doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Favorite upland gauge

A simple but profound statement that many narrow minded people overlook, or deny. Well said, Jon.

SRH

Might be a more difficult thing to come up with a single, "compromise" gun, that did everything OK, insead of having a bunch of "niche" guns, that are specific to a certain game and conditions, for every different use.

Some of our ancestors had no choice. Some of them got pretty darn good with that one choice, as well.

Best,
Ted

If I had to go with one gun and thank goodness I don't it would be a smallbore Fox with four sets of barrels.I would have two 16 and two twenty gauge barrels from 26 to 32 inch with various chokes. Bobby

Blues have some Road Runner blood in 'em, won't hold for a dog for so much as a nanosecond. Nope. But you can get a few up if the dog breaks and is fast enough. Close shots are long odds anomalies.

High fliers [mourning dove] can stand some choke in open windy country pass shooting them as they are headed to feeding fields and again as they leave the fields and head to water. Tank shooting in late afternoon, sometimes not so much, but doit to them a coupla days and watch them either not return or fail to give you a close in shot. They are wary and they learn as quickly as a snow goose, once shot at. Its a part of what makes them such fun and challenging targets in the west where the wind is frequently doing something.

I don't think either of those birds are gauge specific, but at longer ranges do use a shot size that will put them in the bag. #7's, if you reload or are fortunate in sourcing are a very happy compromise.

I use to love pass shooting for dove, ducks and geese. With the loss of lead for waterfowl I gave up ducks and geese pass shooting. Use to have a small farm right next to Blackwater Refuge which gave several great days of pass shooting of birds on the way back to the refuge. Once educated your chances were greatly reduced but half the fun was waiting for the right chance and watching the entire morning or evening flight. You never had to clean the ones you just watched flyby.

Yes, as a general rule. My favorite "rule" in hunting is "You just never know..."

We were on the lease in West Texas two years ago, and the Spaniel locks up on a small bush. Half mocking her as I walked up I said out loud, "So what do you think you are- a pointer?" Just then a big blue blasted outa the bush, and the Manufrance went bang. Goodness only knows what she was sayin' under her breath when she brought the bird to hand.

My favorite gun is the smallest and lightest one I can effectively and efficiently use on a given day. It changes throughout the season and from one season to the next based on hunting pressure and habitat conditions. If I only got to choose one this sub 5 1/2 lb 28 gauge AyA would work about as well as anything.

Since "Upland" hunting covers everything from woodcock at zero feet to late season Kansas phez going downwind at Mach 2 and 50 yards out, I'd have to plump for some kind of a 12. They make loads in 12 guage that fit both those extreme situations and everything in between.

I love smallbores. In their place. But out in the baldies ISN'T their place. Sad, but true, IMO.

That said, a REALLY GOOD wingshot can do wonders with a smallbore. Not me. The 'yotes get enough free meals.

[quote. Some of them got pretty darn good with that one choice, as well.

Best,
Ted [/quote]
You of all people misspelling Darne. Gil

With regard to Gambel quail, in the past 35 years that has been the majority of my bird hunting time. I use a 20ga Parker choked skeet and Modified. Best commercial loads are 7 1/2shot 7/8 OZ. But mostly I use handloads of 3/4oz of 7 shot. I found the 3/4oz of 7s produced very few runners after being hit. The velocity of that load is not known but seems a little quicker than the 7/8oz loads in the commercial shells. The skeet choke is fine out to 30yds and the modified has made some astonishing long shots from 45 to 50 yds. Have never patterned the gun with these loads but think they may be a little tighter than their designations would indicate. The point is choke names are poor guides for performance. Have to see how each gun and load performs before making generalized statements. My modified is clearly shooting as well at distance as most Full chokes.