Parker

With slighty less than 200 different single and double based propellents available to the reloader today, more powders available to the handloader can only be a good thing. And this is great, compared to what was available years ago. The Superformance line is interesting. I read somewhere that this line a blend of spherical powders if memory serves me correct. Cool stuff. I see Hodgdon has updated some load tables on their website with the new data already.

I won't be out permit week but will use my T/C during the regular 6-day firearm season. I've been shooting my Renegade .54 since I bought it new back in '81, and still load the same load that proved most accurate in this gun: 110 grs. of Pyrodex & 430 gr. Maxi-Ball. It's the only muzzleloader I own. The only modification I've made to mine since I purchased it was add sling swivel studs, a T/C peep sight and a T/C bead front sight. I drilled the center out of the solid metal bead and added a spot of white automotive paint. Also added a fiberglass rod to prevent any problems should the hardwood rod ever break in the field. Mine has proven to be very accurate and reliable over the years.

Just Google the phrase: "Ignatius Piazza lawsuit"

Ken is absolutely correct. Altering the bead may alter your POI. You should try patterning both barrels to determine where they impact (POI) based on your shooting style before you alter your sights. Try this trapshooter's trick to see where your gun's POI is in relation to your POA. While this method is preferable for finding the POI for the ideal trap gun, you can also use this as a guide for field/hunting guns or SD shotguns: 1) take a 2' or 3' square white paper target and draw a small 3" aiming dot in the center 2) pace off 13 yards and post the target at eye level 3) using a full choke tube, shoot for the center of the aiming dot with an ordinary birdshot load 4) the majority of your pattern at this range should be 2"-3" wide. You should see any deviation of the core of the pattern left or right at this range. If the majority of your pattern is 1" above the aiming dot, your gun is printing a 60%/40% pattern at about 40 yards; meaning slightly high. This is preferable for some trapguns and what some trapshooters prefer, but for a hunting gun used for turkeys you should be dead-on, or 50%/50%. High/low deviation is sometimes easier for the shooter to compensate for in a shotgun than when confronted with a left/right deviation. Hope this helps.

Yes, things have gotten more complicated over the years when it comes to the regs. but that comes hand in hand with increased game, additional game seasons, additional fireams seasons, etc. For example, 50 years ago you couldn't hunt with a muzzleloader rifle or with a crossbow. Today you can. There were no turkey's to hunt back then either. Today there are. And the state has extended some deer seasons specifically to manage the population, even allowing bowhunting on Sunday's. The documentation of so many regs. makes that compendium what it is today. And there are always those who don't pay heed to the laws, and their exploits are noted unceremoniously in journals like this: http://naweoa.org/joomla15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=38:nj-division-of-fish-and-wildlife-monthly-highlights&catid=4:us-news

Maybe the AG decided so after watching this video? http://www.apacheclips.com/media/24784/HAHA_Jihadi_Accident/

Excellent point. And when they roll, they come prepared:

There are no simple answers about hunting in New Jersey. Complete 2010 Digest - 96 pages of reading and lots of advertisements to sift through. I suggest you read this in its entirety to acquaint yourself.: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2010/dighnt10.pdf Deer - Yes, confusing. You need to be a Rhodes scholar to decipher some of the detail. State is managed by DMZ's (deer management zones). Permits and hunting regs. by zone vary. Depending on zones and season dates outside of the regular 6-day firearm and regular Fall bow season, there are antlerless permits and buck permits available that you can purchase.: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2010/regsets10-11.pdf Small game (pheasant, quail, woodcock, squirrel, rabbit, grouse). For pheasant & quail, you need a Pheasant & Quail stamp in addition to your license. Woodcock (migratory) requires HIP registration and $2 certificate. You can hunt with a .22 but only if trapping or for woodchuck and NO .22's on any WMA's. You can hunt with a .22 if you have access and permission to hunt on private property for woodchuck. You can squirrel hunt with a BP rifle but only in certain areas designated for such. And don't forget you need to take the course and procure a rifle permit. Turkey is assigned by lottery and zones. There is both a Fall and Spring season for turkey. http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2010/smgame_summary10-11.pdf Migratory game (ducks/geese) you need a small game license, HIP registration # and certificate ($2) + NJ stamp + Federal stamp. No stamp or HIP necessary for crow, but hunting days/week are limited.: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2010/migregs10.pdf Note: you can do a LOT of hunting in New Jersey, but open your wallet if you want to partake. The state has adopted a Fees'R-Us mentality.

As glennp noted, barrel length has no effect on patterns. Forcing cone length, bore diameter, hardness of shot and choke constriction are all factors that affect patterning. Choke is the biggest factor; the others each all have an effect to a minor degree. Here is a generalized chart for selecting a choke by choke constrictions and the range they are effective to, taking into account different target sizes found at clay events:

As noted above, SKEET or IC choke will suffice. These choke designations are most preferable. For a 12 ga. shooting 1 oz. or 1 1/8 oz. loads, you can use a CYL choke too. Best shot size to use is #9, but #8's work well. When I can find it, I split the difference and reload #8.5's. I think I am gaining an edge, even if it is only psychological. #8's are a good all-around size but as bore size shrinks, #8's are not always the best for pattern density. You're better off with #9's in the .410 and 28 ga. I shoot with a fellow who reloads #12 shot. He swears by it. It positively dusts targets. Hope this helps clarify things. Enjoy. Pull!

