You hunt grouse and woodcock, LD?? What I'm willing to tote for pheasants and prairie grouse is very different than what I'm willing to tote in the woods. Pick up Nick Sisley's book "Grouse and Woodcock". Sisley talks about shortening the barrel on an already very light Franchi AL48 20ga to 23", removing all the choke. Result: A 5# gun . . . with which, the first season he used it, Sisley shot 33 grouse, averaging 78%. While Sisley notes that he's never shot that well, before or since, I don't know anyone who'd turn down a 50% average on ruffs, let alone 78%--especially when based on an impressive season bag of 33 birds (all taken in PA, where the limit at the time was 2/day). Some people can't shoot guns that light that well. But if you can, why tote anything heavier, when you're doing a lot of one-hand carrying??
