Benelli exhibition shooter Tom Knapp amazes me. That guy chews up 12 gauge ammo like nobody I've seen, yet he remains cool as a cucumber. How long can it last?
I had a Sako rifle in caliber 30-378 Weatherby mag that would draw some stern looks at the club range. The club president (RIP) called it a cannon. He could tell when I was shooting from inside the clubhouse situated 200 yards off the firing line. Firing the thing left me with a "stunned" feeling and headache that lasted a couple hours. It was a beast! Oddly, I wish I still had that gun, if for nothing else but the WOW! factor. My 300 RUM is nowhere near as fierce.
I am pretty sure that for exhibition shooting Mr. Knapp is using 1oz or at most 1 1/8 oz loads. I can shoot these a lot as well but a dozen or more shots with 1 9/16 ounces of steel shot or 1 3/4 oz of hevi shot? I think my days of doing this are over. Lots and lots of ducks killed with lesser loads anyway. My Pastor and good hunting buddy Owen Frost uses a 20ga for ducks and does really well. Thinking 1 1/8 oz of steel 3's should do just fine for 99% of the ducks I shoot at. Save the big loads for the rare shot at a goose. Actually thiking of selling my semi famous custom 416 Rigby. Love it, but a 9lb 9.3x62 or a double in 9.3x74 might just keep me in the game longer.
