Got a new turkey/home defense gun

[drum817]

I did some horse trading and got this Weatherby PA-459.  I'm SUPER happy with this gun!  12ga with a 18 1/2" chrome lined barrel I was concerned about the short barrel not producing the patterns I am use to seeing....but I put those worries to rest yesterday.  I shot some Hevi 13 3" #6 at a taped 40 yards as well as some old Federal 2 3/4" lead # 6's at 40 yards.  I used a SumToy .650 choke for the turkey loads.  I also shot some 2 3/4" Remington 00 buck through a SumTom Light Modified choke at 25 yards to an idea of how it would do at self defense range....I am VERY pleased and the gun is solidly built with no rattling and GREAT action.  Here are a few pics....enjoy :-)

[bowmike]

great patterns.

Wouldn't you want to shoot the 00 buck at like 6-7 feet for home defense. If you shoot someone at 25 yards you may be going to jail, or you have a huge house. I have heard that the best all around home defense ammo for a shot gun is your standard bird shot.

00 buck can shoot through drywall and injur someone in the opposite room, where the birdshot will drop them where they stand with little risk of going into other rooms/ passing through walls, and if any of the shot does get through it will not be enough to kill an unexpecting child or whomever else my be in the opposite room.

Just my .02.

SHARP LOOKING RIG!!

[drum817]

great patterns.

Wouldn't you want to shoot the 00 buck at like 6-7 feet for home defense. If you shoot someone at 25 yards you may be going to jail, or you have a huge house. I have heard that the best all around home defense ammo for a shot gun is your standard bird shot.

00 buck can shoot through drywall and injur someone in the opposite room, where the birdshot will drop them where they stand with little risk of going into other rooms/ passing through walls, and if any of the shot does get through it will not be enough to kill an unexpecting child or whomever else my be in the opposite room.

SHARP LOOKING RIG!!

Granted 25 yards is "stretching it" for defense range,  but now I know at ranges in the house that the load will be even tighter.  It's just me and wife in the house... plus bird shot will blow a hole in 3/4" ply wood at 10-20 yards as well (i've done it....LOL)

[allaboutshooting]

I won one of those  guns at a still target shoot and and let my one of my friends have it. He wanted a HD gun and with some of the better HD loads it woks quite well.

I did a lot of work using FBI standards at 21 feet (7 yards) which is the distance that most shooting for the last 30 years have taken place. I used microcrystalline wax, wallboard, and denim clothed microcrystalline wax for  all of my work. (Published results were at 15 feet.)

I used all  of the commercially available  HD loads for my work and published those findings.

Over-penetration is a real concern as is stopping power. You must also consider the effects of adrenalin on the shooter and the possibility of being awakened in the middle of the night on the abiltiy of the shooter to think and react appropritely.

My tests were published in several magazines and at http://allaboutshooting.com/article_info.php?articles_id=340 You may find them interesting.

Thanks,
Clark

[bowmike]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C29mEJFFIvo

great video that breaks down the best loads for home defense. Thought you might want to check it out and re consider using 00 buck. Might save you some home repair if you encounter an intruder. The 00 buck would most likely pass throught the intruder as well, where the birdshot would not get through him. And I am sure that at 12 ' it would drop him in his tracks.

In the video you see that the birdshot will pentrate through 3 sheets of drywall but will be stuck in the 4 sheet.

[drum817]

Cool video....Thanks. 

[bowmike]

cant wait to see you smoke a turkey with that gun.

[allaboutshooting]

Just so you know, there's a new player in the field.

Over the next week or so, I'll be evaluating the new "Hevi Duty" home defence loads from Hevi-Shot. The new loads are available in 00 buckshot and #4 buckshot. I'll be evaluating the #4 buckshot loads.

They are 12 gauge 2.75" shells with 30 pellets of "frangible" non-toxic #4 buckshot loaded to be low recoil at 1250 f.p.s.

One obvious advantage is that the shot is frangible.

I'll let you all know when I've completed my evaluation of this new load.

By the way, it is available on dealer shelves currently.

Thanks,
Clark

[beagler]

Nice!

[DirtNap647]

nice lookin gun

[Old Gobbler]

 

[captin_hook]

Thats A Sharp rig right there!

[tomstopper]

Very nice.....

[Gold Spur]

Those PA-459's are good looking guns. Do they use invector chokes?

[allaboutshooting]

Those PA-459's are good looking guns. Do they use invector chokes?

That gun uses Benelli type chokes with the Mobil thread.

Thanks,
Clark