20ga Tamer, What do you think?

[PowerMac]

I got a $20 gift card from Gander Mtn when I bought a TomTom GPS and I've been wondering how to spend it. Today I decided to get one of the H&R 20ga Tamer's. They didn't have one in stock at my local store, but they had a few at a store in NY, so their having it shipped here. I cant wait to have some fun with this little 20.

While I'm waiting I thought I would see if any of you guys have the 20ga Tamer or the 410 Tamer for that matter and could tell me how you like it and what you use it for most?

Cheers, Rob

[MSP Ret]

The Tamers are nice but the 20 makes an especially nice partridge gun and a great "truck gun" also. They are wonderful to take camping or in the canoe or kayak. The 20's shoot slugs great and can be used with Brenneke or even Foster style slugs for deer. And with buckshot they also make a great home defense gun!!!....<><....

[Cookiemann]

I have a Tamer 410.  I didn't like the pistol grip stock because I couldn't reach the button to open the action without releasing the pistol grip and I didn't want to reach across and do it with my left hand.  Here is how I solved that problem.


It shoots great.  It likes the Remington Sluggers and also Federal 2 1/2's #6shot.  I need to try a few other shot sizes and brands to see if any shoot better and I also want to try some 3" shells.
I really like it.
cookiemann

[PowerMac]

That is a really sweet setup you got there Cookie, I've been wondering if I'm going to like the pistol grip myself.

Cheers, Rob

[Froghunter]

Rob,

I do not have a Tamer 20 or 410 bore, but I do have a 20 ga. Shorty, My is based off a Youth model with the screw in chokes tubes. It has a walnut TDC (Topper Deluxe Classic) rear stock and a  walnut TJC (Topper Junior Classic) forearm. I mainly hunt rabbits and I do have a 20 guage TDC, but handling the dogs, leads and the brush, it just was not working out. It's to long and to heavy. That is why I purchased the youth model and fitted it with the stocks. The wife has a TDC with the TJC youth stock on it and she figged out today that she needed a shorty, so after the Holidays her TDC will be going to the factory to get fitted with a youth model barrel with the srew in chokes. I have a .410 bore pardern  with 26" barrel and my son has a .410/.22 rimfire versel pack. We can not get them to pattern good. These .410 bores need work IMHO. I will probably sell, trade or have the full chokes removed from these .410 bores before they will shot correctly. I'm including a picture of my Shorty, It maybe something you maybe interested in building, I enjoy my and it works for me. Alot of guys have Shorties because they are very easy to carry and versatile.

Good Luck!

V/r

Froghunter

PS: Cookie, looking good, I think this is the first time I seen a picture of her and she looks sweet.

[PowerMac]

Froghunter, That's a really sweet setup. I like the Wood, Very Nice. I have a SKB Pump 12ga that I have been Rabbit hunting with and I't does give me some trouble dragging that long barrel thru the thick stuff. I see a shorty in my future    The Tamer I'm getting will be my first 20ga ever, Having always used a 12 I'm looking forward to the reduced recoil. Do the little light weight 20's have quite a bit of punch due to their size?  I'm not sensitive to recoil or anything, just wondering how the recoil compares to a 12ga pump.

Cheers, Rob

[Froghunter]

Rob,

Thanks for the kind words about my Shorty. I would ask that you look real hard at the ranges you plan on harvesting your small game at. I’m not a big fan of the full choke that the Tamer comes with. In my family’s rabbit hunting, the norm is shots at 10 to 20 yards. We hunt the rabbits in front of Beagles and wait for an open shot to present its self. On my lil’ shorty I’m using an IC choke tube and the wife is using a cylinder bore choke on her TDC. The kids both have fitted mod. Chokes. I have find thought the years that a lot of the shotguns are over choked for the upland game shooter. I prefer to use a more open choke. I regularly invite other hunters to join us in our rabbit hunting actives. A lot of this guys use a 12 gauge with modified chokes. It’s very dishearting to see them miss or IMO shoot the rabbit so as it’s not fit for the table. A rabbit is not that hard to dispatch, two or three number 7.5s will do the job at 25 yards. So I ask you look at this point closely. Now a squirrel is another story, even at that, the range is about 30 to 35 yards and even than I use a modified tube with number six magnum shot and the payload is 7/8 .oz of shot. I'm not a big man, 5'10", at 165 lbs. The wife is petite, the daughter is 10 almost 11, and my boy is seven today. As of yesterday the boy started shooting the 20 guage. They have all started shooting this year. The daughter has a 20 guage TJC and the son has the versa pac with a 20 guage youth model 22" barrel on it. I had to look hard to find a reduced load from them to shoot. We are all shooting a light reload of 11/16 oz. of size 7.5 shot for the rabbits and number 8s for practice. We use the standard 7/8 .oz load for the squirrels. I feel when you get to the 1 ¼.oz (three inch shells) and the rifle slugs you start to get the recoil. It’s not at all bad in hunting, but in patterning and practice it can hurt, not only them, but me too. The muzzle noise is a lot more pronounced with a shorter barrel and these little short guns will throw a flame after dark.


Good Luck!

Froghunter