Would you shoot these?

quail hound

quail hound

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A friend of mine found these in a foreclosure they were working on and knew I would like them. As of now they are just decorations. They are Remington nitro express, long range, "kleanbore" sixes. They are old (how old I'm not sure) paper hulled shells with rolled ends and shot cards. I have about 20 in perfect shape, no rust, good hulls, and perfect rolled crimps. I think this would be a fitting load to run through grandpa's old Wingmaster on a late season hunt. So what do you think, would you put these through your old scattergun?

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I just did a little research and they are very old, produced by Remington from 1934-40. It seems if I had a whole box in good shape they would be worth a bit of money.
 
Were any of them 70 something years old FCs?
 
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I'm old now, but I shot a whole lot of paper shells which would barely chamber. Some go boom some don't. I look suspiciously at the quaility of the brass. It looks good and there is no corrosion around the primer, no evidence of softness in the paper where it meets brass. You should be O.K. probably better than the Remington stuff I get now!:eek: As a kid I shot a lot of old nasty 30/40 Krag and 7mm Mauser, lots of those had bad primers and sometimmes split the rim, and blow out through to spacing. Thanks to winchester pre-'64's and Mauser 98 bolt actions, which saved my scalp. I also know that you can put as much black powder in an old Remington double, so you could blow through a house with buckshot, everybody went around calling lower quaility houses "shotgun houses" Had to find out! watch the card board and the wadding to make sure it gets out of the barrel. No shot cups in those, cork or felt. You'll see a lot of trap guns and doubles who have ring bulge from that issue.
 
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I have shot a lot of those old paper shells over the years. As long as they are in good shape and don't look like they ever been wet. They have always performed just like you bought them yesterday.
 
Well it's settled then I'll be taking the old Wingmaster and a handful of these shells out this weekend to try and bag a wiley late season rooster. Thanks for the input fellas.:thumbsup:
 
quail hound said:
Well it's settled then I'll be taking the old Wingmaster and a handful of these shells out this weekend to try and bag a wiley late season rooster. Thanks for the input fellas.:thumbsup:
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I would shoot one for sure and then make sure you smell the empty and remember it. One of the great smells in the world is freshly spent paper hull.
 
I want a dead mount rooster with one of these spent hulls laying with it but to feel right about it I feel I have to actually bag a rooster with the shell. I will take a moment to admire my bird in hand and smell the freshly burned hull if I am blessed with the chance.
 
quail hound said:
I want a dead mount rooster with one of these spent hulls laying with it but to feel right about it I feel I have to actually bag a rooster with the shell. I will take a moment to admire my bird in hand and smell the freshly burned hull if I am blessed with the chance.
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Love it, share some pics if you successfully complete this visit to the past. Good Luck!:10sign:
 
onpoint said:
I have shot a lot of those old paper shells over the years. As long as they are in good shape and don't look like they ever been wet. They have always performed just like you bought them yesterday.
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Same here60's and later at least ok. A friend gave me 4 boxes of 16s two
years ago and I take a paper Winchester out now and then. I have killed birds with them. Some older faded 30's and 40's I would guess I have not tried. I do not think they would blow anything up, more likely to leave some wad or unburnt powder in the barrel. I love the smell of them after shot.
Have a bunch of 16 slugs and buckshot also.
 
I think to be safe I'll use the gun as a single shot and check the bore after a shot to make sure nothing hangs up in the barrel. I don't want to put a bulge in grandpa's gun.
 
I would love to mount a bird with the paper hull!!! But, I only have BB in Paper at present and they are Peters!!!:cheers:
 
BleuBijou said:
I would love to mount a bird with the paper hull!!! But, I only have BB in Paper at present and they are Peters!!!:cheers:
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If you make it this far East, I have some paper hulled 12 ga labelled "Duck and Pheasant". My father-in-law gave them to me, and I certainly don't need all of them. I doubt they are rare though, probably just old...
 
Well I got out today with grandpa's gun and the old Remis. The dogs did their job and put up 2 roosters for the guns, problem was they were for my uncles gun. :( He missed one and dropped one crippled which JP finally caught up to about 60yds from where he dropped. I didn't know but my uncle said that was the first pheasant he ever shot which made me feel a lot better about not getting a shot. Oh well, next weekend is the end of the season so I have at least one more chance.:cheers:
 
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We kill plenty of birds it's way better to share in the fun. :thumbsup:
 
A great memory was made anyways...He will never forget this day and neither will you either I bet. Good luck next weekend.

I have great grandfathers old SxS tore down. It had a broken return spring on the action operating lever. Struck out at my friends gun shop for a spring. So the hunt is on. I need to get one so I can get this priceless family heirloom back together.
 
Thanks guys, it's definitely a memory not to be forgotten. There were high 5s all around and he even took the time to scratch JPs ears and tell him what a good boy he is (which he never does). :thumbsup:

OP, I hope you find that spring as I know how important it is to keep these heirlooms functioning so they can do what they were made to do.:cheers:
 
Now that makes some great memories! To honor the old guys and old times and like was said the smell! I got some old shells one time with paper wads, the guys kept kidding me about the confetti I had all over, with a old uncle's 870 it was fun ,but I was real scared of the brush scratching it.
 
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