My "little string" this season was 115 WILD roosters, most taken close to the home place here. My point, not to sell anyone short, is that oftimes I think people write about theory, not what works for them. If Larry shot 27 straight, kool...Who carried the score card?
Wasn't any problem carrying a scorecard, LD. I flat missed the first one I shot at, didn't let any get away after that, including a couple doubles--although I did need a 2nd barrel on 2 or 3 birds. So all I had to do was count dead roosters. To tell the truth, I haven't shot all that many preserve roosters compared to the wild ones I shot. Your total is only a little below what I bagged one year in Iowa--all wild, and most taken close to where I used to live. Considering Iowa was the #1 pheasant state in the nation more years than not (beating out SD) from the mid-80's to the early 2000's, I had plenty of opportunities to put theory into practice.
And Don, you made a nice list of the limitations of the 28--which is the subject of the thread. You don't need to shoot nontox; quite a few people do, in quite a few places. You limit the gun to appropriate targets; I don't think it's an appropriate choice for wild pheasants unless you want to limit your chances (and I think I may have shot a few more of those than you have). I think it's just fine for grouse and woodcock, bobwhites, and I've even used it with good results on early season prairie grouse. But you start talking longer shots and/or bigger, tougher birds . . . you need more shot than you can stuff into those little shells. Inside 30 yards--maybe 35 on easier to kill birds--and it works fine. But it is what it is. And what it isn't is equal to a 20, any more than a 20 is equal to a 12.
