I saw a 10 ga. N.E.F. Pardner single shot the other day. Sort of intriguing.... How the recoil in general? Any real advantage over a 12 gauge? Any opinions of the gun and or the 10 gauge overall would be appreciated!
Best,
Charles

I don't know how popular they are these days. All the guys I know are hunting ducks and geese with 3-inch 12-gauge. Ammo technology has come a long way from 40 years ago.

"Back then" my Dad had a double barrel 10 gauge that shot 3 1/2-inch shells and had really long barrels. I never shot it, but he took it goose or duck hunting a few times along the Mississippi. He traded it off long ago, but recently found a box of shells and I have them here somewhere.

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John

As a kid, I used to hunt with a family owned 10 gauge.
It was heavy to carry, had a thick recoil pad and yes it kicked!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Yes, I owned a BPS Stalker 10 gauge many years ago. I was out at the DeKalb range on Goddard Rd. attempting to pattern it, and getting the **** kicked out of me with every shot. Some fellow the size of a Sasquatch asked if he could shoot it, so I let him. He wound up buying it from me.

It was heavy, but the recoil was still brutal. I turkey and predator hunted with it three times before I sold it. That gun liked an open choke, as there was about a water glass full of shot blasting down the barrel each time you fired it.

I imagine a single barrel gun would kick lots worse. Ammo was ridiculously expensive way back then, and likely has gotten higher.

If you MUST have a 10 gauge, buy a repeater so you can use and enjoy it.

I've never owned a 10g but when I was in high school many years ago a good buddy of mine had a New England single shot 10g and I remember it kicking like a mule.

I have two of the NEF/H&R guns. They have the heavy barrels with stock weights from the factory and kick way less than a "basic" NEF/H&R 12 ga with 3" shells.

My step brother had a 10 GA. back in the late 40's. Single shot. I can just imagine the recoil. It was an old shotgun even then. I imagine the shells are not to readily available today. I never shot nor saw him shot it. We used to use .22LR to hunt squirrels. I doubt that anything would be left if you hit a squirrel or rabbit with a 10 or 12 ga..

At one time I've owned a Browning BPS Stalker pump 10 ga. with a 30" bbl. but the pump had a very long stroke and every now and then I'd short stroke it . Next I got a N.E.F. Turkey Special double bbl. with 26" bbls. but it was just too heavy to carry around in the woods. And lastly I got a Remington SP10 Semi auto with 26" bbl. that I liked the best.
They are all gone now as I only use a Remington 870 Special purpose with a 26" bbl.
Shells are a little harder to find but not that bad. I NEVER had a problem with recoil with any of the above guns as I was 6' tall and 250-275 lbs.
I have not hunted much the last few years but do feel the 10 ga. did tend to shine hunting geese over decoy's with steel shot.

I fired one once when I was young, a double with no recoil pad, and as heavy as it was, it was the only gun I've ever fired that hurt enough I didn't want to shoot it again.

My best friend bought a used H&R 10 gauge, it had a 32 or 34 inch barrel. Included in the deal was a box of 25 shells #3 Buck, only 2 missing. He shot it, I shot it, He kept it about six months. When he sold it, the deal included a box of 25 shells #3 Buck, only 4 missing!

Ivan

I have never seen anyone shoot one butted up to their shoulder.Around here we only use them for sand hill cranes.We lay on the ground put the butt under our armpit butt on the ground and shoot cranes as they fly over.

I've got a BPS Stalker in the safe. It's been retired from duck and goose hunting for about 15 years. It's now used exclusively for turkey hunting. I had mine fitted with an 8 ounce mercury filled kick killer cylinder in the rear stock, a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad replaced the hard rubber butt plate and the chamber was back bored soon after I bought it. It was BRUTAL to shoot after a handful of shells before the modifications.


Class III

One of my great uncles had one, shot it once when I was about 14, it was a single barrel and kicked like a mule. He was a huge man around 300 lbs and tall, didn't seem to bother him. I believe one of his son's has it now. I am glad it is his, not mine.

