Author Topic: Excuse my ignorance. (Read 1166 times)

mr.pants · « **on:** April 21, 2004, 11:49:01 AM »

Hello,

I must confess I know virtually nothing about shotguns. My buddy has an NEF Pardner (the $80 model) and knows about as much as I do. I want to buy my own but don't know anything about choke's - do I want full or modified??? I will be using it mainly for grouse at 20-30 yards and the occaisonal clay pidgeon.

Also please tell me what size shell I can shoot (2 3/4 vs. 3inch magnum) through the pardner. I am planning on getting the 12gauge. Thank you very much.

VarmintController · « **Reply #1 on:** April 21, 2004, 12:18:24 PM »

the 12ga pardner "the $80 one" will have a mod. choked barrel. and its the best way to go, simply put you can use anything in it for ammo, well just about anything. they take up to a 3 inch mag load. and i got to say, for a first shotgun like it sounds like what you want to buy, its a GREAT choice. the mod. choke can handle everything from birdshot to slugs and back again. i dare say you sure cant go wrong. and if you hang around here a little while, you will learn ALOT about these guns, and even more about all the things they can do. and for what you are talking about shooting with it, i would say use good old remington game load in #6 or #7 1/2 in a 2 3/4 inch load. or any other cheap old stuff. one thing about these guns with a mod choke, they seem to like about anything from #2 to # 7 1/2 for birdshot. welcome aboard

WNY_Whitetailer · « **Reply #2 on:** April 22, 2004, 02:48:51 AM »

Another good point about these guns is you can send the stock, receiver and forearm back to H&R and have another shotgun or Huntsman barrel fitted to it therefore making that gun even more versatile. For instance, you could buy that 12GA Pardner and then decide that you want to hunt whitetail deer with a slug gun. You could either decide to shoot foster style slugs through the modified choke or you could send that gun back to H&R for a Tracker II or 20GA Ultra Slugger barrel...Also, you may want to try your hand at muzzleloading. If so, then the 50 cal Hunstman barrel is the way to go.

To get a better look at these barrels and guns, visit www.hr1871.com

VarmintController · « **Reply #3 on:** April 22, 2004, 03:09:19 AM »

Thanks WNY!!!!!! i had not even thought to talk about the barrel adding feature. DUH......... i must have been having one of "those" moments. atleast one of us thought of it.

mr.pants · « **Reply #4 on:** April 22, 2004, 05:36:25 AM »

Thank you gentlemen for answering my painfully ignorant questions. I have a cheap chinese made 12ga pump that didn't come with a manual and it hurts me to tell you that I don't know as much about it as the rest of my collection. I am more of a rifle/pistol guy. I currently own two H&R rifles but don't have one of their shotguns yet and can't bring myself to part with either of the receivers for a month to get a barrel added (I have not tried swapping barrels between the two at this point even though it might work).

Thanks again! :grin:

scruffy · « **Reply #5 on:** April 22, 2004, 06:24:18 AM »

Mr. Pants, do your H&R rifles have monte carlo stocks???

If so a shotgun barrel won't sight right, the monte carlo stock comb is too high, you'll need to buy a different stock to get your eye down low enough to look down the barrel correctly.

So, a 28" fixed mod shotgun barrel from the accessory program is $39. Add $31 for NON monte carlo wood stock ($32 for synthetic) and you're up to $70. Add shipping and insurance and you're over the $87 you can buy a 12 gauge 28" fixed mod choked pardner for from Walmart, and you don't have to go without your rifle reciever for a couple months or bother with swapping barrels back and forth on the rifle frame.

I use my $87 walmart pardner for pretty much everything now. Shoot win 2 3/4" foster slugs for deer, Win 2 3/4" #4 and #6 on pheasant (depending on how tight the pheasants are staying), Rem 3" mag #2 hevishot (or steel shot) for ducks and geese (hevishot out mod choke patterns like lead out an extra full choke), Win 2 3/4" #6 for turkeys in the timber, Rem 3" mag #4 hevishot for turkey in the open (again, patterns like lead out an extra full), Fed 2 3/4" mag #4 buckshot or Rem 3" mag #2 hevishot on coyotes, Win 2 3/4" #6 on squirels and rabbits, win 2 3/4" #4 on crows, Win or Fed 2 3/4" #7 1/2 skeet loads on clay pigeons, Rem 3" mag #2 hevishot or Win 2 3/4" #4's for varmints around the farm like skunks, possums, coons, and badgers (use #2 hevishot maily on badgers, really breaks them up by breaking every bone in the pattern circle!).

The cheap 12 gauge mod choked pardner is very versital and will serve you well!!!

later,
scruffy

Markus · « **Reply #6 on:** April 23, 2004, 01:33:30 PM »

If you reallyt want to break the bank you could pony up a few more $ and get a Deluxe model and get the barrel that has screw in chokes and a 3 1/2" chamber. You get a little more versatility and it's fun to punish yourslf with the 3 1/2" shells now and then.

