Found a super "beater" shotgun.

1Shot

Handloader
Dec 5, 2008
1,435
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I was in my local WalMart last week in the sporting goods. One of the fellows that I know pretty well that works there pointed out to me an inexpensive shotgun that I might be interested in. It was and H & R Partner. This is basically a Rem. 870 built in China. It was priced $148 and out the door was $171 and change. It has an 18 1/2" cylinder bore barrel with 3" chamber. It will be used as a truck gun and a camping area defense (from bears as well as humans) gun. I took it out and gave it a work out with everything from bird shot to slugs. It operated like a champ. I shot some 9 pellet non buffered 00 Buck at 35 yards and the spread was all over a 30"x24" target but where it really showed it's stuff was with buffered 2 3/4" Rem. Mag loads of buffered 4 Buck with good even pattern. I have killed a bunch of deer with this load in another shotgun so I know it's potential. It also shot some of my Lee drive key slug loads to the point of aim and very tight at 35 yards. I even tried a couple cut shells, 1 1/8 oz 7 1/2 shot. They shot to the same spot as the slugs at 35 yards. I was taught how to do cut shells when I was a kid from some of the old timers. Basically makes a 12 gage Glaser (SP?) bullet. I picked up some 3" buffered 00 Buck 15 pellet ammo to try the next time out. Oh, if you take the plug out of the mag tube and also remove the black spring keeper and just screw the cap down on the spring the mag will hold six 2 3/4 shells with one in the chamber makes 7. Have not tried 3" yet but probably will hold 5 in mag.
 
Sounds like you're having, and going to have more, fun with that!

Found a beater myself...
Found a Cooey Model 84 in 28 ga,in nice shape, for my daughter!
My Grandpa got us kids one of these in .410 when I was 11 so that we could hunt snowshoe hares and ruffies on the farm. Had a lot of fun with that shotgun for several years as a youth.
Can't wait to try this one out myself, and take my daughter out chicken hunting with it this fall!
 
Tested the 28 ga today at the range. Shoots a decent pattern on paper at 27 yards with Fiocchi 7.5's.
Later, harvested a nice ruffie with it!
Brought back good memories of hunting with the old Cooey .410 on the farm as a kid!
My daughter should enjoy this gun, as it will be her early Christmas gift!
 
Dan, where I live the high end Federal and Remington loads are over $30.00 per box. At Canadian Tire the cheaper Federal Game Shock and Challenger loads are around $22.50 per box or so. It's a bit more than 3" 410 loads here but since I only have a single shot 28 gauge shells do last quite a while. Other than the odd one to check point of aim the rest get shot at grouse and hares. At normal ranges the 28 seems to kill as well as my old 12 gauge 2 3/4" gun, it is noticeably better than a .410 on grouse.
 
Gerry I agree on the 28's performance!
Dan, been lucky and have picked up a few flats of ammo for as little as $100/flat at gunshows and stores who figured they were overstocked. A couple of other flats at $120/flat. Paid closer to $15/box for the Fiocchi 7 1/2 shells. And $30 for a box of Federal to try as a comparison. So have plenty of shells on hand.
This puts the 28 shells cheaper than any .410!
Need to get a couple of flats of the Fiocchi shells as they pattern very well in the Sporting 28. Will probably give my daughter a flat of shells of whichever other brand/load patterns well in the Cooey for her next birthday.
Gerry and I should come out and visit you, so we can use these 28's on Hungarian partridges and maybe a pheasant with some heavier loads...
If you are so inclined, there are a couple of Cooey 84's in 28 ga on Canadian Gun Nutz right now; a little pricey, but a lot of fun to shoot and hunt with! And that is worth more than the price of admission! LOL
(Enabling big time, I know!!! LOL)
 
Now you're talking Gil, would be a ton of fun. Those Federal game shock 1 oz of # 5's mentioned earlier should be perfect for anything up to pheasant.

My 28 is a CIL single shot, we had one in .410 as well when we were kids. I also had another CIL .410 but gave it to my nephew when the 28 came up for sale and I bought it. My old 12 gauge is a Baikal IJ 18 that still get carried for grouse especially if there is the slightest chance a deer or black bear could pop up, carry some buckshot in my pocket just for that purpose. Only 2 shotguns we currently own right now......
 
Found another Cooey 84 in .410!
Should have more memories flooding back when I get to try it.
Susan found that the full choked single shot had more felt recoil than our Remington Sporting 28 with Modified choke installed. Will see how she likes the .410 2 1/2" 7 1/2 shells.
 
Be neat to see how that new .410 will work for you guys. Wouldn't the 3" shells work better than the 2 1/2 " shells for grouse? I would imagine that semi auto 28 gauge would kick a fair bit less than the single shot. Maria shot the 28 on the weekend but doesn't like dropping the hammer on a live round if she doesn't fire it. Maybe a "hammerless" style over under .410 would be a good choice since you just need to push the lever to make it safe. A 20 would be nice but may be a bit more recoil than she would like. Of course they make over under 28 gauge too.
 
Yes, the 3" shells are better for those ruffies a little further out there, but for the birds less than 20 yards, the 2 1/2" shells won't tear up the breast so bad with the full choke. Have some of each on hand, so she can try both when the shotgun gets here.
 
Gunner46":3t9a3ivb said:
I've never heard of 'cut shells' . Tell us more as to what they are.

You cut the hull (right above the gas seal on the wad), almost completely in two, leaving just enough material to keep the top from separating. When you shoot it, it acts kind of like a slug.
 
Found another old single shot in 28 ga.
A Winchester Model 37A in pretty nice shape arrived in the mail today.
Quite a bit of difference between it and the Cooey 84...
the 37A is quite a bit heavier and has a beavertail forearm and checkering on the stock. Will have to try and get out and shoot it soon and compare it to the Cooey's performance.
 
gerry":7ez3l5wm said:
Dan, where I live the high end Federal and Remington loads are over $30.00 per box. At Canadian Tire the cheaper Federal Game Shock and Challenger loads are around $22.50 per box or so.

You are getting ripped off Gerry, WalMart had them on clearance a couple weeks ago for $7.00
Normally I pay $16-18 dollars for Winchester 28ga 1oz load of 6 shot.

I reload 28ga for less than $4 a box in a 3/4oz load.
 
We definitely get ripped off here in Canada on a lot of stuff. If someone came out with something like a cheap Lee loader in 28 gauge I would load too. Have a Lee loader here in 12 gauge and it is a neat set, never used it though since 12 gauge is so cheap to buy. Should try it sometime just for fun though.
 
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