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Forums10
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Jul 28th, 2025
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,893 Likes: 651
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,893 Likes: 651 |
Well it is almost Dove season again. It's time to pick which gun will be used for each day of the first week of Dove season. I am sure you have favorites. Here are mine and mostly it's because who before me owned the gun or that I shoot the gun well, a rare thing some days.
Opening day will be my late uncles Crescent quail special .410. No non combat wounded man in my family overcame more health and handicap problems to live a full life. Crippled by polio, rheumatic fever terrible arthritis he continued to keep moving forward until the day he passed. That he could drop a quail, rabbit or dove with his handicaps tells me will can overcome almost anything.
Second day is a LC Smith 20 which was my maternal grandfathers. He could not hit the broad side of a barn but he did enjoy going. I think he had a eye dominance problem. He was a fine rifle shot but birds in the air were very safe around him.
Third day will be the Fox A grade 16 which my father used to take his last limit of Doves a few years ago. Day four will be either my new Ithaca Model 37 28 gauge or my Winchester Model 12 28 ga. Which was my first real gun given to me by my father. Day five will depend on how the birds are at that point. Either a 12 if fully educated or maybe a 20 again. So many choices and so few days to use them.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,723 Likes: 126
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,723 Likes: 126 |
Due to two open chest surgeries this past winter, I am still a little gunshy and will stick to a 20ga gas operated Rem 11-87 for the first Dove season and early Teal season this year. Doctor says shoot whatever I want, but I'm already a poor enough shot without developing a flinch...Geo
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,814 Likes: 2
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 2,814 Likes: 2 |
I am going to make a big commitment this year, and except for watertfowl, will shoot only one gun. My wee Jeff 16...Use 7/8 and 1 oz RSTS for all upland game....I normally switch doubles every other day...no more...I am blessed to live in a place where upland hunting is only a mile or so from the door...Doves, quail, chickens, and pheasants....Not so blessed that I dont get around as well as I did....
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 14,447 Likes: 278
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 14,447 Likes: 278 |
My old 30" Super Fox. pigeon loads. I have determined that I will never again put out a decoy to attract waterfowl, because of my debilitated spinal condition. I will never accumulate enough cash to use all the pigeon loads I loaded several years ago. I might as well use this gun/load combination now rather than save them for my estate sale. Under a month now, opening day, not my estate sale.
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 470 Likes: 37
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 470 Likes: 37 |
Most likely one of my Fox 16's, but will have the Fox HE on hand if they are avoiding the sunflowers at my hunting spot.
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,199 Likes: 639
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 4,199 Likes: 639 |
A recently acquired Darne R10 16 gauge. In my truck will be a 16 ga. Ithaca M37 just in case....
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 14,007 Likes: 1816
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 14,007 Likes: 1816 |
KY Jon, you only gave us your choices for,the first five days. How about the other 55? 😎
I'll open it here with the 30" barreled Dickinson .410, and probably use it on Labor Day, too. It served me well in the mid-season and also the late season last year, even on those old big, tough purple-necked migratory birds, so I have no qualms about it at all. Somewhere along the way I'd like to take a couple limits with the 30" barreled Verona .410.
Towards the later part of the season I plan to do some gunning with my newest Fox, an AE 16 ga. with, you guessed it, 30" barrels. I haven't even fired it yet ...... got to get a Silvers ground for it to get it back original, and to get the LOP up to snuff for me.
SRH
May God bless America and those who defend her.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,893 Likes: 651
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,893 Likes: 651 |
Stan hunting to me is a celibration of family as much as anything I do. I can buy food for less money, less time and less effort. But using that cheap .410 will connect me to my uncle. I'll be thinking about his long gone pointer, the taste of turnips pulled from the frosty ground and eaten in the field. Mud and all is fine when you are a kid or when your eyes are so bad you don't notice.
I try to select guns which connect me to my hunting history and departed family. I know you also enjoy your family this time of the year. Mine would rather you go hunting with their gun than drop flower by their graves. I hope my sons follow what I am trying to teach them.
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,409 Likes: 4
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 9,409 Likes: 4 |
Twelve gauge Ithaca 37 with 24" barrel with Invector Plus 1/2 choke and I&1/8oz field loads.
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 179
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 179 |
I'll be shooting a Miller & Val. Greiss 16ga, those 30" barrels swing well. Probably bring along a 12ga Sauer sidelock dating from around 1900.
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