A question about ammo.

[Wild Wings]

Hello everybody. I'm very new to the world of classic doubles and I want to make sure I don't damage my gun. I've found some Federal Premium 2-3/4' , 1-1/4 ounce bismuth loads going 1350 fps. Would these be safe to use in my 2-3/4" Sterlingworth or do you think it would be a little too heavy of load for that gun? I don't want to buy it if it's unsafe in my gun. Thank you in advance for any help with this.

Wild Wings

[Silvers]

The classic/heavy 12-gauge 'High Brass" shells used for over a century now are 1-1/4 ounces of lead at 1330 speed. Recoil is stiff of course and the Federal shells with Bismuth shot you cited at 1350 would be a bit more. If a heavier weight Sterly in good shape as inspected I wouldn't hesitate to shoot them for the relatively few longer shots you might get at waterfowl during an outing. Some people might comment to "be kind to old dry wood' but ime that's not a consideration with a Fox as long as it has relatively straight grain showing in the head of the stock. frank

[DarylC]

Frank is correct as usual. You will probably feel the effect of those shells before the gun will. Good luck in the field.

[Wild Wings]

Thanks guys. I just don't want to over do it for the guns sake and my own.

Wild Wings

[Silvers]

Thanks guys. I just don't want to over do it for the guns sake and my own.

Wild Wings

I started hunting as a pre-teen here in PA. For mixed Upland game almost all hunters with typical 12-gauge/Mod & Full choked double-guns with steel barrels would have a low brass 1-1/8 ounce Field load of 6's or 7-1/2’s in the right chamber and a 1-1/4 ounce High Brass with 5's or 6's in the left. That combo for rabbits, squirrels, pheasants and grouse. For ducks, High Brass 4's or 5's in both barrels. I don't remember anyone I hunted with ever complaining about recoil while using Super-X's, Peters High Velocity, Federal High Powers, etc. I suppose a dedicated grouse guy with a more specialized double would use low brass 7-1/2's in both barrels but I don't recall ever seeing such a hunter when I was out. Then over recent years we modern day vintage double-gun guys have been overwhelmed with talk of so-called "low pressure" shells (actually lighter payloads and/or lower speed) which result in lesser recoil, but really at the expense of lower pellet count and lesser striking energy on game animals when the range stretches out. Easy on the shoulder is a phrase often used. Of course such shells work fine on clays - but clays are not animals that are often just wounded while using light shells and escape to suffer a lingering death. The point I'm making is for ethical sportsmen and women to use heavy shells as traditional and appropriate for hunting game, and if recoil is an issue due to physical limitations for those comparatively few shots, then please limit your shooting with lighter loads to mid-range 30-40 yards at the most. In sum, let’s use enough gun, load and judgement for the sport. frank

[Wild Wings]

Very good points Frank. I agree completely. I'm new to the classic doubles and I've had several " experts " tell me I need to use really light loads or I will damage the gun or worse and I just don't have much experience with them yet. The 1-1/4 ounce loads are much easier to find for sure. I'm really not concerned with the recoil because I shoot other guns that are far more punchy and when shooting at game we generally don't notice the recoil anyway.

Other people I've talked to have made me a little nervous is all.

Wild Wings

[Silvers]

Wild, thanks for your comments. Yes there are many vintage SxS "experts" out there with a whole range of opinions and sorting out the wheat from the chaff can be difficult at times. It sounds like you're in a great waterfowling location there in northern AB. I've hunted for deer quite a bit in mid SK and even though relatively late as far as the migration have seen plenty of birds. The migration has to be spectacular. Incidentally your early Sterlingworth "Pin Gun" shown with the greenheads in the other thread looks great. Takes me back to a Pin Gun used by our guide many moons ago when I was a young pup while on two trips to northern ON along Hudson Bay. First one I ever saw. frank

[Wild Wings]

Thank you Frank! Our waterfowl season is excellent but short. Normally we're all frozen out by now but it's been warm so far this fall. I really like the feel of my Sterlingworth, it fits me very well. I plan on using it more and more weather permitting in future seasons. I'll be carrying it for some Grouse once our big game seasons are over or if I'm lucky enough to fill my deer and moose tags.

Wild Wings

[67galaxie]

Salt Creek is making some nice low pressure bismuth shells and even short shells in 12 and 10 gauge

[Wild Wings]

Salt Creek is making some nice low pressure bismuth shells and even short shells in 12 and 10 gauge

Do you happen to know if these are available in Canada?

Wild Wings

[67galaxie]

Call them