One of my sons called me “old school” after I beat him in Sporting Clays. He correctly pointed out that while I have many O/Us, semi autos, doubles and pumps I shoot any of them just for the fun of it. No real favorites. I am not above shooting a pump gun, with no rib, or with a Cutts, or Poly Choke, or an old field grade gun with a well worn stock or barrels with little finish remaining, just for the fun of it. While I like fancy wood, nice engraving and vent ribs plain works just as well for me. Beauty does not get you extra days out with me. It’s all about the fun and maybe a little bit about the challenge.

He was complaining about the looks of my plain barrel Model 42, with the field stock, no checkering, corn cob fore end, slip on recoils pad for length and general lack of any degree of factory finish. A lot of people have enjoyed this gun over the years, mostly short men or big boys judging by the short stock. Still a slick little pump gun.

So are you old school in that you can and will shoot any gun or are you a fellow who won’t hunt with an ugly dog, gun or truck? I’m old school I guess.

Definitely old school. I open the safe and what jumps out is the gun of the day. I never (almost) shoot the same gun twice in a row. I love SxS's and pumps mostly although I must admit the Benelli Montefeltro is the gun I shoot the best, once a year.

I consider myself Old School in that my guns are for the most part near the low end of the makers assortment. I have shot various types in years past but long ago settled on a SxS as My Gun. Back in the late 1950's I hunted several seasons with a New Remington 20 gauge 870 on which I had a Deluxe Poly-Choke installed by Poly. The only thing I ever truly came to like about that gun was what most detest, that Poly-Choke.

It did however forever more turn me Off to Pump guns. Don't know if I would have had a different outlook had I bought an Ithaca 37 or W Model 12 or not. I have shot both, but never owned either & they just feel like a Pump to me.

poly chokes are wonderful...particularly in the bird woods and fields...as the cover changes, so does the choke, with a twist of the wrist...and where the poly choke is most valuable is on the skeet and trap range...in addition, to being able to use the same gun for both games, the poly choke adds weight up front, which aids in moving the gun...plus, the extra mass at the end of the barrels makes tracking the bird in relation to the gun much easier, for me...plus, they look really cool, sorta like the muffler on a 1938 dodge touring car...

oh, an ah luv pump gons, particularly the remington 17, 20 gauge...

I have been called "Old School" but it was because my "smart phone" is so smart it stays home on the wall where it belongs!

I don't agree with your definition of old school. I shoot a 16 Ga.side lock SxS with double triggers, a straight grip and splinter fore end. That's what I consider "old school."

No synthetics in my safe.

Would agree with this definition a little more than what you described Jon.

And I used to grab a gun, either a Wingmaster 12 gauge or a Win M12 in 16, throw on whatever gear I scrounged over the years and go hunting, no dog. Ducks, geese, sharp tails, huns or ruffs. Same two guns and same gear.....maybe some waders if it was ducks. Hell, most of the time I didn’t even bother with a gun sleeve.

Then I got a Llewelyn setter. Then I got another one. Then my wife at the time bought me an upland jacket from Orvis. Then I discovered double guns. Now it’s all SxS all the time, shooting over setters, scouring websites for the perfect gear. And while the guns aren’t all straight stocked, best guns, they aren’t hardware store guns either. Double triggers, splinter forends and barrels like my eyes with nothing younger than 80 years old. I call that “old school”


Same as my view of cars and sailboats......besides working right, no reason they shouldn’t be beautiful as well.

Canvasback,
Perhaps it's a matter of evolution for us in our field sports. I've come to hunt with nice looking old sxs's, and continue to use my old faded vest and hat that shows the seasons that it has been used. Guns that are easy on the eyes provide a satisfaction when you take a midday break while hunting. For me, it's not so much about the game bag as it is about the experience.
Karl

Karl, I think you are correct. Like you, I'm after the experience more than a specific number of birds.

I am OLD SCHOOL but do have a few black guns for
specific hunting needs
Mike

Me, too. Two to be exact.

I reject the notion that you have to be either into the experience, or after large numbers. I am into the experience, but hate missing. I guess I am a perfectionist when it comes to my shooting. I can laugh at a miss, when a dove "screws me into the ground", and tip my hat to him, literally. But, I will do everything in my power not to miss that shot when I am afforded it again. I like taking a limit, but I miss a lot, especially woodcock. Ask Gil S.

