Product Review -- White "Thunder" 12 Guage Shotgun

• Gun was purchase used
• 12 Gauge straight rifled bore

• Ventilated Rib
• Weight 5 1/2 # per my RCBS trigger pull guage.
• Stock is painted hardwood.
• Uses #11 caps.

GENERAL INFORMATION

I'll start right off by saying I like this gun!  It works and it carries like a feather.  Its light with great balance. The stock is so well designed the additional felt recoil from the light weight is not noticed.   I had some difficulty getting a load developed but I was learning to do that and I don't fault the gun for that.  

It has a Remington 700 type of safety on the right side that is positive and works good with gloves.  I had no problem with it while wearing light gloves.  It has a second safety that holds the bolt back on the left side of the action.  At first I was ambivalent about it but when I hunted with it I used it when crossing fences and ditches.  I like that aspect of it a lot.

FIELD EXPERIENCE

First hunt . . . two shots . . .  two rabbits . . .both expired immediately . . . easy  to clean . . . minimal meat damage . . . excellent table fare!
Second hunt . . . two shots . . . two rabbits . . . both expired quickly . . . easy to clean . . . minimal meat damage . . . excellent table fare!
Third hunt . . . one shot . . . rabbit did a quick very fast 180 on me and I didn't lead it enough!  Still 4 out of 5 ain't bad!. 

FIELD NOTES

Even with pre-measured powder and shot it takes awhile to reload. Its definitely a slower way to hunt. I had four pockets in my field vest so I spread out the components in the pockets. It seemed to work fairly well. 

LOAD COMPONENTS AND LOADING SEQUENCE

Powder Charge 100gr Goex FFg
Powder Over Wad 3 TC Bore Buttons
Plastic Shot Wad BP12 Ballistic Products (4 long slits)
Shot Wad Filler 1 20ga wool Felt Shot Wad Filler
Shot Charge 1 1/4 oz #5 Knight Red Hot Shot
Over Shot Wad 1 .030 CVA Card Wad

PATTERNING @ 20 Meters

Gun was patterned with Improved Cylinder choke.  CCI #11 Magnum cap was used.   Shot gap size was reduced from 6" to 2"-3" by replacing TC Bore Button with CVA Card Wad as overshot wad. I believe this load could be improved even more with a Styrofoam overshot wad that would break up easier. However, I have not yet found any place to buy these and may have to make them myself. I patterned this load as I would normally hold the shotgun to ensure point of impact would not be different when hunting.