doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Are you old school?

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.