Do you shoot a double barrel?

[JWP58]

Why not a single barrel? For some reason I'm kinda thinking about picking up a Savage 220 hammerless single shot. They are light, easy to carry, safe, and you can change barrels and go from 12ga, 16ga, 20ga, and 28ga.

Now Im not selling my autos or pumps, but I think this would interesting to use a day or two. Anyone ever thought about it?

[Mountaineer]

Depends upon the use....I assume you are speaking of game or gamebirds, as there are many single shot target scatterguns.

There is or was one fella in Idaho who ruffed grouse hunted with a single...wrote a small book about hunting ruffed grouse, in fact.
Hunted off a bicycle....seemed a good sort.
Personally though, for such as that I would consider the use mildly unethical as second shots on non-dishragged bird can occur often enough that a second shot option(faster than a reload) is wise and prudent.
Same for many gamebirds, imo.
Respect for them says a single shot scattergun is better off left at home.

Many of the SHAACIADIL(support hunters at all costs if any decision is legal) group might disagree.

The Savage 220 is a nice single, the top tang safety a plus.
Pick your shots well.
Also, never turn off the truck engine.....

[JWP58]

Hmm unethical is a stretch....a big stretch. Is it unethical to hunt deer with a longbow? Compound? Is trapping unethical? Where do you draw the line?

Wounded birds are a part of hunting, albeit the ugly side. And wounding a bird can happen with a single, double, semi, or pump. There is no guarantee your follow up shot will hit the intended target.

I guess that's why it pays to have a dog that can track wounded birds.

[Mountaineer]

Well, I did say...mildly and personally.

I draw one line at using a single shot scattergun for most gamebirds....obviously.

Wounding can indeed happen with any scattergun action...it's all about respect for the bird, along with possibility and odds, bad luck and tough cover with any choice, for me......personally.
I noted others would likely disagree.

The dog remark was as expected as asking a question and then not caring for the answering reason suggested, if the answer was not...a high-five of go for it.

Again, 220s are a nice single.
However, like all singles, they can, just can, have a lousy trigger and poor balance neither of which translates well to shooting on the wing.

[JWP58]

The dog remark was as expected as asking a question and then not caring for the answering reason suggested, if the answer was not...a high-five of go for it.

Well let me apologize for simply responding to your post and having a discussion. I am now aware that your opinion is gospel and should not be questioned or discussed.

Yes you are completely correct. Hunting wild birds with two barrels is sooooo much more ethical than hunting with one. As a matter of fact, you are holier than me since you have the foresight to take the moral high ground by hunting with another shell at the ready.

P.S. by your thought process we should all hunt dumb pen raised birds (or wild ruffed grouse) and use saiga semi auto mag fed shotguns. Thank you for your input, again I'm sorry I attempted to have a discussion...how dare I question you.

Also since you are concerned about ethics and not wounding birds, why don't you shoot them off the ground or out of trees with .22's like all the other disciples hunting ruffed grouse?

[Mountaineer]

I answered your original question....you are welcome.
Answered with both my, as noted, opinion(you seem to desire to color it as gospel for your own selfish purposes) and an example of where someone used a single shot scattergun successfully.
Giving my opinion and explaining several reasons why I felt that way...would be a discussion.
Sorry you are one who appears to court the high-five, regardless of honesty put forth in that discussion.

I do hunt with a second or third shell at the ready as I have found over Time that the idea is a prudent one....independent of the pup present, bird shot or shooting ability at hand.

The conclusion leap of pen-raised birds, the kick at Bonasa U and the mention of something...saiga???....forces me to question both your age and your maturity.
But, the second cut at ruffed grouse hunters soon confirmed the answer to both questions.

[NLsetter]

For the first years of my hunting days I shot willow Ptarmigan with a old single shot Topper 12 gauge. Come to think about it I knocked down more birds then than I do now sometimes. When you have one shot you have to make it count LOL

[JWP58]

I answered your original question....you are welcome.
Answered with both my, as noted, opinion(you seem to desire to color it as gospel for your own selfish purposes) and an example of where someone used a single shot scattergun successfully.
Giving my opinion and explaining several reasons why I felt that way...would be a discussion.
Sorry you are one who appears to court the high-five, regardless of honesty put forth in that discussion.

I do hunt with a second or third shell at the ready as I have found over Time that the idea is a prudent one....independent of the pup present, bird shot or shooting ability at hand.

The conclusion leap of pen-raised birds, the kick at Bonasa U and the mention of something...saiga???....forces me to question both your age and your maturity.
But, the second cut at ruffed grouse hunters soon confirmed the answer to both questions.

Again thank you for your gospel.

Btw, google can help you when old age and ignorance creeps up....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saiga-12

There is your ideal "super-duper ethical moral high ground ruff huntin' gun".....more shells = more ethical...right?

And yes the rest was just tongue in cheek ribbing on your "king" of game birds. After a quick search of your posts (aka gospel writings) I cant take you seriously as its obvious you're just a pot stirrer...so yes I am guilty of poking fun at you and your "holier than thou" attitude.

[Mountaineer]

Questions confirmed, X2.

[JWP58]

Questions confirmed, X2.

Confirmed, X3

Side question, do you carry your extra magazines in a chest rig or kydex magazine holder on your belt. Since of course, as we all now know, more firepower = more ethical, you surely don't enter your "coverts" with one 10rd mag in your Kalashnikov variant shotgun.

I hear there are multiple ways to run the kalash platform....which technique do you use in woods with your ethical firepower?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SsgyVt07_c

Have you considered changing your user name to "RAMBO_RUFF_HUNTER"?

