doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What makes a shotgun "feel good"?

"Shooting well at clay targets isn't quite the same as shooting well at game."

Sounds a bit like the British sour grapes after getting whipped by there lessers in the 1901 Anglo-American match

The Country Life (London)
When it goes forth to the world that the Americans have beaten the Englishmen, in a team match of ten shooters each, in three test matches, and the Americans did this with one barrel, whereas the Englishmen used two, the prestige of this country will not be improved as a shooting nation. In one sense it will suffer rightly enough; in another, it will be a quite unfair inference. In watching the performance of the Americans, good shots that they are, the writer could only feel that if it were necessary to shoot in that style, it would be better to give up shooting altogether.
A good game shooter would not consider that his ability was tested in its most important points when the game always rose at one spot in front of him, in the way it did in this Anglo-American competition. Even when several rises are used, as they are occasionally under the system called �unknown traps and angles,� the limitation of rise and of angle is too great to be considered first rate practice for game shooting.
At clay bird competitions, and for winning under present rules, the choke-bore and the pigeon guns and loads are the most effective by far. The Americans go to extremes because their object is to break clays. We bolt between two minds and get beaten by the Americans because we do not go to extremes; and we frighten away English sportsmen because we go toward trick shooting half-way, which is further than real game shots go.
It is impossible to agree that the (Americans) would necessarily be good game shots, or that they could even break clays if the rules of sport were present in the conditions.

https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=185YOyQl7GIB9OYLs9Hr3tnMLHqs4rjEdR4j_E9l4HLw

The object for me is to kill the bird, break the clay. I've much greater admiration for a man that never misses with an 870 pump, than a man who can only shoot 50% with a bespoke gun.

SRH

"Beware of the guy who shows up at the state championship with the rusty and old 1100"!

Yeah, yeah...

About this time of year they start showing up at the clubs to 'tune up' for bird/duck season.

The orange vest is the first giveaway, the complete lack of gun manners the next.

We had one guy last year start stuffing shells in his Benelli (3.5" of course) in the parking lot.

Many average Americans seems to think they are descended from a line of natural born shooters and somehow have innate ability that they very much do not.

After breaking maybe half a dozen at skeet, they proudly announce that this is nothing like the shooting they usually do, and that they seldom if ever miss a bird in the field.

We take their money, wish them luck, and invite them back next year.

It's a tradition.

But, yes, once in a while 'old rusty 1100 guy' will show up and demonstrate that he was likely born with that gun in his hands. Such people are rare, but they do exist.

For me, nothing is quite as nice as the diamond grip on a Hussy "Imperial Ejector" or the 2'nd patent thumb lever opener on a Boss hammer gun. Even on my worst days, with a quality English hammer gun or side lock ejector I at the very least look elegant!

Quick point and no offense meant to Stan. It should be no surprise when a rusty Parker, or Stevens 311,for that matter, that fits its shooter in most aspects whupsup on a Purdey that does not really suit its shooter. The custom aspect of bespoke guns does not convey to successor/following owners. Pre-owned/non-custom guns must be carefully selected for all fits or modified to fit if you want a lifelong keeper.

I have undying respect and admiration for all the good things found in Purdey guns. However, it is a mistake to buy the name and/or aesthetics of a high dollar gun without due consideration to stock , handling, and feel fit.
DDA

No offense taken, Don. The curious thing is when second, third and fourth owners of Purdeys somehow think the name will enable them to break birds.

It won't, but that doesn't stop some people from dropping big bucks after convincing themselves it might. Having the gun fit the shooter is very important, but shooting it enough to get very good with it is the most important factor, IMO. There is simply no substitute for experience.

SRH

The old wives tale of the magical shooting properties of bespoke guns is alive and well in todays shooting lore.

I agree, Stan, that muscle memory/experience is priority one for those who would shoot well.

BTW, I think aesthetics of a gun is a valid fit point for some shooters.

DDA

I don't understand Drew where it says the American use one barrel and the English used two. It looks like the American shooters were using either Remington or LC Smith double barrels in that match.

I think what the author was saying was that it is possible to groove a repetitive target, as in Skeet and ATA Trap, and that flying birds don't behave in such a predictable, repeatable way.

And I would agree.
Primarily in the acceleration and curling areas.
A knot of Teal is a very testing target.