Shotguns for Vintage Hunting

[Scattered Thumbs]

Curious facts about the "Turkey" bird:

First. You are lucky to have access to wild turkeys. I live in Europe, and the turkey is an American bird. We have turkeys yes, but not of the wild variety.

The first Europeans to meet the bird were the Spaniards, in Mexico, in the early XVIth century. The Aztecs had already tamed them and the Spaniards readily adopted the big tasty bird and introduced them in Europe.

All the European Nations started breeding the bird, but, all of them named it erroneously.
In Portugal we thought the bird was coming from the Spanish colonies of Peru. And so, that's  what we call it. Originally, the Peru chicken. Nowadays we just call it peru. The French, they knew it came from somewhere in the New World, then called the West Indies, and so they simply called it l'oiseau d'Inde , meaning the bird from India, simplified nowadays to dindon. The English, were at the time in war with the Spaniards. So, their birds arrived by a sort of backdoor. It was the Mediterranean traders that started their trade route in Turkey that brought the bird into England. It ended up being known as the Turkey bird, turkey for short.

During the rest of the XVIth century the whatever you call it bird became so popular that the first English settlers in Northern America took specimens with them to introduce it to the New World.         It was a great surprise when the call of their captive tamed turkeys was answered by their wild brethren in the woods.  

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Here is a picture of the long barrel after shooting . It has a nice pattern at 40 yards .

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
This long barreled 87 was re barreled by Frog . He did an Excellent job . He is still trying to find a supply of 30 inch barrels , still looking . He has a supply of 28 inch barrels . Wonder how a 87 would work for Trap ?

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Well the 2016 Spring Turkey season is over . But we will be trying again in the Fall to take a Turkey with the 87 and a black powder load . I will be loading old E for the fall Hunt .

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Fall squirrel season starts Aug 20 . So grab your shotgun and your skitter spray and head to the woods . squirrel is good eating .

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Has anyone worked with bp and steel shot ? To Duck hunt you have to use a non toxic shot , so I am wanting to try a bp load with steel for duck and geese .

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I haven't tried it, Rowdy, but I can't see a problem in trying it.

Velocity would be less so steel might not carry far enough.  Perhaps NICE or ITX kind of shot would be my choice to try.

The BIG limitation would be the chokes. What I would expect to work best would be

1.  Modern steel guns

2.  Open chokes of modified or more open

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Sir Charles
Yes I will have to work with a ic or maybe a modified choke . As for the steel in the gun  ,this is a China made shotgun . And it does have screw in chokes . But the barrel is an American made barrel . Years ago when they made the change from lead shot to the non toxic shot we had to learn all the hard lessons about steel shot . The long barrels and FULL choke was a thing of the past . And everyone hated the new steel shot and that was the way it was .

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Fall Turkey season is almost here . The plan is to get the long barreled 87 out with my trusty bp loads and smoke me a turkey . Now let's hope  Mother Nature don't change the plan .

[Coffinmaker]

Read an article 'bout a fella shot his very first Turkey.  Shot it in the Frozen Foods section of the Supermarket.  Scared the BeeJeezus out of everybody.

Coffinmaker

[Major 2]

Could you explain this a bit
"As for the steel in the gun  ,this is a China made shotgun . And it does have screw in chokes . But the barrel is an American made" barrel

Yours is  28" a TTn is it not ?  ...   American made barrel  ?

[shrapnel]

Not only vintage but quite rare. This is a Burgess folding shotgun from the late 1800's...

[Coal Creek Griff]

Shrapnel!  Haven't seen you around in a while!

Beautiful and unusual gun.  Thanks for letting us see it.  I always appreciate the photos you post.

CC Griff

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Shrapnel
Thanks for sharing . That is one neat old shotgun .

[shrapnel]

I have several Burgess shotguns, here is another that is even more rare. It is an original salesman's sample cutaway

[Coal Creek Griff]

Very cool (although it seems to be missing some pieces  ).

Thanks again for the photos!

CC Griff

[shrapnel]

i found another George Daw shotgun, although not in as good of shape as the first, it still kiills turkeys...

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Shrapnel
Thanks for posting picture . An Excellent Turkey killed with a Excellent scatter gun . Looks like the weather was a little chilly that day . Thanks again for posting the picture .

[Scattered Thumbs]

Not only vintage but quite rare. This is a Burgess folding shotgun from the late 1800's...

Wow! I've heard of it. Never seen one put to use.

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
Spring Turkey season is almost here who planning on hunting this Spring ? I am planning on using the 1887 lever action shotgun . I have  a load that will do an Excellent job out to 40 yards . Good luck and Happy Hunting .