I was fortunate to inherit a high grade 10 ga. double from my grandfather in 1963. It is a Defourney and Severin custom with all the top-of-the-line features. We do lots of goose hunting up here, but all 12 ga. autos. But once a year, when the weather is nice, I take the 10 along for a few ceremonial shots . I'm gonna take a few photos of the beautiful double and I'll post them here

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John

I picked up a Parker 10 Gage Double nearly 35 years ago for $300. The serial number dates it to 1876. It has the under lever, two big hammers, and must weigh at least 12 pounds. After getting it, I bought some shells, opened them up, and replaced the powder with Pyrodex. That was a very expensive reloading option. It shot really good. The amount of smoke emitted from the ends of the barrels was amazing. Since the condition of the gun was around 90%, I haven't shot it since. I just wanted to say I had shot a 10 gage.

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Dr. B

Never owned nor fired a 10ga however, that being said I believe you'll get the same or perhaps better preformance from a 3.5" 12ga as well as easier to find ammo and more and varied platforms to choose from.

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BCCI Life Member #2068

In 1961 an older gun friend took me deer hunting. He loaned me a Parker 10 gauge double barrel. He hand loaded reduced charge ammo. I killed a doe and never felt the recoil. Never shot the gun again, so, I am not familiar with recoil of a full charge 10 gauge.

I briefly considered getting one of the Ithaca 10 gauge semi's back in the day to use for deer hunting with buckshot. Then I did a little investigation and discovered that the factory buckshot loads for it, really didn't offer enough of an advantage over the 3" 12 gauge I was already shooting to justify the price of the Ithaca, which I think was about $750.00. That was in the 80's I guess, when a Remington 1100 3" magnum was about $250-275.00 or so.

There was a fellow who hunted with a hunt club I occasionally hunted with, who used a Spanish 10 double, but I never knew him to actually fire it.

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John 3:16 .

It seems to me that the same shot charge in a larger bore shoots a better pattern. About 50 yrs. ago a fox hunting friend had a 10 ga. SXS and the load IIRC was 5 drs. equiv. with 2 oz. of shot. It was a killer. Larry

What does crane taste like?

I see I'm not the only one whose experience with the BPS was punishing. The recoil was bad, but the BPS 10 gauge I had whacked my cheekbone with every shot. After half a box of shells it looked like my face had gone three rounds with a professional boxer.

It was a gorgeous gun, deep blue and with nice wood, but it didn't fit me for anything and the 10 gauge kicked much worse than I could stand.

That gun is the only gun that made me truly angry to shoot. I had ordered it, paid for it, and bought a bunch of ammo, so I felt obligated to shoot it, and it just made me madder than heck to do so. Finally traded it off. I still have half a box of ammo laying around here somewhere.

Sandpaper.

The best recipe for Sandhill Crane is this;

a Fifth of Jack Daniels

16 OZ chicken broth

2 large cans mushroom soup

2 tablespoons garlic powder

Put crane breasts in slow cooker and cover with mixture.

Cook for a week-throw away the crane-serve the gravy over buiscuits

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John

They make tamales out of them.They are pretty good.

I used an Ithaca Mag 10 with 30" barrel for several year for waterfowl and turkey. In the early days of nontoxic shot it worked well with course shot, about the same as a 2 3/4" 12 gauge with lead shot. It was consistent on ducks at 45-50 yards. As nontoxic shot loads improved it was not much more effective than a 3" 12 gauge. It was great with heavy loads of copper plated #5 shot on turkeys but just to heavy to walk the woods with.

I've got a Browning Gold 10 auto. I bought it years ago for goose hunting, but only took it out it a few times. The recoil really isn't that bad. A 3-1/2" 10 ga will put more shot in the air than a 12 ga, but the increased effective range is offset by the unwieldiness of the gun. Mine has a 28" barrel and it's a big heavy beast that I just can't shoot as well as a 12 ga.

