Fox Collectors

Though I have been hunting in the Southern Hemisphere for a few weeks this summer, our Autumn has finally arrived and I am off for my annual pilgrimage to Lac St Pierre with the Brothers McCormack to kick off the 2012/13 hunting season. We will be meeting Destry "Markethunter" Hoffard there on the banks of the St Lawrence for the first week of Quebec's waterfowl season. Limits of mallards, blacks, ringnecks and pintail are usually in order and hopefully we will continue our tradition of bringing back some USFWS jewelry. This year is a Fox year. I am taking two straight grip 3" HEs, one a heavy 32" #0 frame gun and the other the lighter ex-"Marse" Henry Bartholomew 32" #1 frame gun. I loaded up some 3" 1 3/8 oz of #4 Niceshot in some virgin Alcan primed paper hulls that Destry came across to try and duplicate Nash and Henry's favorite Super-X load. Being a pessimist by profession, I also have my LH 28" Benelli SBE II and Hevi-shot tucked away as well... I have our menus planned for duck camp dinners and the Woodford Reserve packed up.

Don: Good luck, the birds are really starting to move through central NY. The BWT are here in good numbers and mallards are moving into the big marshes and flocking up.
Be safe and have a ball with the big Fox guns.

Good luck, Don. Say hello to Kevin and Destry for me. I am very pleased with my latest acquistion. Also working on the next one we talked about.

Thank you,
Jim Orr

Sounds like a blast. Going off to hunt with like-minded friends. May ya'll fill your bags each day, not too quick and not too slow.

Thanks for taking the time to write it up and post it here.

Good luck, Don. Please post some pics when you get back.

Stan

4 limits this morning- mallards, blacks, pintails and a ringneck duck..."Marse" Henry's standard frame HE performed quite well.

How did the Nice Shot handloads work?

Stan

The Niceshot handloads seemed to work fine. Most of my ducks were taken with BisMaxx 1 3/8 oz of #4s... My 32" standard frame HE, "Marse Henry" was used 4 of 5 days. I am afraid it has supplanted all my other duck guns. ...at least emotionally... I never even took the big 32" HE out of its case. 5 days, 5 limits and 2 bands. Destry also picked up 2 bands the last day shooting his 34" DHE Parker...the last duck I shot on the trip, a mallard skipping the tops of the sugar maples about 45 yards away, was carrying jewelry. It was downed by "Henry". Mr. Bartholomew knew what he was doing when he ordered a gun. High stock, a more nimble weight, long barrels and a straight grip. The non-standard safety button he had installed also improves its handling in anger. The button looks very Becker to me...

I normally use Bismuth handloads in mine, too. I tried some Hevi-Shot classic Doubles last year but wasn't impressed at all with it's killing ability. Seemed to me to be about as effective as the old original steel shot loads that came out when the lead ban was enacted.

I have an A grade, built in 1913 with 32" barrels, that handles great on ducks, too. It is restocked with straight grip and slender beavertail f/e. It is light for a duck gun, IMO, at 7# 10 oz. First shot is quick with it, but it jumps around a little with heavier loads making it just a bit slower to recover for the second shot. Not bad, tho'.





What does "Marse Henry" weigh?

Get some pictures?

Stan

Eight pounds...

Don, that was a terrific hunt. When are you heading to Beaver Dam this year?

I just was talking to Mike B. last night. I am going down for 3 days in early December with 3 HEs. I was going to go in January this season but I'll be in Belize hunting for tarpon, permit and bonefish. The sporting calendar is filling up

I used to shop at Schindel Rohrer when I was younger. I don't remember seeing Henry's HE on the rack.

Don, early Dec. is the beginning of the 2nd season, right? Did you ever find a HE for Mike?

Yes, Mike has one. I have picked up a number of big doubles for the Boyd clan.