SRH

I consider any gun less than 100 years old to be too new to be trusted! And I make it a point to not own any gun younger than I am--76.

Stan, as you once said, it's not that woodcock are hard to hit; they're just easy to miss. And we'll have more opportunities. Gil

Two barrels, side by side preferred for hunting upland birds. Sometimes an over/under goes out for target shooting.
Not much of a fan of the jam'o matics spitting hulls at other shooters.
Probably old school, with the grey hair to prove it.

Woodcock are to shooting what knuckleballs are to baseball. That's a fact!...Geo

I invented old school.

Geo is right and if that's old school then you fit right in. Sorry if that scares ya. I'm headed up to pikeville by the way for fish and turkey's next spring

It all depends, in shotguns I'm definitely old school, my hunting guns are sxs, all with two triggers, also a couple o/u with two triggers. they shoot best for me, although I've owned more than a couple pumps and autos they never feel quite right, usually too long overall and cumbersome.

Rifles are another thing, and coyotes are my main target. I much prefer a good bolt action, with my favorite goto guns a Sako L-461 Fullstock 222 Rem. Vixen w/Weaver V-3, Custom Savage Model 10 in 22-204 w/Sightron 1.5-6x40mm and a Custom Rem 722 in 22-250 w/Bushnell 2.5-10x40mm. I do get a little oldschool when hunting coyotes in the thick stuff with Drilling in 16/16/6.5x58R wearing a Leupold 1-4x20mm and a Brno combo gun 22 Savage Highpower/12ga with another Leupold 1-4x20mm this is also my travel gun with a spare set of Tula choked skeet barrels and soon to have a set of 28" shotgun barrels.

Oskar;
While freely admitting your choice of rifles are of a modern design the bolt action itself can be considered "Old School".

"The Swiss Vetterli rifles combined the American Winchester Model 1866's tubular magazine with a regular bolt featuring for the first time two opposed rear locking lugs. This novel type of bolt was a major improvement over the simpler Dreyse and Chassepot bolt actions. The Vetterli was also the first repeating bolt-action rifle to feature a self-cocking action and a small caliber bore".

The Vetterli dated back to the 1860's while the Dreyse & Chassepot were older still.

Very much so old school! I prefer guns with barrels that are side by side though I do have one of those new fangled types having one barrel above the other, though it does not impress me. I do prefer guns with barrels of a warm brown colour rather than blue/black. More at home with guns having external hammers rather than the over complicated fancy side lock offerings having all the engineering hidden out of sight. Leaving hardly any wood left in the stock's head, plus they seem to need servicing every ten days. On the subject of wood I do own a couple of box locks which I have always thought make a good strong working gun giving good value for money. Being a Brit I feel more comfortable with older guns carrying proof marks in tons per square inch and shot load in ounces rather than kilograms and grams.

This website is dedicated to the use, appreciation and study of 19th century weaponry, manufacturing methods and nomenclature. Of course we are 'Old School'! Why are we even wondering?...Geo

Maybe Ky jelly from Kin'tucky kan explain why he wonders and wonders and wonders...

Good point!

True indeed. And if one could only become very proficient at "capturing" them simply by acquiring one of those catchers' mitts the size of a large pizza that are used when a knuckleballer is on the mound . . .

Old school for me sxs for most all my wing shooting

Your guess is wrong. That is pragmatic, accepting and open-minded or what sometimes is referred to as a progressive. Personally I'm not old school just getting old.

Old school. I prefer two holes on top.

I am not in prime woodcock territory so have not shot them by the wagon loads. Over the years I would happen up on a few along. I always found them much easier to hit than a dove. I recall one season I was shooting a J P Clabrough 12ga SLNE with 28" damascus barrels bored ¼ choke in both barrel. Using a 1 oz load of #8's I killed around a dozen or maybe 15 with the same number of shells as birds killed.

Whooeee! That's fine shooting on 'doodles. I do waaay better on doves than 'doodles.

SRH

With the exception of my Perazzi all my guns are AT LEAST 60 years old, several over 100 years old. Since SxS guns reached the zenith of development about 80 years ago, I have no need or desire for any that are 'new'.