Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting 10 gauge factory turkey loads

Interesting,...but...
I use a 1924 Fox HE Super Fox or an LC Smith Long Range. Both 3 in 12s developed for the Super X 3 inch shells.
Advantages: instant different load selection with a double with double triggers. (4s or 5s) Faster than instant if a second shot-for some reason-is required. (Bobcat stalking turkey)

Lastly, the handling characteristics beat any modern guns with speed.
Had a chance at a Parker DH 10 GA, but it weighed close to 10 pounds. I can beat that with a 3in magnum Fox
and slay geese and turkey out to amazing distances.

The older turkeys like to look at the early engraving...........

Interesting.

I, also, enjoy carrying vintage SxS guns on my turkey hunts from time to time. But, for the nostalgia aspect and nothing else. The instant ability to switch between 4' and 5's and the quick handling and follow-up shots are total non--issues for the way I (and most folks) hunt turkeys. A shot at a gobbler is a very measured process.....much like squeezing of a shot at he bench rest. The ONLY thing a BPS 10 gauge throwing a brick wall of tungsten 9's gives up to a classic SxS in the turkey woods is how good it looks laying across the gobbler in the pictures.

They do look good, though. Of all the guns I've owned and sold, the one I kick myself over most is an old 60s vintage Charles Daly (Miroku) SxS, 12 gauge, 3" full/mod, double triggers. Same gun as the Brownings were. Da hell was I thinking?

As for that BPS 10, it's heavy. Not as heavy as my old Remington, but heavy still. Not unreasonably heavy for what it is. But heavy. What surpised me is how heavy the barrel itself is. The barrel alone feels like half the weight of the entire gun.

You don't want it light. Trust me. Fits you or not............you don't want it light.

Mine's been shortened o 23" and weighs (IIRC) 9 lbs 10 oz. It's very lively on the hind end. Not so bad at all with steel. But with 2 1/4 oz lead loads it's definitely an attention getter.

Just a fun comparison............

2 1/4 oz at 1225 fps in a 9.6 lb gun yields 67 3/4 lbs of free recoil @ 21.3 fps (My BPS and a turkey load)

180 grains at 3200 fps in a 9 lb gun yields 32 lbs of free recoil @ 15.1 fps (My model 70 in .300 Wby and an elk/moose/bear load)

I have some 2 5/8 ounce loads at around 1100 fps coming. I have plans of patterning 2 - one at 40 and one at 50 yards.

The 12ga slugs I used to cast and load, would be off the charts! Lol!

The Federal 1.75 ounce slugs at 1,280 fps probably will thump a bit. I'm looking forward to giving them a whirl.

I really like this BPS. I used to have a 12 gauge 3 1/2" model with the extended mag and engraved receiver. The receiver on that was a little longer than the 3" models at the time. But I don't recall it being as heavily built as it is on this 10 gauge. The sides of this 10 gauge BPS are thickened over that of the 12 gauge BPS I have.

I've had the chance to acquire some nice shotgun recently. But I've sold off a Winchester 70 Alaskan .300 WM, a Winchester 70 Super Grade .270, a Browning XBolt .270, a Ruger 77 Express .270, a Swedish Mauser, and Ruger 77 African 6.5x55. My end of the state is pretty much shotgun only and my desire to drive hours to a place where I can hunt with a rifle has fallen way off. I'm enjoying tramping the forests near home.

I got my box of "Custom" Federal 10 gauge rounds. Expensive, but fairly in line what I would expect to pay given the increase in payload. The free shipping helped.

Those look like there should be a cigar cutter in that picture! Lol!

Very impressive looking shell to say the least, I remember them well!

Yeah. I don't know if I want to shoot any.

How long will Federal allow you to finance those ???

$15.30 per round. I once paid a guy $20 to fire two rounds out of his .460 Weatherby Magnum and thought that was a lot.

2 rounds of 460 WBY is enough...

Don't blame you ,OUCH !

As for lead: Winchester doesn't make a LongBeard XR load in 10 gauge. So I got some Winchester Double X 2oz #5 1300fps loads. Yesterday I found these on sale at Green Top Hunt and Fish in Richmond, Va. Now I have something to compare the Winchesters to.

If the Federal has the FC wad the Winchesters will not keep up.

The non FC wad 2 Oz Federals did pretty poorly in mine and my buds BPS.

As far as 2 1/4 Oz loads went the Remington #4 was always the best in quite a few 10s we messed with and the old Winchester XX/Supreme #5 was an absolute patterning monster for lead out of a .695 Hastings.

These do have the Flight Control Flex Wad.

I have three chokes to try: the standard full choke that came with the gun, a Briley Extended Extra Full Choke .735, and an Indian Creek Black Diamond .690. Wondering how the Federals will do out of the Indian Creek. It has some pretty aggressive wad striping rings in it.

Try it and see.

Supposedly the old FC wasn't designed to work with ported tubes. We never could see any disadvantages to them when paired together.