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No love for the OU or SxS, eh? I still hunt with my grandfather's old Sauer and Sohn SxS 12 gauge that I started with when I was 12. I have my grandmother's model 97, with which she set many a club record at the old San Antonio Gun Club back in her day - love it for skeet and clays, even with it's full choke. Something about that gun - when I toss it to my shoulder, I hit.
But...I DID break down and buy a "fancy" a while back....along with it, I've got 4-5 more SxS in various gauges, several 870's a Mdl 12 or two, a pair of KSG's, a Drilling, and several others...variety is GOOD!
Oh yeah, the OP was on about auto vs. pump, but, I really like a double better than either one. Who here has missed on the first 2 shots, and then downed a bird on the third shot? Anybody?
Old L.C. Smith Ideal Grade 12 on a 20 gauge frame. A very sweet gat. I don't have any O/U at the time and I should fix that...Have always been partial to the Browning Superposed, notwithstanding my preference for double triggers.
And as a handloader, the double lets me get off 2 shots without having to chase my empties. And I will freely admit, I have never hit anything with the third shot, myself. A real expert could get 3 birds from a single rise with a pump or automatic, I guess, although I have never seen anybody do that. And the double gives me a quick choice of two different chokes. I personally prefer double triggers as I can figure them out "on the fly" quicker than a selective single trigger.
Another point for the pump over the automatic. If I get a good solid hit with the first shot, I can roll the gun over and eject the empty at my feet, while the automatics fling it into the sage brush, need to or not.
Cool stories about guns inherited from grandparents. My old A-5 Browning 12 gauge was my Grandpa's, he passed it to my Dad, now it's mine. Grandma was a shooting champion? I compliment you on your choice of ancestors!
Oh yeah, the OP was on about auto vs. pump, but, I really like a double better than either one. Who here has missed on the first 2 shots, and then downed a bird on the third shot? Anybody?
Old L.C. Smith Ideal Grade 12 on a 20 gauge frame. A very sweet gat. I don't have any O/U at the time and I should fix that...Have always been partial to the Browning Superposed, notwithstanding my preference for double triggers.
And as a handloader, the double lets me get off 2 shots without having to chase my empties. And I will freely admit, I have never hit anything with the third shot, myself. A real expert could get 3 birds from a single rise with a pump or automatic, I guess, although I have never seen anybody do that. And the double gives me a quick choice of two different chokes. I personally prefer double triggers as I can figure them out "on the fly" quicker than a selective single trigger.
Another point for the pump over the automatic. If I get a good solid hit with the first shot, I can roll the gun over and eject the empty at my feet, while the automatics fling it into the sage brush, need to or not.
Cool stories about guns inherited from grandparents. My old A-5 Browning 12 gauge was my Grandpa's, he passed it to my Dad, now it's mine. Grandma was a shooting champion? I compliment you on your choice of ancestors!
I’ve taken 3 Hungarian partridge with my autoloader, but the third bird (+ more) held until we got closer.
I helped friends clear out their house last year, a house full of the debris from 55 years of hunting, fishing, dog training, canoeing, etc. I sold the firearms for them that they no longer wanted at a gun show. Most of those guns were pump shotguns fifty years or older and all were in various states of disrepair and inoperable. The young shoppers were fascinated with them and cleared the table off by lunchtime. It made me feel real good about the generation of shooters coming up behind us. And apparently everyone loves pump shotguns.
Cool stories about guns inherited from grandparents. My old A-5 Browning 12 gauge was my Grandpa's, he passed it to my Dad, now it's mine. Grandma was a shooting champion? I compliment you on your choice of ancestors!
Thanks - they were truly icons of their age, and close friends to many of the old shooting community here. Their guns will one day go to my sons - my own grandson already got MY first gun received when I turned 12 - a Remington semi-auto 22, complete with the original invoice and warranty paperwork. Inasmuch as he's the 18th male to bear the same first name, he finally began to understand about "Heritage" as he realized that that paperwork had "HIS" name on it...lol
I've been a life-long .45 fan, so it warmed my heart when he asked my opinion on him buying a .45 for HIS first pistol. I was priveleged to go to the range with him when he came home on leave for its' inaugural shooting....and STILL managed to outshoot him with it. It's been a few years, but at one time I did pretty good on the shooting team when I was in the service....lol
I have never fired or even held a shotgun. At the range today there was a guy rocking a pump action and demolishing his target. My thoughts were that I want to get in on that action.
I have never fired or even held a shotgun. At the range today there was a guy rocking a pump action and demolishing his target. My thoughts were that I want to get in on that action.
Shotguns don't get enough credits for their usefulness and effectiveness. I was amazed how far its effective range is, especially if you shoot slugs (that does not requires a rifling barrel). But they also come with misconceptions such as you can spray into a room. You'll still need to aim with a shotgun and they don't spread out that much. I was shooting at 15 yds and the spread pattern is only 5-6 inch diameter.
Shotguns don't get enough credits for their usefulness and effectiveness. I was amazed how far its effective range is, especially if you shoot slugs (that does not requires a rifling barrel). But they also come with misconceptions such as you can spray into a room. You'll still need to aim with a shotgun and they don't spread out that much. I was shooting at 15 yds and the spread pattern is only 5-6 inch diameter.
It's worthwhile to go to a range and shoot your shotgun at a pattern board if you are lucky enough to have one, or just big cardboard box like toilet paper comes in, see what the pattern is for various loads. A lot of my older guns are choked pretty tight, in some cases it pays off to shoot at say a going away bird rather deliberately, let it get out there where the pattern will open up some.
Inside of 15 yards, you are generally going to hit your target with the entire shot charge, or miss it clean. If we are talking birds, one hit that close will not be particularly good eating.
I have never fired or even held a shotgun. At the range today there was a guy rocking a pump action and demolishing his target. My thoughts were that I want to get in on that action.
If you can arrange it (and Gunsite is probably within driving distance for you in Phoenix...) it will pay off in the long run to get some professional coaching and instruction, rather than just go to a trap shoot and try to teach yourself.
Some of the best shooters I know had no experience at all and got good training first thing. Didn't have a chance to develop bad habits.
You can probably find a good used pump or auto shotty at a pawn shop, gun store, etc.
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