I also had a rather bad experience with mine that soured me to it. I was cleaning it after a hunt. Rather than pulling the barrel to clean it properly, I put a saturated patch on a brush and ran it down the bore from the muzzle end. The patch came off in the action, so I stuck my finger in the ejection port to put it back in place. I somehow managed to trip the bolt, which smashed my finger and jabbed the extractor under the base of my fingernail. I instinctively yanked my finger out and spent the next 5 hours at the ER. My nail eventually did grow back and I learned a valuable lesson: I no longer stick my fingers in the ejection port of an autoloader for any reason.

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"I also cook."

My father-in-law collected Brownings and Winchesters. He had a Browning BPS in his collection. Thinking it would give me another 10 yards for turkeys, I borrowed it for a season. It didn't pattern well with the chokes he had and I got real tired of having my thumb slam my nose with each shot. I did manage to take a turkey but told him he should sell it, it was not worth the punishment to shoot it. I honestly dont see an advantage over a twelve gauge for turkeys.

This thread reminds me of the 8ga Viggo Mortenson's character used in "Appaloosa".

Over the years I have had several 10 gauge guns. Still have the Beretta 10 ga double. I reloaded using components from Ballistic Products and had loads that would print 70% patterns of #2 at 80 yards, down to 2oz of #12 with a spredder card. the only way I could hit a Dove. I remember one trip to Kansas Pheasant hunting. Cold and snowy and birds were getting up 50 yds away. After lunch I broke out the 10 with some long range #5 loads. While the guys hounded Me about that heavy hog I was carrying, They shut up at days end when I had My limit and They were skunked. I still love the 10 gauge and even have a muzzle loader 10 gauge that I hunt grouse with.

These are some photos of the double described in post #14

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John

I own a New England Firearms 26" barrel, single-shot 10 ga. that shoots 3 1/2 magnum shells, I've rolled turkeys at 50 yards with it, that and the $129. price tag was the reason I bought it.
It is also my loaner gun, people that borrow it do so only ONE TIME !

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"Life is short, hunt hard"

My brother has a Marlin 10 gauge break open single shot with a 36 inch barrel. I shot it twice about 30 years ago and that's enough for me.

I have got a 10 ga AYA double with 32" bbls both choked full,

nice gun with case colored receiver and nice walnut. but

and all it needs is a caisson and I would have a twelve pound towed

artillery piece, I have used it turkey hunting and shooting 3,1/2" high

brass turkey loads and you can bet it will wake up all the nerves in your shoulders

I would not even want to think about a 10 ga single shot with one of those shells in the pipe

I shot my first gobbler with my brother's H&R 10 ga. when I was still a teenager as I recall, so early 1980s. I was so excited I didn't think much about the recoil, but remember the Jake flipping @$$ over tin cup and rolling down the mountain side, with me running after him trying to break open that hand cannon to chamber another round. Man! Good times!
The 10 ga. will definitely pole ax what you shot at and I have seen it's effects on geese as well as turkey, but I think the 3 1/2 in, 12 ga. may well have matched it.

Me and a buddy bought Brn, turkey guns back in late 80s. I got
the 10g, he got 3 1/2" 12g. The kick from 3 1/2 12g was bad.
The 10g was stiff but tolerable. He traded off his and got Ithaca
Auto in 10g, it had softer recoil that mine. I traded mine for a
3" m12 and lived happily ever after.
I did fire a H&R single 10g, once was enough, with 10g slug.

Couldn't Agree More ^^^^This is Spot On

I owned a single shot once for a very brief period.
Not Fun at all.
Couldn't say for sure but i doubt a 10 could do anything
more than a 12 can.
Get an auto loader if you just have to scratch that itch.



Chuck

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They hold no Quarter

...I'd like to have one...

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A Country Boy Can Survive

Picked up an Ithaca Roadblocker in the late 70s. 20" bbl with only 3 round capacity: 2 in magazine, one chambered. Haven't seen or fired it for decades. I recall the recoil being manageable for a guy in his 20s.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

Had a squirrel hunting buddy whose family had an old double barrel. The thing was lose and worn out. I was offered a chance to shoot it, but chickened out. His brother, a marine home on leave took us out and shot a rat nest out of a tree. Shot both barrels at the same time. Thought the whole Officetree was going to coming down after that thing went off...

