Sorry for the time it took to get these up. My left thumb had a nasty run-in with the blade in a 36" Seypa paper cutter, should have had it stitched up, but, I was too busy at work.

This is better. 28 gauge Darne open choke tube at the same yardage:



Same gun, tighter barrel: These are 3/4 oz loads.



Buzz, we've been over this before, but, you still don't grasp it. I don't walk around in a grouse woods with a gun with a sling over my shoulder, at least not while I'm hunting. The Darne sling, because it is not mounted rigidly at the front, and is free to rotate in the mount at the rear, is very unobtrusive, and won't get hung up in brush. Further, it is easily removed at any point in the trip, and just as easily put back on. I don't shoot birds out of trees, although, the natives in the area don't seem to have a problem with doing that. This is not grouse hunting in the sense that Burton Spiller may have written about. Trails are bush hogged through an enormous WMA, and then seeded with clover. We walk the trails, and the birds typically are on the trail or just off it. The shots are close, fast, and furious. The birds I have gotten (four, in two trips) were taken as they exited through very tight cover stage left. I'm a lefty, and do better on that shot. It is damn tough cover to work a dog in, and my setter is coming along, learning hand signals, and mostly under control, but, it is not really like grouse hunting anywhere else we go.
The sling is a huge bonus when you are convincing a 2 year old setter that this isn't pheasant hunting.
I can't say I get as many birds with this gun as I do with my others. The Darne 12 with the sling has been part of my life for more than 20 seasons, and I've killed a HELL of a lot of all kinds of birds with it. But, hey, I've only had the 20 out twice.
Stan, I took the 20 two years running on this trip because it was my newest, and I simply felt like trying the thing out! It was pretty much a brand, new, 70 year old gun, who wouldn't want to try it out? Unlike a lot of you, I still work a 40-60 hour shift each week, have a ten year old, volunteer for RGS when I can, and have a homebound Mother and a disabled younger Brother. No, I didn't get the chance to pattern the 20 before the trip. So what? I got a few and had a blast.
Larry both 20 gauge patterns would be neatly covered by a 12" ruler. It is too tight for this grouse trip, but, maybe, later in the seaon, a guy could make it work.
jOe, you almost said something intelligent. The patterns for the 20 were photographed upside down in my garage. I corrected that for the 28 gauge photos. They are about 60/40, right side up, and I'm pretty sure a bird caught in either, at that range, would be inedible, but, if you send me an address, I'll pack any birds hit like that off for you.
I'll be better prepped, and informed this fall. Bet I still have a blast, enjoy my friend Lloyds company, have a few great meals, enjoy my dog, and the scenery, get a few, and, more than likely, miss a few, too.
It is the nature of the game the way I play it.

Best,
Ted