[nikegundog]

Why not a single barrel? For some reason I'm kinda thinking about picking up a Savage 220 hammerless single shot. They are light, easy to carry, safe, and you can change barrels and go from 12ga, 16ga, 20ga, and 28ga.

Now Im not selling my autos or pumps, but I think this would interesting to use a day or two. Anyone ever thought about it?

I don't understand why anyone would want to put a 16, 20 or 28 gauge on and 12 gauge frame, kinda defeats the purpose.

[gotpointers]

The advantage of the double over a single barrel wether It's a semi auto, pump or single shot is the ability to choose a different choke pattern. Front trigger for close birds and the rear for a follow up. Optimal pattern for the situation. And a double trigger double gun is the ultimate tool for me while upland hunting. I do have a cheap single shot that I use for training. I lay it in the dirt when I need my hands free to handle the dog's.

Single shot rifles are a different story. I love the one shot one kill challenge. And wouldn't dream of dropping the Thompson in the dirt.

[Mountaineer]

...Side question, do you carry your extra magazines in a chest rig or kydex magazine holder on your belt. Since of course, as we all now know, more firepower = more ethical, you surely don't enter your "coverts" with one 10rd mag in your Kalashnikov variant shotgun....

OK...I'll answer...just don't get upset again if the answer is one you do not like.
Here goes, brace yourself...I do not carry extra magazines for my scattergun.
Normally, I do burden myself with an extra 6-8 cartouches, as Der Bingle would say, other than the 2 or 3 slid into the gun.....often, they come in handy.
For clays, I may carry 25 and sometimes, 100 shells.....no mags tho.
Additionally, I always carry ethics with me, finding them no burden at all.
Especially considering what could happen if I choose to selfishly leave them mouldering at home.

[DonF]

I hunted with pump's in my early days of hunting, I like pumps in fact still have one, Ithica mod37 in 16ga. But once I switched over to SxS's I never looked back. Should take the old Ithica out just for the h*ll of it. The idea that a third shot is going to do any good at all is wasted on me. I don't get them by the second shot, the third isn't going to do any good. If I cripple with the second shot, My dogs always seem to find and run them down. @Well up until Squirt and Bodie, they don't retrieve so well! I would encourage you to find a double, SxS or O/U and just get a feel for it. Now it's possible you'll find and old Savage 311. heavy gun but solid as a rock, inexpensive! Savage also made the Fox for awhile. I though it simply looked like a dressed up 311. If I still had a 311, I would carry it now and then.

[fishvik]

I'm a firm believer in single shots for young shooters. I makes them learn to concentrate on the shot not worrying about getting off a second one. All of my kids learned to shoot and at first hunt with only one shell in the gun. Even if the gun could hold multiple shells only one was loaded. On my son's first duck hunt he went 3 for 3 with only one shell at a time in a 20 ga. pump. All three were floating on their backs feet up dead.

[gotpointers]

I'm a firm believer in single shots for young shooters. I makes them learn to concentrate on the shot not worrying about getting off a second one. All of my kids learned to shoot and at first hunt with only one shell in the gun. Even if the gun could hold multiple shells only one was loaded. On my son's first duck hunt he went 3 for 3 with only one shell at a time in a 20 ga. pump. All three were floating on their backs feet up dead.

+1

[DonF]

+2

[JWP58]

Oh and not to mention you can add a 30-30 barrel for the 220 as well.

As far as the multiple choke options of the O/U & SxS, is it really a huge deal when hunting with a pointer? I can clearly see the benefit when hunting behind a flusher or pass shooting doves/ducks.

But a majority of shots over a pointer are fairly close. And of course we know the moral lone ranger doesn't take any questionable shots or shots over 30yds, so multiple chokes aren't really needed...??

[gotpointers]

Second bird usually needs the tighter choke. No bobwhites here so I'm just on wild gambels and scales. They are fast, And the first bird doesn't always go down. I'm definitely not a pro at the gunfighter draws.
Pass shooting ducks and geese is usually done at long ranges. Here anyways. I usually use a 3 1/2 and a tight choke in my semi auto.

[birddogger]

Why not a single barrel? For some reason I'm kinda thinking about picking up a Savage 220 hammerless single shot. They are light, easy to carry, safe, and you can change barrels and go from 12ga, 16ga, 20ga, and 28ga.

Now Im not selling my autos or pumps, but I think this would interesting to use a day or two. Anyone ever thought about it?

Absolutely nothing wrong with using a single shot.

Charlie

[roaniecowpony]

If its good enough for a youngster, its good enough for me. I am actually casually looking for a 410 singleshot. Something claasy like a converted English rook rifle. Just haven't seen the right one yet. I hunt dove, pigeon, quail, chukar and pheasant with a 410. I have some friends that quail hunt with vintage singles. I have even given some to a folding Beretta 410.

[roaniecowpony]

...
I don't understand why anyone would want to put a 16, 20 or 28 gauge on and 12 gauge frame, kinda defeats the purpose.

That depends on what your purpose for carrying a small bore is. If its because you want a lighter gun, just buy a light english 12 ga. I shoot a small gauge because I enjoy the challenge of the smaller pattern. I've seen 12 ga guns that weigh less than some of my 410s. Everyone that I know shoots a sub 6 lb gun worse than one over 6 lbs, myself included. My 410 sxs guns run from just under 6 lbs to 6 1/2 lbs. One of my 28 ga guns is 5 1/2 lbs and it I don't shoot it as well nor take as much game with it as I do with my 410s.