anyone use a pardner turkey gun?

[thelaw]

thinking about  getting a pardner turkey gun. i figure the light weight would be great for walk around calling and your lucky to get just one shot anyway. does anyone here currently hunt with one? i was wondering how well they pattern and if it is okay to shoot hevishot through them?

[bamaboy]

Hello,
I use the 12 gauge version with the fixed full choke. I bought it last Spring and love it.  Shot my first turkey with it.  You will need to shoot several turkey loads thru it to determine which pattern best.  I plan on having the forcing cone polished before this Spring.  It  should improve the pattern.  I feel they are great guns for the money and definitely are easy toting if you walk  a lot while hunting.

[ScatterGunner]

hi thelaw -

i have a 28" 12 gauge synthetic pardner with a screw in X-full NEF turkey choke. the gun is light, kicks like a mule, but patterns well with 1 1/4 oz #4's in remington premier shells with red AA field wads. i think i used blue dot powder, i'm not sure, but can check if you want.

i have used it for turkey hunting twice, and shot only once at a turkey. obviously, that turkey was wearing body armour or a force field belt because he strutted away unscathed.

the load was worked up from the bench using one of the powder makers data books. i used a cardboard target and ran the velocity up to just before i started to see a lot of flyers. i think i ended up with 1325 fps on the chrony which is pretty fast for such a heavy load.

factory loads, like the 3 1/2" 'guns of navarone' hi brass shells kicked like dickens and did not pattern as well as the hand loads. the hand loads were worked up on a MEC single stage press.

i am sure you will have much better luck than i with with those turkeys this spring !

sg

[Glenn Hughes]

I have one in the 12 guage 3 1/2" full choke - love it...

[Duce]

Thelaw: Funny you should ask, today I cleaned up my Tracker II, removed the barrel and replaced it with a 28" Pardener barrel that will accept Winchokes. The past couple of evenings I've drilled and tapped  it to accept  sights off of a Tracker. Last year after turkey season I picked up an Undertaker choke tube that will fit.  Orginally I had a 24" turkey barrel and tube, recoil was fierce, I hope the extra barrel length will help.  This package is still shorter by 2" the 26" barreled 1100 I've used lately, can't wait for April. Yaa You Betcha:  :-D <>< Duce: