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Project 20

Boll Weevil

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Alright ya'll, been working a on my lil'project 20ga and several of you have asked if I'd share my progress. My 12ga is a H&K/Fabarm and it's been an absolute dream turkeyslayer so figured I'd stick with that manufacturer for the 20 as well. This one is a Fabarm Elos D2, 28" overbored barrels, and bone-stock tips the scales at just 5lb 3oz. Rhino turned my 12ga chokes so chose to stick with them as well...555 on top and 575 on the bottom. Compared to the 12 it's super light, shorter, and has a really slim frame. Haven't shot it yet, it's off getting dipped so when I get it back will mount the FF3 and start the patterning process.
 

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Yup on the Fastfire but just not sure on the shells yet. I've been researching ALOT and have looked at all the options. I was originally planning on lead for my short barrel and maybe Federal HW 7s for my long barrel but they've apparently been discontinued? So then I started looking at TSS but the guys on here that shoot it say I might have POI issues with a lead/TSS combo. Will get a few different flavors and hit the patterning board to see what the gun likes.
 
Boll Weevil":jutjhk6r said:
Yup on the Fastfire but just not sure on the shells yet.
A few years ago, when I noticed it was taking my eyes longer to focus from close to far & from far to close,
I had wanted to mount a Fastfire on my then favorite turkey gun, which was a side-by-side double.
The gunsmith I was using didn't want to do it, as he thought it would de-value the gun and would likely not hold.
He told me similar for the Winchester 101 O/U I was setting up for turkey.

Seeing what you've done, I wish I had talked to a different gunsmith before I just went out and purchased two new turkey guns!
I still may end up mounting Fastfires on both double guns.

Boll Weevil":jutjhk6r said:
I was originally planning on lead for my short barrel and maybe Federal HW 7s for my long barrel but they've apparently been discontinued?
So then I started looking at TSS but the guys on here that shoot it say I might have POI issues with a lead/TSS combo.
My understanding is Federal discontinued their HW series once they got going well with the TSS.
I still have quite a few Federal HW 7s and 6s, but can tell you the Federal TSS 9s are a superior turkey load to them.

Anytime I think a shot over 30 yards is unlikely (about half my hunts), I'm continuing to chamber the old HWs.
I'm confident in them to a little past 40 yards.
The TSS keeps my confidence to past 45 yards (20 gauge).

Just pattern test & see what happens.
 
Boll Weevil":1wa82p9s said:
Yup on the Fastfire but just not sure on the shells yet. I've been researching ALOT and have looked at all the options. I was originally planning on lead for my short barrel and maybe Federal HW 7s for my long barrel but they've apparently been discontinued? So then I started looking at TSS but the guys on here that shoot it say I might have POI issues with a lead/TSS combo. Will get a few different flavors and hit the patterning board to see what the gun likes.

If you have problems with POA/POI between the barrels with a lead/TSS combo, I would get with someone who hand loads and try a 1oz load of 9.5s in the short barrel. Minimal recoil, less expensive, and wildly effective inside 30 yards.
 
Progress report...got the gun dipped and now I'm fiddlin' with the FF3 and mount to get it how like it. The sight on the 20 sits a tiny bit closer to the shooter than the 12 but I'll try a few different placements before finally locking everything down and hitting the patterning board. You can see how much bigger/beefier the frame is on the 12 and can absolutely tell in the weight department.

So far, happy with how the project is turning out and will give me something to tinker with all winter while looking forward to spring.
 

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