I've been thinking about Puffy some.

O'l Jason, God rest his soul. Never heard if his wife ever got his gun safe open, what a pandora's box! She is a young cutie and the boys look like they are doing well. God be with them all in their lives.

I loaded Jason some 10 ga. shotshells a while back. They are so expensive to buy, we worked a deal and I loaded him a great big box of them. I think he bought the stuff and left a little extra for me. I sent him around 250 rnds. of 3-1/2" loaded 2-1/4 oz. loads.

I found by using Longshot powder my velocity on the heavy loads went up from 1250 fps or so to at least 1400 fps at the same listed pressures. I hate loading shotshells and it takes a LONG time to work up 10 ga. loads as I get a headache after about 10-15 shots.

I also made him some custom buckshot "Kaliforny" loads. We adapted a concept I read about in the mid 70's called Rhodesia loads. I noted that I could place (3) .350 RBs in the 10 bore wad to make a "layer". Then another layer upon that, and up to a 5th layer in the 3.5" shells. The thing is, there is lots of airspace around those .350 RBs forming each layer. Applying this concept I drizzled in #9 hardened skeet shot to fill the voids, it is a bonus that it serves as sort of a buffering agent too. This GREATLY enhances pattern density. They still make poly buffering granules for use in Turkey and Goose loads with larger shot pellets, it really works.

So Puffy was delighted in our correspondence and range reports as this all went along. At a measured 33 yds. all (15) .35 cal. round balls went into a 12" circle on an empty feed sack and it was literally perforated around the rest by the smaller bird shot! This from a cylinder bore gun. Recoil was murderous! I did lots of my testing using my Spanish 10 double that weighed a merciful 10 lbs. The projectiles are not a solid but calculated figures brought a big smile. Something on the order of 4,200 FPE with a TKO of of 146. Recoil was in the 70-80 FPE range. We had some real fun with them that we shared.

I hope he shot a few back home, had fun at the range watching others smoke a target, then stumble around managing the thunderous recoil. If not, then someone somewhere has a surprise laying in wait! LOL