Not a surprise. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20101115_Christie_seeks_grass-roots_support.html

I thought that was interesting too. Guess a lot has changed in 42 years.

Found this with Google tonight. Boy, how things have changed. Friday, Jun. 21, 1968 Nation: NEW JERSEY'S MODEL GUN LAW A TOUGH, comprehensive gun-control law enacted in New Jersey 22 months ago might well serve as a model for federal action. Chapter 151 of the Revised New Jersey Statutes requires that all owners or would-be owners of firearms have an identification card, involving fingerprinting and a character investigation. A criminal record, narcotics addiction, alcoholism, mental illness or a physical handicap that would impair proficiency with a gun are all grounds for withholding the card. The police may also reject "any person where the issuance would not be in the interest of the public health, safety or welfare"—a catchall designed to keep weapons from going to individuals with long records of disorderly-conduct arrests but no convictions. Rejection on such grounds can be challenged in a county court. Owners of rifles and shotguns must be 18, and need only the basic I.D. Those who would pack a pistol or revolver must also be at least 18, and need two additional permits (total cost: $5) to purchase and carry a handgun. Retailers must keep complete records of long-arm sales and must forward records of handgun sales to police. Of 89,500 requests for firearm permits under the law, 1,600 have been denied. A number of the refusals are being appealed. In addition, the state supreme court is hearing two challenges to the law's constitutionality. In one, the Monmouth County chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is contesting a provision that makes membership in a "subversive" organization grounds for denying an I.D. card or a purchase permit. In the other, the law is being questioned on the grounds that it abridges the right to bear arms and interferes with interstate commerce. Find this article at: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,900179,00.html

One statistic I have never been able to find out for the state of New Jersey is how many FID cards have been issued to residents. Anybody know?

What barrel length, 28" or 30"? Tried a friend's at Thunder Mtn. some years ago when they first came out. A bit different than Browning's 425/525 as the Winchester's receiver is shallower than the Browning-syle lockup. I think an O/U is more versatile as both a field and clays gun and it can be put to good use for any of the clays games by the merits of its single sighting plane with two different chokes. Any O/U than begins with B, B, SKB or W would be a solid shooter. It's just a matter of taste and style in what you want. Just make sure the gun fits you properly before you purchase. That's equally as important. BTW - The new Browning 625's are starting at something like $2,600!

A recent poll suggests that a majority of N.J. residents approve of such a hunt. I know that prior to the closure of bear hunting in the 60's, one never heard a disparaging word against a bear hunt. Then again, there weren't many bears around back then either, nor were there many anti-hunter activists or anti-hunting videos going viral on the internet against hunting in general. That paradigm has changed somewhat in 40 years. http://publicmind.fdu.edu/1011bears/ As for the lowly .410, it isn't allowed as a legal round for deer in N.J. In the hands of a savvy and competent hunter, it is used with some success in other states where it is legal, but should be considered a marginal round. It sheds velocity too fast and loses half its energy by the 50 yard mark. Bear are more heavily muscled and boned than a deer. Not the most scientific analysis, but an interesting read: http://mcb-homis.com/slug_410/slugtest/

In the context of bear hunting, both are verboten. Minimum slug/shell size is 20 ga. for bear. .44 caliber is the minimum if using a muzzleloader. I am sure the decision is based on a minimum of ft. lbs. of energy. And we all know that pistols are a no-no in this state.

You may want to check page 25 of the Digest: http://www.njfishandwildlife.org/pdf/2010/dighnt10.pdf Shotguns are never allowed to exceed the 3-round limit except during the special waterfowl seasons. Shotguns Shotguns larger than 10-gauge are prohibited for hunting. Shotguns may not be capable of holding more than three shells except for September Canada goose hunting; see page 75. For information on legal shot sizes, see regulations for each game species to be hunted. PS - because the bear season is concurrent with the 6-day firearm season, the same rules and manner for taking deer apply for bear with the exception of buckshot.

Saw your link on NJH. Nice to see more people in NJ who enjoy and support firearms ownership in a positive manner.

Red Dot seems too fast a burn rate for such a narrow bore. Red Dot is used only in 12 ga. applications or as a starter powder for some of the heftier charges of slow burning stuff in the larger bores. I'd think Hodgdon's Univ. Clays, HS-6 or Longshot is more suited for the 24 ga. since all are used in the 20 ga. AND 28 ga. Alliant's 20/28, Green Dot and Unique powders all should be compatible since they too are used in the 20 & 28 gauges. Only place I can find load data for this gauge. You just have to purchase the manual: http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Small-Bore-Manual-24-28-32-410-3rd-ed/productinfo/00MSB/ I'd post your question on the ShotgunWorld forum or on the DoubleGunShop forum: http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php. My guess is you'll get a more detailed response than mine. Good luck. PS - my buddy hunts everything upland with a European 24 gauge SxS. More than adequate on pen-raised pheasants. I think his shotgun scales at only 5 lbs. Beautiful little gun.