Sent from my XT1034 using Tapatalk

I have the " family " 10 ga . It's an Ithaca double barrel with external hammers . My great grand father was one of those guys that thought anything " off the rack " wasn't good enough for him . The factory sent a rep right to his farm , measured him and built the gun special for him . Even the chokes aren't std . My father hunted for yrs with it using magnum shells in Iowa .
For years , every 4th of July I would get it out and shoot it . I ordered just the std shot shells for it . I have hunted and killed with it just using the std length shot shells , 2 7/8 " . Yes , it is quite heavy but it doesn't kick as bad as some 12's that I have shot . Magnums do have a lot more punch to them , but the gun is so heavy it absorbs a lot of the recoil . It will pass onto my son , when he is settled in and can enjoy it .
I just like the older shotguns . I have an 1897 Winchester that was built around then . It hung in my uncles beer joint back behind the bar for years . It got was taken down several times as I understand to " settle " things . I also have a double 12ga , with exposed hammers built by Hunter Arms , the co. that bought out the L.C. Smith Co . It was built before 1933 . It's a real fun gun to shoot . Again I use lighter field loads .

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A Country Boy Can Survive

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A Country Boy Can Survive

I have this 10 gauge double barreled Parker that was used as a coach gun by a retired confederate soldier in the 1890's. He was from Tennessee and had two pension numbers? from the Confederate Army.
I found his name after getting a factory letter on this first year built 1875 Parker. He actually sent it back to parker to get the shorter barrels rather than just hack them down.
No, I have never shot it.............yet.

Attached Images

	Parker Coach Gun 002.jpg (122.0 KB, 50 views)
	Parker Coach Gun 004.jpg (133.1 KB, 39 views)
	Parker Coach Gun 007.jpg (143.6 KB, 38 views)

Years ago, I too had one, briefly.

It was an H&R single-shot. I bought it at a pawn shop in Lewiston, Idaho, for 70 bucks.

I also bought 2 boxes of ammo, but I only fired a total of 18 rounds before I sold it for $75.

I was living in a remote part of NE Oregon at the time, and once we had a bunch of mushroom hunters show up and camp out on our shooting range. We had a forest fire the year before, which is supposed to be good for fungus, apparently. None of us locals were happy about it. Anyway, I test fired the 10 at about 7:00am one morning, right next to their tents.

The reaction was priceless! It was worth having them camped there at that moment.

The 10 is long gone, but I still remember them scrambling out of their tents like it was yesterday!

Nice looking shotgun!
Never seen a stock, trigger guard interface like that before.

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Wherever my mind isn't
Jim

I think you'll find 3 1/2" 12 gauge will do everything a 10 gauge could, and better.

Let me get this out of the way first; I've shot a 12 Gauge Pardner with a 2 oz. load it was nasty...10 gauge no thanks.

I use to hunt geese with an Ithaca 10 Gauge semi auto. It was big and heavy but the recoil was more of a big shove than a whack. That Pardner was a very sharp whack.

A 10 gauge won't do anything a 12 gauge 3 1/2 inch won't. The 10 gauge cost more to feed and will beat you up more. If you want light loads you can find them but again they are expensive. Buy a 12 gauge. You can shoot cheap and light 7/8 oz. loads or 3 1/2 in 2 plus oz. loads that covers about everything.

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Bill Bates

2nd what Bill said. I've had 3 10g guns, my favorite was the Ithaca Roadblocker, it's the only one with a manageable recoil and the single shot or double guns aren't gentle. They're a blast to shoot, but ammo is $1-2 per round and for the money, get a 12G magnum. There's reason 10G guns are selling cheap.

had a HR/ 10 ga./ 36" barrel/ single shot harvested more geese w/ this weapon than any 12 ga. I used. sorry I sold it. recoil was less than a 12. ga. the 36" barrel just swung/ followed naturally.

I had a BPS 10 in my hand for $600, but he would only sell with the ammo...at his cost he said; another $230. He started telling me what ammo was there; seemed ridiculous- came to my senses and passed.