doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What was the deal with German chokes?

Somewhere around here on this Board are pictures of a guy out quail hunting, riding around in a funny wagon. Bet he does not understand that not all of us don't do that. Course, on some ranches and some game "preserves", at various places around Planet Earth, hunters are simply driven to shooting place, even have a special buddy to carry and load their guns for them. Of course, poor buddy does not need sling.

Tomorrow, duck hunting, I will walk about half mile to blind with pack containing some decoys, coffee, snacks, and with my 120 year-old hammer double slung securily out of way. That lightweight sling will remain on gun all day, just like it has for 50+ years.

Niklas

A lot of the pics I've seen of folks over there carrying shotguns on a slig show them with the gun broken and actually slung under their arm. I'd say that's pretty safe.....

DLH

It might be safe...but it's not too good on a SxS. I use a sling on mine I just don't believe it's safer as some claim.

I use a sling for turkey hunting just because I walk so far and because carrying a gobbler out of the woods without a sling for the gun is too hard for an old man. When I duck hunt I need the gun on a sling to be able to tote decoys and stuff. For upland work though, I agree with hOjO...a sling is a pain...Geo

Over here, you go out with no sling on a gun, meet another hunter and he'd say: "Is that your first time out? Wait, I think I've got a piece of rope somewhere"

Or, if the hunter read a magazine or two, he'd say you're an American spy

There's even an old joke on the subject, let's see if you find it funny. A chap bought a slightly used London Best gun, went out hunting with it, and wrote an anrgy letter, complaining of "why should such a renowned firm as yours be so cheap and not put sling swivels on such an otherwise nice gun". The firm replied: "We expect that one who can afford our prices can also aford a servant to carry the gun after him".

Turning back to the original topic, my Grandpa's generation (Russia/USSR being a very big market for German shotguns, so they count as potential users) wanted their guns to shoot the tightest patterns possible. The logics was, sometimes you have to shoot close, sometimes far out, but while you can shoot a close bird with a tight-gun, you can't shoot a far-away bird with a short-range gun.

Humpty Dumpty,
That's what I call "logical logics".
Kind regards,
Jani

Have hunted in Germany and Austria quite a bit and the way they utilize a sling makes for a very safe event. On a typical drive hunt, there will be a dozen or more guns and as many as twice that number of beaters. Unlike much driven bird shooting in England, the hunts are held in true farming country, often with a mixture of fields, brush, and forest. Safe gun handling is extremely important. The shotgun or drilling is kept open and slung, muzzles forward, under the off shoulder. The hand on the off side is kept on the barrels. The gun is removed from the shoulder and loaded on signal (once beaters are in place)- usually a horn is blown as a signal. A second signal is blown to end the drive, and guns are immediately unloaded and placed safely back under the shoulder. A typical drive hunt always includes a lot of European Hare, and the need for full chokes is immediately apparent when you first see one of these kangaroo-sized speeders hit the afterburners at 40 yards.

The only problem shooting a close bird with a tight gun comes when you want to eat it. That and the dog having some difficulty figuring out which piece you want retrieved.

That's exactly what I was thinking...

"open and slung"....That can't be good on the hinge pin.

All these 'signals'sound too liberal for me.....Sounds more like going to a shooting gallery.