BigwhiteZ

Had a great last weekend! I forgot my tote to hang them up, but we ended up with 3 greenwings, 3 greenheads, 2 suzys, 1 gadwal, and 3 squealers! [ATTACH=CONFIG]1302[/ATTACH]

Great Pictures!!!!!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1278[/ATTACH] The Black Widow. 3" Kent 1 1/4oz #4 fast steel:confused: w/ factory modified. 8 shots. closest shot 5 yds, furthest was 50. The outdated stuff still works.... if you hit what your aiming at....

I have friends that were stuck with 3.5" shells. Until this year, they listened to me and killed just as many ducks and geese at the same distances as with 3.5"s, and had to shoot no more cripples than before. 3.5's shoot the same velocities as the 3" shells, the only difference is a few more pellets, and a lot more recoil. Though you may get two or three more pellets on target, the penetration is the same. Its simple physics.

The Black Widows Web. Its been a great season. [ATTACH=CONFIG]1277[/ATTACH]

Excellent Points made.....

When I got in to Duck hunting a few years ago I did some research before trying loads. Wanted to narrow it down a bit. Delta waterfowl tested 500 non-toxic rounds. I don't have the link any more and lost my printout, but the level 3 shells were tested from 37 - 50 yds. This isn't my opinion, this was from the over-all results that I recall..... Overall 3" shells dominated, and #3's, #4's, and #6's were the best performers, and Kent loads held the lead. Some of it had to do with their Tungsten Matrix loads, but Tungsten wasn't all that dominated. Macks Prairiewings and Simmons Sporting goods and Rogers Sporting goods have excellent prices on waterfowl loads, 3" shells and 3.5's.

Original Patternmaster Long range! Factory Modified over decoys.

Since my previous post I have discovered the same. Bowhunter82 has a very valid point. The permanent wear marks are bare metal. Not only does it show wear easily, but it will also rust very easily. I also have an old winchester 1300 now for 26 years, and a stevens .410 for 28 years that I have never had this problem with. Since I had already bought the black, I did some research on painting my barrel. I took it off, pulled out the guts, stripped it of all oils (with a chemical that almost takes of its current coat) and debris, and taped off on the inside to keep overspray from getting in. Then I lightly sanded and primed with an automotive primer (3 coats) allowing to completely dry between each. Then I put three coats of flat (high heat) black, and three coats of a matte finish (also allowing to dry in the sunlight completely between coats). The matte brought it back to the look of when I purchased. This is very inexpensive (about $15) compared to having it dipped (quoted $200), offers a very durable finish, and is easy to do again if needed later down the road. This is a lesser expensive option if you have already purchased black.

I had posted some links that detail a correct way to paint your gun barrels also. They are doing the whole approval thing with those links for SPAM checking and havn't posted it. As long as they are stripped, primed, painted, and sealed with a good sealer they work great. I used 3 coats of automotive primer, 3 coats of flat black (rubbing with fine steel wool between all but the last coat), and 3 coats of a matte sealer. If the gun is black you can just go back with a flat black color and seal with a flat or matte clear coat. There are several places but since they havn't posted the links for it you can google it. One is a sniper forum and another is a duck hunting forum. This is a bit less expensive than dipping, although dipping is the optimal choice. It will be a much better coating than the factory stuff on the black guns.

Another option is to strip the barrel down completely and degrease. Of course you have to tape off everything you don't want painted. You can prime with an automotive primer; use about 3 coats (rub lightly with a fine steel wool pad between primer coats to smooth). Then paint with a high heat flat black, and seal with a matte or flat clear coat(about 3 coats also). Make sure that each coat is completely dry or you will have the runs, and I heat the barrel pretty warm with a hair dryer and paint out in the sunlight. If you take your time and do it right, its a pretty tough finish, and considerably less expensive. You may not be interested in this at all, but if so there are several places on the internet that gives good instructions on how to do it correctly. The following are just a few. www.shtfblog.com/how-to-paint-your-rifle-digital-camouflage/ http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1469570 http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1469570

QUOTE] It is what some recommend for finding a gun that fits, and it does work I might add. I didnt say anything about hunting that way, that would ridiculous, nor did I say that EVERYONE does it that way, or should do it that way. It happens that my best friend retired as a major from the state and was a firearms instructor for the state as well as the NRA, he concurs with the age old truth about a gun should fit, and when your looking that this is a quick way to test it. Ducks unlimited post articles in their magazine and on their website a bout things that make you a better shooter. They are informative, and some of the info is helpful, some is not. You probably wouldn't benefit though, lol. Maybe someone else would though.

I couldn't agree more. We are very hard on our guns! I use the starbright by truglo (smallest they make) on both of mine, but its only for turkey hunting. I wingshoot with no bead or sights. A lot of shotgun instructors make students remove all sights from their guns (Ducks Unlimited). You should be able to pick a spot, close your eyes and shoulder. If your gun really fits, it will be on target when you open your eyes.

The last time I was in this place they had one. [h=1]McGraw Mercantile & Pawn[/h](601) 856-8885 134 Weisenberger Rd, Madison, MS 39110

I use the Long range patternmaster. They are not constricted so the long range is for 3" and extended are for 3.5" shells (at least this is what their website says). These are meant to stop the wad when it is flush with the end of the tube. I only shoot 3" shells for ducks and geese so I shoot the Long range tube on both my 11-87 and Vinci. I shot skeet with it last weekend, and we have killed ducks-consistantly- at greater distances than a lot of guys would even believe. I was so blown away by its performance with all types of loads that I had the new one in the mail box the day I picked up my vinci. You may hate them, as all guns perform differently, but you do have 30 days to return them. You can shoot steel, lead, hevi shot, buck shot, tungsten, bismuth, any thing EXCEPT, loads faster than 1550fps, and loads with flight control wads such as Black cloud, and I would check before shooting the new winchester blind side. We have patterned them with a Citori, BPS, 11-87, Vinci, Beretta Silver Pigeon, Supernova, and SX3; they all throw a wicked pattern.