doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Hunting with a hammergun?

I've tried this before with a light, little 20-bore 1892 Thomas Bland. That gun had rebounding hammers (and sadly, splotchy patterns) and I only tried it a few times on grouse before I knew it was pointless for me to continue. Jump forward 20 plus years, I'm in a different place now (in oh... so-many ways) and I'm going to try it again, this time with a converted Lang pinfire in 12. Light and surprisingly slim for a hammer-gun, it's been very effective for me on clays. Upon first use, the hammers (which do not drop out of sight) bothered me a little but... after shooting it on sporting clays with the Vintagers a few weeks ago, they completely disappeared for me and I really started shooting it very well (to say that I was pleasantly surprised would be putting it mildly). Mind you, most of those targets were closer, with lots of incomers and crossers. Longer shots will likely be more of a challenge as this gun has no chokes (not an option in 1866!). Game farm birds over dogs will likely be a no-brainer and cocking one hammer before a shot is actually quite a seamless process. However, follow-up shots are painfully slow with those non-rebounders (surprisingly slow for someone who's used to modern ejector guns). Bridging both hammers with my thumb from half-cock isn't exactly easy, but it is quite doable. With practice (& good gloves) I believe that it will almost become second-nature, but we'll see. Since it's a side-lever variant, I can even open it with the hammers fully-cocked (which adds yet another option). Since I'm usually hunting alone, I can always just walk with the barrels up in a "hot" gun situation (in only the most "grousey" of covers!) and then being very-mindful of my footing & circumstances, but I'd rather not get too-comfortable with that set of challenges. What says the cognoscenti here on the subject?

Not me. I don't trust myself enough to do it. Clays, yes.
JR

I’ll use a hammergun on doves but not walked up game.

Oh yee of little faith!

I use one fairly often for pheasants over a flushing dog, but it has to be the right hammer gun.. They were not all created.equal.

This is a good place to ask a question no one at Bull Run Sporting Clays has a clue about. When shooting sporting clays with a hammer gun. Do you wait until the clay is launched to cock the hammer, shoulder and shoot? Or cock the hammers and wait for launch. I've been doing the latter but it sort of seems like cheating. (I suppose if you are walk up hunting with a dog and he goes to point you would cock your hammers.)

Cock the hammers prior to calling for the bird just as you would click off a safety on a hammerless gun. I’ve been shooting my hammerguns a lot the past couple weeks in preparation to winning the world championship at the Vintagers next week.

eeb, I'm going to drive up Friday morning and spend the day. I'll bring my hammer 12 bore but probably won't shoot (otherwise you would(not) be in trouble). Just intend to look, browse, hang-out, talk and hope to meet some of the posters here. (I did meet several a couple of years ago at the Southern).

there is a theory that some grouse hunters shoot to quickly before they get on the bird...

perhaps, the need to cock the hammers allows more time to focus and get on the bird before pulling a trigger...

there is only one way ro find out..

should you decide to accept this asignment, do try it this fall and pls report back to us...

I'll be at the Vintagers next week and will shoot my Joseph Lang hammer gun from 1866. I cock both hammers before calling for the bird, but my non-rebounding 16 gauge is easy to cock both hammers from half-cock to full-cock with a single movement of my thumb.