The Frontier Sixshooter Community Message Board - Mine is a 'J-Series' gun, so I think the stocks are birch

Mine is a 'J-Series' gun, so I think the stocks are birch (reply)

Catoosa — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 02:03:51 +0000

If you ever get a wild hair to refinish that wood, try tung oil. Birch can be made to look pretty good.

A Brief Pattern Test of the 20-Ga Stevens 311R (reply)

Alfred John — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 21:56:26 +0000

I have trained a fair number of correctional officers with the shotguns. we used 12 gauge Remington 870 pumps. I also have my personal 311R in a 12 gauge as well. Over the years (23) I have found the shotguns all tend to shoot high with buck shot and some slugs. We trained personnel to aim at the belt line or even lower to hit a man at 25 to 40 yards. This was in the center of mass on our targets. We also had some nice 870 with 28 inch barrels in modified chokes and vent ribs and they would shoot almost always to point of aim. Interesting shotguns to shoot. Max range with normal double ought buck is 660 feet or there about. I you doing it right you may be one pellet on a full sized man target at 100 yards. I would like to get a 311R in a 20 gauge some day, no big deal if I don't. Have a good day.

My Savage 24c Series P is similar, but with just enough (reply)

cas — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 17:46:41 +0000

interesting grain and a tiny bit of stripe that I've always thought about doing it over. Right now it's got a shellack finish. lol

But I've wondered if I could make it really "pop" if I did a chromium trioxide job on it like my M14 stock. But it's such nasty nasty stuff I hate to deal with it for no good reason. I don't know that a utility gun I rarely use is a good reason.

Mine is a 'J-Series' gun, so I think the stocks are birch (reply)

FOG — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 17:36:26 +0000

The good news is, Stevens put an 'oil finish' on the wood.

The bad news is, shoe polish would probably look 'better'.

Firstus new gun I owned was a 20-Ga Stevens 311R (reply)

RidinLou — Sun, 11 Aug 2013 16:35:28 +0000

It was the first NEW gun I purchased in my life, way back when they came with walnut stocks. Natural pointer she was!

The first blood was a Western diamondback that slithered between my legs as I was carrying a heavy "rock" up out of the canyon.

It accounted for a lot of doves, ducks and a few geese.

Still have shells I loaded for her back in 74, probably not a box thru her since then.

That'll Work.. (reply)

TomC — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 22:11:02 +0000

If you're not careful you could hurt someone with that thing (reply)

cas — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 20:49:34 +0000

"You'll shoot your eye out kid."

A Brief Pattern Test of the 20-Ga Stevens 311R

FOG — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 17:49:51 +0000

As I mentioned below, I test-fired the 311R the other day.

I also fired a few rounds at IPSC cardboard for patterning purposes. I paced off 10 long steps, giving me a range of about 30 feet, and placed the targets on MTM Jammit portable stands.

Ammuntion was limited to these two types:
• Brenneke 1-oz Silver Slug (3")
• Federal #3 Buck (2¾", unplated shot)

All targets were fired offhand. The first two with 'aiming points' (3x5 cards cut in half; centered and taped over the 'A') were carefully aimed and fired fairly slowly. The last one (no distinct aiming point) was aimed and fired much more quickly.

Since my 'training' (i.e., habit) with doubles is to fire the right barrel first most of the time, that is what I did here. This, of course, is easy enough to change up with a double-trigger gun, and some recommend going the other way around to prevent inadvertently pulling both triggers at once. However, neither the gun nor my hand seem prone to this, so I stuck with my usual front-to-back order when squeezing them off.

Results were as follows:

Target #1: Buckshot ('Slow Fire'; wad impact points marked)

Target #2: Slugs ('Slow Fire'; slug impact points marked)

Target #3: Buckshot & Slug ('Rapid Fire'; wad & slug impact points marked)

Conclusions
• Thirty feet (approx.) would appear to be the outside limit with the buckshot load
• Some 'crossing' of the barrels is apparent, but it appears to be within MOA (Minute-Of-Animus™)
• The gun shoots a bit high, but I think that's probably a good thing for a shotgun

A few pellets, plus the wad from the right barrel in the third and final test, escaped the paper (most likely high), results which I think emphasize the short range of open-choked shotguns in general and this one in particular.

Nonetheless, since recoil with both loads was pretty mild, I think I will next try Federal #2 Buck in the 3" load. I am curious to see if that load will pattern any 'better' (and perhaps impact a bit lower).

Meantime, I'm likin' those Brenneke Silver Slugs (and wishing one or more of the Big Three would start loading larger buckshot in 20 Gauge).