Parker

https://casetext.com/regulation/new-jersey-administrative-code/title-7-environmental-protection/chapter-25-division-of-fish-and-wildlife-rules/subchapter-5-2017-2018-game-code/section-725-523-firearms-and-missiles-etc

Love the 16 ga., provided it sticks to the tag line; "carries like a 20 and hits like a 12." It's a shame it's fallen out of favor.

It's one of the most closely guarded secrets in Bergen County.

SO true. Center-punch a pheasant too close with those mighty loads and you don't have much in the way of table fare. Another load folks swear by are heavy premium trap loads in 12 ga. w/ #7 1/2 shot. Other makers market these as "pigeon loads."

There are lots of answers to this question. Are you hunting pheasants tramping the underbrush alone, hunting over a flushing dog, hunting over a pointing dog? Your method will dictate what you need. Flushing pheasants underfoot are supposed to be easy to hit and will drop with anything. Pheasants that flush far out and have time to get up steam are tough to bring down and when poorly hit they can travel a long distance, both in flight or worse by running on the ground. 12, 16 or 20 ga? When I was young (13) I thought you needed the heaviest loads to kill pheasants. Bigger was supposed to be better. In the 60's I stoked my grandfather's 16 ga. double with the same shells he used for pheasant and ducks; high brass #4's, #5's, #6's. Damn that light gun kicked like hell with 1 1/8 oz. & 1 1/4 oz. loads. I think I weighed 90 lbs. at the time. I didn't know any better, but thought I was doing it right. As I've grown older and wiser, and carried light guns and smaller gauge's, hunted over a good pointing dog, I learned you don't need such big loads to take down pheasants if you hunt them on your terms. My favorites that I put in my shell loops: 12 ga. handloaded 1 oz. of #6's or #5's @ 1235 fps 16 ga. handloaded 7/8 or 1 oz. #6's or #5's @ 1250 fps 20 ga. handloaded 7/8 oz of #6's @ 1350 fps or 1 oz. @ 1200fps of #6's or #5's When I can find copper-plated shot I prefer it, but magnum lead is fine. If you don't handled, factory premium shells use harder lead, so patterns are dense and uniform. But you won't know that until you pattern your gun with the loads you intend to use and determine what chokes are best. Every shotshell maker makes a premium "high velocity" pheasant load, but "field loads" are fine with pheasant with the appropriate shot. The ultimate, most-used pheasant load in a 12 ga. for decades has been the loading of 3 3/4 dr. - 1 1/4 oz. - #6 shot @ 1330 fps Pheasants can motor. Upon flight they average speeds of 45mph. Once underway they've been known to hit 60 mph.

Spent a night on BB-59 in January many years ago with the Boy Scouts. I slept up again that steel bow, and damn it was cold! The kids loved every minute of the tour and overnight.

Ruger quality? A half century ago; yes. Today it's hit or miss. They stand behind their products for sure but I can only see the New Haven, CT Marlin's holding their value even more or going up in price. Then you have early Remlin's with gremlins vs. "we finally fixed the bugs" Remlin's in between the new Ruglin's. Let's hope the Ruglin's are a cut above in quality.

My friend has a case trimmer from Bair. His is from the 60's. The quality puts my RCBS trimmer from the 70's to shame.

I'll take the remaining 5 sealed boxes for $75. PM inbound

Very common with the retired LEO community still holding on to their duty/backup weapons. I never knew old Glock's and old Glock parts were a "thing." Who'd have thought these plastic guns would be sought after and "collectible?" https://www.glockjunkie.net/gens-1-2-oem-glock-parts-accessorie If you were an early Glocker, you would be familiar with the magazines they made and how they changed over a decade. Anyone who has magazines numbered 1, 2 or 3 can attest to this.

I cover all my shotshell reloading with the following powders, and with these I can fill every need to load from 3/4 oz. loads up to 2 oz. in 20, 16 & 12 ga.: Red Dot Green Dot Blue Dot Clays International Clays Universal Clays Titewad WSF Hi-Skor 700X Blue Dot Longshot I know there are other shotshell powders out there but I've never had a need to try something new.

