Gun Dog Forum

Just wondering what type of shotgun you prefer.

Quality SxS guns tend to be pricy so I use O/U more but some day will finally find the "right" SxS. I want a 26" barrelled 16g. with English stock that is built on a gauge specific frame weiging around 6 1/4 lbs. Tough to find without selling a kidney.

O/U for upland. Auto for waterfowl.

Only birds I hunt anymore are upland game. I also run E. Setter's. Upland game and E.Setter's require a SxS! If I should for some unknown reason ever shoot ducks again, I have an Ithica mod 37 in 16 ga.

Wow. I'd never have guessed sxs would be leading pumps or autos or any other action in popularity. You sure couldn't tell by what you see in the average hunter's hands. But then this IS a special group here. I shoot almost exclusively sxs guns. Although in recent years I've developed a like for Winchester Model 42 410 pumps and I am in the process of restoring a solid rib 20g Model 12 pump.

O/U if I am on my feet, pump if if I am in the layout blind.

Semi Auto for all of my hunting. I do want a O/u 16ga Citori for a back up gun to my Sweet 16.

O/U if it is any bird except waterfowl and turkey at which time it is a semi auto.

Yes Sir, I love all my shotguns for various reasons, my beretta o/u, win pump, and remington 1187, but really appreciate a nice O/U or S/S. I must say though I am gaining a big man crush on the older Ithaca's, just straight forward American shotgun and built like tanks to last for years, very fond of them Don.

DonF wrote:Only birds I hunt anymore are upland game. I also run E. Setter's. Upland game and E.Setter's require a SxS! If I should for some unknown reason ever shoot ducks again, I have an Ithica mod 37 in 16 ga.

I love shooting a semi auto matic but hate the way they scatter shells all over. Makes them hard to find and I don't like leaving them lay in the field as litter.

Chasing hulls is a pain whether pump gun or auto. My first shotgun that I bought for myself was an auto, a Browning A-5 Light 12. I shot that gun for everything from skeet to pheasant. That gun is long gone, traded off toward a Remington 3200 o/u decades ago. That 3200 is also gone. I've had one other auto, a Beretta 391 20ga Sporting. Nice gun, but just not what made me feel good. Gone. I gravitated to side by side guns decades ago and had all but cleaned out everything else until I bought my first Winchester Model 42 410 about 7-8 years ago. Now I have two 42s and one Model 12 20ga along with a pile of sxs guns.

I hunt quail with English Pointers and therefore the need for an auto loader is a requirement. They find many more birds than other breeds and usually the coveys they find are largeras well so an auto loader only makes sense.

Seriously though, it all depends on what I am hunting. For upland birds I like my lightweight, O/U in 20ga.

For waterfowl it has to be a 3 shot of some sort. I find that third shot very useful in dispatching cripples quickly without the need to have to dig for another shell if I were shooting a 2 shot gun.

I like an OU, though recently I have started to carry a couple autos more and more.

Jim

duckn66 wrote:I hunt quail with English Pointers and therefore the need for an auto loader is a requirement. They find many more birds than other breeds and usually the coveys they find are largeras well so an auto loader only makes sense.

Seriously though, it all depends on what I am hunting. For upland birds I like my lightweight, O/U in 20ga.

For waterfowl it has to be a 3 shot of some sort. I find that third shot very useful in dispatching cripples quickly without the need to have to dig for another shell if I were shooting a 2 shot gun.

If bird finding abilities of the dog dictates the type of weapon, EP owners would be shooting Gatling guns.

I love my sxs but they kick like a mule. I'm inclined to flinch a little with heavy recoil so I shoot a beretta xplor 4 for most of my shooting. If I use my sxs twelves I shoot a 20 gauge load and get by ok.

O/U is my favorite, if I was allowed only one shotgun it would be a semi-auto.

Auto. A light recoil operated 12 is a do everything gun that's easy to clean.

duckn66 wrote:I hunt quail with English Pointers and therefore the need for an auto loader is a requirement. They find many more birds than other breeds and usually the coveys they find are largeras well so an auto loader only makes sense.

Seriously though, it all depends on what I am hunting. For upland birds I like my lightweight, O/U in 20ga.

For waterfowl it has to be a 3 shot of some sort. I find that third shot very useful in dispatching cripples quickly without the need to have to dig for another shell if I were shooting a 2 shot gun.

Really? EP's find more and larger coveys than any other dog? Wow, you must be around some bad Britts and Shorthairs.

lugmastro wrote:

duckn66 wrote:I hunt quail with English Pointers and therefore the need for an auto loader is a requirement. They find many more birds than other breeds and usually the coveys they find are largeras well so an auto loader only makes sense.

Seriously though, it all depends on what I am hunting. For upland birds I like my lightweight, O/U in 20ga.

For waterfowl it has to be a 3 shot of some sort. I find that third shot very useful in dispatching cripples quickly without the need to have to dig for another shell if I were shooting a 2 shot gun.

Really? EP's find more and larger coveys than any other dog? Wow, you must be around some bad Britts and Shorthairs.

You see that smiling icon behind his statement, it means you shouldn't take it to seriously.

terrym wrote:Quality SxS guns tend to be pricy so I use O/U more but some day will finally find the "right" SxS. I want a 26" barrelled 16g. with English stock that is built on a gauge specific frame weiging around 6 1/4 lbs. Tough to find without selling a kidney.

You know you can live with one kidney right??

Charlie

Benelli superblackeagle for waterfowl, longtime Remington 870 wingmaster for pheasants user but this past year bought a browning citori featherlight 26" 12 ga. And absolutely love it, it kicks a bit more but it is so fast and smooth on pheasants I will never go back, use a 12 ga for wild birds up here but really wanting to invest in a 20ga o/u!