Wojo, glad you had a productive day. Nice pic of the dog and your take for the day. Keep at it with her, she'll only get better. As for those annoying bells and beepers, they do serve a purpose. I am not so high-tech, but prefer a bell, which to me is my idea of an autumn symphony. It's all I've ever used and what I've been using on dogs since my dad's day. A bell serves two purposes: to locate your dog while it's moving, and when the bell "stops;" this tells you that your dog is on point and it's time to locate the dog. In big open fields it's hard to lose a dog in such areas, but in thick heavy cover like Maine, laurel choked Pennsy, or in snow-covered woods; it's sometimes tough to find a dog on point who has wandered out of sight on game and is locked on point somewhere. A good pointing dog that locks up on a bird will never move until you find him and flush the bird. When all goes silent, it's time to look for your dog. When the bell stops, I head in the general direction I last heard the bell sound. I know the dog is stopped for a reason. Many dogs are boot-polishers, so there is no need for a bell. I like to give my dog a little leeway and let him run and find birds. He knows more about finding birds than I do. Some like to use those beeping collars. And there are some beeping collars which also emit a hawk scream; the concept is it will alert you to the dog on point AND the hawk scream is supposed to scare the bird from flying. (No lie, someone really thought of this.) I find both annoying and untraditional. A bit gimmicky but many use them. Flushing dogs and retrievers afield rarely need a bell/beeper unless they run big. Some of my pics to illustrate: Point in snow. (Sometimes tough to find my black & white Setter in the snow) Thick cover in Maine complete with moose roadblock. (Most good grouse cover has limited visibility.) Trailing pheasant in the snow at Whittingham. Without a bell, snow-covered woods blanket any sound and footfalls.

I agree with Lunker. IMHO, I think the 11-87 is a good shotgun. My only gripe is the weight and its muzzle-heaviness. But that weight comes in handy when stationary on the range or blind or swinging on clays on the skeet range. (The LC Sporting Clays 11-87's feel better but I've never had one, just tried my friend's a few times.) For trap or clays, slugs for deer, large shot for turkey or goose; the standard 11-87 works well. Yes, Remington seems to have issues with QC these days. Not a surprise as American's cheapen manufacture to trim costs. The two '95-era 11-87 SP's I use I have never had a problem with though. The one 11-87 I'll shoot skeet and trap with and my normal load is usually a 1 oz. payload because I'm cheap and like to minimize reloading costs. I know the approximate pressures of my handloads and I have no failures to eject or feed. The original 11-87 3" model I believe is optimized for a minimum 2 3/4 dr. X 1 1/8 oz. payload. And it is prudent to mention that it is imperative you keep gas autos clean for them to work optimally. I have these two links saved in my Favorites and thought I'd pass along: A good pictorial with description from ShotgunWorld on cleaning the 1100/11-87 - http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=91897 Some more detail on the various Remington gas autos and their nuances - http://www.wisnersinc.com/additional_info/Remington58_1100.htm

Page 66 of the Digest defines what firearms (including rifles) are legal for woodchuck. http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2010/dighnt10.pdf Rifles (rimfire and centerfire) are legal with some restrictions: "All persons in possession of a rifle (including a muzzleloading rifle) while hunting woodchuck must have a current and valid rifle permit in addition to the current hunting license. Rifle hunting (of any kind) for woodchuck is prohibited on state wildlife management areas, state parks, state forests or state recreation areas. Farmers and their agents may use shot not larger than #4 buckshot to control woodchuck causing damage. Hours of hunting are sunrise to 1⁄2 hour after sunset. See chart at right for woodchuck hunting details." The highlighted area above pretty much rules out most public land. Those with access/permission to hunt private farms in rural sections can use a centerfire rifle .25 caliber or less w/ bullet weights of 100 grs. or less for woodchuck only.

Pizza Bob, I was going to mention the BL-22. They are great little guns as well. Like the BLR's, the triggers are heavy and mushy but they can be lightened a bit with a different spring. This way you are not fiddling with the sear engagements. The results are still not "crisp," but are slightly better.

I may tend to agree with you after posting my earlier response. Same argument I give Fred everytime. Although I admit to have been there in the past; today with access to the internet, my perusing the NJSP site, as well as reading too may shooting blogs and forums and learning about the discombobulated laws of our state and neighboring N.Y. has me believing in the appearance of sketchiness as well. Maybe 17 years ago I knew little or maybe cared less. Now with more to lose I do measure my time spent out of state. [interpret as: I am more paranoid today than I was years ago.] I do travel out-of-state to N.Y. to sanctioned matches but I also have paperwork in hand denoting match schedule and agenda. Yet I know of many Bergen Cty. residents who shoot here regularly, they have for years and pay no mind to any issues.