Unique is best suited for 1 1/8 oz and 1 1/4 oz loads. This is where it shines for a 12 ga. My Hercules manual from 1992 shows Unique paired with FGM Target, Remington Premier Target and WW-AA hulls with Fed. 209, 209P and W209 primers respectively and WWAA12SL wads in their 28 gram International target load category. Charge weights are 27.5 grains for FGM hulls, 27 grains for Rem. Prem. hulls, and 25.5 grains for WW-AA hulls. Dram Equiv. for the powder charge is 3 1/2 DE and velocity is rated @ 1345 fps. Fast for International style shooting, but these will hit hard at both ends of the gun. Hodgdon's Clays, Int. Clays and Titewad are more suited to 1 oz. loads in a 12 ga. You may find some additional info on Shotgunwold or Trapshooter forums.

I've only used T/C's Maxi-Ball in my 1:48 twist Renegade. Buffalo Bullets worked as well when I could get them, but the 425 gr. Maxi-Ball always gave me the best accuracy, so I've stuck with that.

Try a drop of clear nail polish at the center of each crimp. It will prevent shot buffer from escaping. The same reason that stuff infiltrates all the nooks and crannies when it goes in the shell during the load process is the same reason it leaks out of every tiny orifice when rattling around in the gun or in your pockets. I do this with any reloads I make when I add buffering to the mix of shot, be it buckshot or turkey loads.

When a KelTec's shell stop has a mind of its own, this happens:

"I prefer tang safety shotguns." Said Winchester, Remington, Ithaca, High Standard, Beretta, Marlin, Benelli......................never. Except of course on doubles!

This article is a good read, and low and behold the author thinks the 6.5 Creedmoor belongs in the class of "Western cartridges." https://www.outdoorlife.com/story/hunting/the-best-cartridges-for-hunting-western-big-game/

Note that I referenced the video and shot opportunity as "optimal." Optimal meaning you can see far and wide where those elk are in the event they run. Presenting a broadside opportunity for a lung shot w/o hitting large bones in the shoulder is also optimal for a light bullet. Wounded elk in thick timber without snow covering are tough to track and they can cover a lot of ground. Wayne van Zwoll is no amateur or stunt shooter, has authored more than a dozen books on hunting and shooting, and is someone respected in the industry. https://blog.hornady.com/q-a-with-writer-wayne-van-zwoll-61a188ca6e0 My buddy took an elk this past season with his .270 Win.; one-shot @ 165 yds. with a 150 gr. Nosler Partition and had no qualms using it. (Many today think this cartridge is on the "light" side for elk yet optimal for dear-sized game.) Folks are quick to opinions and lament cartridges & light bullet weight yet no one sneezes at bowhunters who take 40 yd. shots at elk every season and are successful. (What's the ME energy and velocity of an arrow affixed to a broadhead compared to a rifle round?) Would a .26 cal. be my first choice on elk? Maybe if I was using a well-constructed heavy bullet in a .264 Win. Mag. or .260 Nosler. It would have energy to carry to target near and far, and a bullet with good S.D. for penetration. When it comes to the rifle, it's still the Indian, not the arrow.

It would not be my first choice for elk if going out West, but under optimal conditions if you pick your shots, I'm sure it would work. I would call this shot opportunity "optimal":

I don't own a 6.5 Creedmoor, so can't comment on its effectiveness on game. Friends who have it swear it's the bee's knees for deer-sized game. I don't know anyone who have used this on elk. I think you've answered your own question though. I would pick a factory load that shoots well in your rifle that launches a stoutly constructed bullet for larger game like elk. Accubond or a strong bullet from Barnes would be my picks.

I would love a K-20 Parcours. Someday............

Centerfire has been legal for quite some time in New Jersey, provided it was on private land during woodchuck season. Years ago, the max. grain weight you could use was 100 grains. It's been lowered to 80.

You cannot hunt with centerfire cartridges over .25 caliber. Legal centerfire cartridges limited to .25 caliber or less, max. bullet grain weight is 80 grains. https://njfishandwildlife.com/coyote-fox_ammo.htm

The logic of this State is mind-numbing at times. ".30 caliber only?" So I can't shoot a dinky 9mm rifle or a .32 Win. Spcl. because they exceed ".30 caliber" but a .30-378 Weatherby or a wildcat like the .300 Raptor are okay since both are .30 caliber?

I started with a Lee Loader in a 60's era 760 carbine. Switched to a Rockchucker and standard RCBS dies in the 70's. I've used this present combo with success for years. These pump action's are surprisingly accurate.