doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Videos - Warter Priory, Yorkshire High Birds

Even the experts who shoot sxs will tell you that it's not really a sxs game. And I don't think a modern sxs, purpose built for high birds, is going to take a back seat to a Parker.
I say that as someone who's never shot driven birds with anything BUT a sxs. More on the order of the old standby Brit game guns, for that matter. Those sub-7# guns work fine on birds out to 40 yards or a bit more (for those capable of making such shots), but sxs don't seem to do as well on the really tall birds. Just like you don't see very many top notch Sporting Clays shooters using them--even guys who really like sxs.

Tim, I agree with your sentiments about a lot of very tall birds just being "pricked". As does Vic Venters in his article:

"Moreover, a high pheasant gun does not necessarily make a high pheasant killer . . . Arguments rage pro and con in Britain's sporting magazines as to the ethics of presenting birds at ranges where many are only 'pricked' if hit at all . . . The driven game gun has changed much since 1914; good sportsmanship has not. Birds are living creatures; clays are not. Practice and shoot within the limits of your skills, whether your barrels are side by side or one over the other."

I find that very well said.

Haha brilliant thank you to the original poster.

Just spotted a familiar face there!

James.

Thanks for sharing those videos... They're very nicely done.

I have no interest in shooting "high" pheasant. I'm not a good enough shot for those ranges. I'd be worried about wounding too many birds.

I dont get the hype. t's like hoping a covey of quail gets up wild so I can shoot the birds at a farther distance to test my skill. The covey that explodes in my face provides all the challenge I need. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

On the other hand,I would love to try a "normal" pheasant and partridge drive some day.

Adsm

Have to agree with Adam, it seems a bit over kill.

I have shot normal driven pheasant and unless your really shooting regular and are really on form they offer plenty good enough sport.

I had a day, two years ago on a shoot that was much higher (still nothing like the birds the guy in the video is picking out) than birds i usually shoot, the day happened to be windy as well so the birds were really testing, I had fairly open chokes and damp cartridges, i was miles behind everything until the last drive when i finally started to get on them. Some of the birds i had on the last drive made up for the abysmal morning i had.

I think if you want to go out and shoot really high birds like this guy you ought really to be going with your check book and buy the proper cartridges and gun for the job.

There's no doubt in my mind that you're correct. If you want to do a fair bit of high bird shooting, you'd need to ensure your armoury and ammo were up to the task.

I have no real wish to do a high bird day, though I dare say if I were asked I would like to have the experience, at least just the once. I'd have to borrow a gun though!

Tim

Good comments. "Normal" driven pheasant and partridge do indeed offer good sport--at least for the vast majority of shooters.

About 99% of all the 12 gauge guns made in the United States until 1950 would be perfect high pheasant guns. Of course, the gun writers have to earn a living.

Eight bore is correct. Nothing about the barrels orientation makes one gun more suitable than another for high long targets. Muzzle weight and stock shape yes. Clays are not birds but we shoot two high towers often never saw any hit advantage to a particular type of gun. Plenty of American SxS guns handle just like modern OU clays guns.

Reason you don't often see them in clays competition is fixed tight chokes. Most sporting courses are best shot with IC. Go long and high lots of Parker Smith Fox guns do very well

Boats

I think the point is not whether they are SxS or O/U, but that they have the barrel configuration (length, chamber, choke) to handle the larger loads of powder and shot, to achieve the killing distances we are talking about.

My guns are SxS, English, 2 1/2" chambers. I wouldn't want to put anything more than 32g of No 5 shot through them. That's more than enough for the type of driven shooting I am fortunate enough to do.

So if I go on my mythical high bird day, I'd have to get a MK38 with 30" + barrels, 2 3/4" chambers and a lot of practice! Clearly, these days, most modern guns that can take those loads tend to be O/U; laws of supply and demand.

Tim

Eight Bore is correct about the pre-50's American guns. I never have, nor will, hunt driven high pheasants until I win Powerball but had a close approximation in the late '50's and early '60's. Born and raised in S.D. in the heydays of pheasants, I'd occasionally whine enough to "block ends", teenagers seldom got the privilege. I was shooting a Meriden,circa 1910, with 1 1/4 oz. of 6's. Some of those roosters, especially sped up by a couple misses, would rocket over 40-50 yards overhead. Piece of cake! My uncle, crippled up with heart disease, usually got the choice blocking spots. Shooting a Fox 16 ga. he seldom missed those shots.