ScatterGunner · « **Reply #7 on:** April 24, 2004, 11:38:23 AM »

hi mr. pants -

you mentioned "the occasional clay bird". do you mean trap or skeet ? the pardner would be fine for trap, but not a good choice for skeet for two reasons, first, in skeet you shoot doubles and i would bow down and kiss the ring of the guy who could shoot skeet doubles with a pardner !!! second, it is choked a too tight for skeet. i have seen many beginner skeet shooters get frustrated when shooting skeet with a mossberg or auto-5 with a full choke.

if you shoot trap, you want a full choke if possible, a modified will work but you will need to get on the bird real fast.

i started both my two boys out with a 20 gauge pardner on the skeet range, low 7's, singles of course !, but this was just to get them used to shooting a gun and breaking birds. one ended up joining the skeet league and that cost me a few bucks for a browning XS.....

trap is a different story, i have friend (i mentioned in another post) who has been using an $80 pardner for trap for 3 years and i can't hold a candle to him, with any kind of gun.

in my humble opinion, 12 gauge is a bit much for grouse. there is a proper tool for every job and for upland birds, there is no better gun than a 410 handi, it's my hands down choice over any of my others i have in inventory. but you want to get one gun for a bunch of shooting situations so my opinion is pretty well worthless, so for grouse, use real light loads, if you can, use 7/8oz #8 shot or so, that way you'll have some bird left to eat. a buddy of mine uses his 12 gauge over/under loaded with #6 green box field loads on grouse and quail, his bag usually has a few wings and a bunch of beaks and feathers in it when we finish up.

given all that tripe, you should probably get a bunch of handi's !!!

enjoy the gun !

sg

VarmintController · « **Reply #8 on:** April 25, 2004, 12:17:54 AM »

SG<------ i got to say if your buddy is blasting the hell out of grouse with a 12ga he needs to change chokes, or lighten his load a bit. i have hunted grouse/pheasant most of my life with a 12ga., and unless you jump the gun and dont let them get out from under your feet before you shoot them, they should not be getting trashed that bad. now i do have a 20ga for my boys to use, and i have used it enough times myself to know that a 20ga is plenty for upland game from squirrel to rabbit and about everything in between, but a 410 is not worth a hoot at over 25 yrds or so. i have played around with my son's a few times, and with the 3 inch mags i would use it on grouse at 20-25 yrds or so, but no farther out then that. i started my oldest, and will strart my other 2 boys on a 410, so dont get me wrong, a 410 is a great starter/close range gun, but man you must be one very good shot to use a 410 all the time, what is your secret?? i would love to know :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

ScatterGunner · « **Reply #9 on:** April 25, 2004, 03:05:10 AM »

vc -

my friend pete uses 1 1/4 oz #6 shot heavy loads with a full choke on everything from squirrel to turkey which obliterates the smaller birds when he gets on them too fast. it reminds me of when the coyotes gets blasted on bugs bunny, a few blackened feathers come floating down.

i started out with a 20 gauge O/U on birds and that's a great gauge. shot it for years, it was a really nice browning citori lightning. the gun had choke tubes and after fiddling around and listening to everyone (oh, you need full chokes for that"), i found that IC and MOD chokes was the best combo. most birds were taken within 20 yards. i wouldn't recommend a 410 for a new shooter, at 25 yards, like you said it's a stretch and probably too far for it, thats full choked too. my first 410 was a springfield side by side, a good little field gun. that hooked me on the 410, no recoil which meant a fast second shot, you really dont need hearing protection.

i don't have any secret's, other than a lot of birds get away from me (SHHH !!). the 410 is tough, especially on grouse. with pheasant, i have to get on the bird within 5 - 10 yards with a clean head shot otherwise goodbye. i do give up a lot of shots. i also tend to work closely and stick with the dogs. if some dog is ranging, i'm a spectator. if the dogs are tired and bumping i'm a spectator. my favorite dog is a female brittany i've been hunting with with for about 3 years now. we can read each other, she's patient, and she is a just one great pup. i think that, if anything, is the secret to bird hunting.

i guess i like my 410 just because i like it, for no particular reason even. and being realistic, the dogs are more important than the gun, load, or gauge.

carrying my 4(?) pound synthetic handi for half a day isn't bad either, and it is nice to being able to carry a days worth of shells in one pocket, that isn't worth that much, but hey, i'm running out of other reasons !

help me here !

sg

p.s., i still haven't got a double with my 410 handy !, but i'm trying.

VarmintController · « **Reply #10 on:** April 25, 2004, 03:31:55 AM »

SG<---
a full choke in a 12ga for grouse?

? now those have got to be some big piles of feathers. i like mod. chokes about the best in a 12ga. and light loads of #7.5 for grouse, and # 6 for rabbit, squirrel, and pheasant. but i use good old remington game loads in #6 for almost everything. now i find hevishot is the best out there for ducks, and turkey. if i had the money, and i got a feeling it will be after the kids are grown and gone. i would get a nice little 20ga over under for my upland game gun. i got to say that would be dream upland gun. and someday i will buy one. as far a the 4lb gun goes, i bet that is some nice at the end of the day. now i could see maybe a 28ga with syn stocks. a little more then a 410, but not enough to pound on you too bad in a 4lb gun. now you got me thinking about a lighter shotgun. and i dont have a 28ga. Hmmmmm...........................

ScatterGunner · « **Reply #11 on:** April 26, 2004, 02:16:40 PM »

hi vc -

any excuse for getting a new gun is a valid excuse. my handi broke yesterday, the firing pin is loose in the receiver.

i tried to order another 357 handi but couldn't find one. so maybe when they fix this one, i could have it fitted for a 28 ga barrel too. you can never have enough 28 gauge guns !

bird season is over (except for preserve shoots) so maybe it broke at a good time, my only complaint is that i won't be able to enter 30-06 or 357 mag in the postal match now.

sg