favoraoly with maximum 12 ga. 
loads, 3V2 x iy s No. 6, vel. 989 f. s. 
pressure 4.19, and with less recoil. And 
in a gun of sufficient strength, of 6-1.2 
lbs. more weight, a hand load of 3-1.8 
dr. and 1 to 1-1/16 oz. shot, 6s or larger, 
will reach way out and bring down 
such game as duck and geese at a range 
beyond the ability of the average gun¬ 
ner to properly point the arm and cal¬ 
culate speed and distance. 
The 2-3.4 dr. % oz. factory load is 
put out by all the loading companies 
in cheap cases, and furnishes a splen¬ 
did, yet cheap, high velocity load— 
lower in price than can be obtained in 
any other gauge. In velocity and pene¬ 
tration it exceeds 12 ga. loads in all 
combinations up to 3V 2 x iy 8 , and beats 
that popular load by 5 f. s., taking No. 
6 shot as a base. Loaded with 9s, for 
such small game as quail and snipe, it 
gives 502 pellets to the load, and a mod¬ 
ified barrel will place 350 or more in a 
30 in. circle at 25 to 30 yards, out of 
which such small game could hardly 
escape. Using 8s, it gives 357 to the 
load, and in same barrel 214 pellets 
same circle and distance, and this load 
is preferred by many shooters. With 
10s for snipe, early in the season and 
when conditions are favorable, it will 
be found a deadly combination, for a 
modified gun should put 400 or more 
pellets within a 30 in. circle at 30 yards. 
It is generally considered that shot pel¬ 
lets delivering .60 to .75 lbs. of energy 
at the distance at which small game is 
struck are sufficient to bring same to 
bag, provided of course a reasonably 
sufficient number strike the objective. 
Using the above load, 8s have a strik¬ 
ing energy of 1.14 lbs., 9s, .73 lbs., and 
10s .57 lbs. The writer confesses a par¬ 
tiality for light shot for very small 
game; also the lightest consistent size 
of shot for the larger game, and has 
never found this % oz. lacking. It 
combined cheapness with excellent pat¬ 
tern and penetration, and when added 
to the light weight of the gun, comes 
as near a perfect combination of gun 
and load as has thus far been devised 
for small game. Of course, a 20 ga. 
will deliver the same amount (%) of 
PATTERN No. 4.—PARKER FULL CHOKE, 
24 IN. CIRCLE, 35 YARDS, SUPER x! 
LOAD 1% OZ. No. 6 SHOT, 245 PELLETS 
TO LOAD. IN CIRCLE 218 PELLETS, 88%. 
GOOD ON DUCKS FOR 50 TO 60 YARDS 
shot, but not with the same velocity 
nor pattern. The depth of the shot 
column in the barrel of a 20 ga. is 
nearly one-third more than of the 16, 
hence a greater number of the pellets 
are exposed to friction in the barrel, 
and more or less deformed in passing 
through the cone and the bore. These 
fly wilder than the inner portion of the 
charge, and many fail to stay within 
the killing circle. Of course, at close 
range, a properly bored 20 ga. makes 
PATTERN No. 6.—IMP. CYL. 30 IN. CIR¬ 
CLE AT 25 YARDS. LOAD 2% DR DUPONT 
15-16 OZ. No. 10S, HAND LOADED. IN 
LOAD 814 PELLETS ; IN PATTERN 544. 
66%. A SNIPE LOAD GOOD FOR 35 TO 
40 YARDS 
a good quail and snipe gun; but we are 
considering now a gun that will also 
go way out and get duck and geese at 
the ordinary 12 ga. range of 50 yards, 
and here the 20 ga., though often used 
(Continued on page 524) 
