Where are the shotgun shooters?

[popplecop]

Come on some of you have to scatter gunners. I hear different reasons for lack of participation on Hunt Chat. Some say well it's summer, been a summer every year since I joined some years back and never been like this. I for one think it is too good of a sight to go down. Got to run but have added some new shotguns to the flock, will post later.

[GoodOlBoy]

Probably at home crying because somebody with a $300 mossberg pump outshot their $12K over and under. . . . . . ok so that was a shot.

Seriously i don't know where anybody is. I haven't gotten to even go skeet shooting lately.

GoodOlBoy

[dovehunter]

Probably at home crying because somebody with a $300 mossberg pump outshot their $12K over and under. . . . . . ok so that was a shot...

Nawh, you don't reckon that sort of thing ever happens do you! You know the $12K O/U has got to shoot better than the $300 Mossberg pump. It has to since it cost so much more. A friend of mine once told me "I always buy Mercedes-Benzs. They have to better don't they? Otherwise why would I pay twice as much (or more) for them?" ;)

Seriously though I too have wondered why there isn't more posting activity among the shotgunners. I consider myself primarily a shotgunner (hence my forum name dovehunter) first and foremost. I only concern myself with rifles and/or handguns when I can't be hunting with one of my scatterguns.

[skeet]

Well to be honest I have a couple of those 12K (or more) shotguns Do they shoot better than a Mossyberg?? Actually ..yes they do. Over the course of time. Have a Krieghoff that has in the neighborhood of 3/4 of a million shells through it. It is now worth 4 times what I paid and still good for another 3/4 million shells. Do that with your mossyberg! I really don't think so. Love to shoot shotguns..mainly doves and ducks..but clay birds will do in the off seasons. We have a BUNCH of those Collared doves here. No seasons no limits they stay all year and you can bait 'em too. And they eat ok.. Not 'nuff shotgun shooters here though. You probably couldn't get a really good dove shoot together up here...and the doves are here..till cold weather...about August 29th:D But I do ok on ducks and the pheasants are ok..just too easy to hit..just a big ol chikin.;)

[GoodOlBoy]

no but how many mossbergs do I hafta buy to reach $12K?

:D

GoodOlBoy

[GoodOlBoy]

oh ok I will give you break actions vs mossbergs, so how about my H&R model 88 vs your $12k?

GoodOlBoy

[skeet]

It ain't about the gun..it's about this..Keep your gun for 25 yrs..shoot it 3/4 million times and get 4 times what ya paid for it and have the satisfaction of shooting a nice pretty gun all them years. Actually I like pretty guns and all but usually shoot ugly repeaters in the field..cause I can shoot 3-5 times if necessary. Course I NEVER took a plug out while shootin ducks er nothing...:rolleyes:;) I DID take the plug out fer shootin deer. Actually shot 5 running out of a woods one day. longest was the last at just over 60 yds. I shot deer on crop damage permits in Md. It was a hard job...but somebody hadda do it I guess.:confused: A friend of mine actually killed 3 deer one morning with his Savage muzzleloader in 3 minutes all within 10 ft of each other.. Lot of deer back there in Md..

[Larryjk]

Skeet, The local doves are already headed to Colorado for Dan Morris to shoot their tails off. We had two mornings of 36-39 and one that I think it actually got to the lower 30s at my house. Game warden agrees that the local doves have already jumped ship.
I will probably go get a few sage grouse if I can find someone to give them to. I tried to eat a couple in 1963 (Middle Park, CO.) and haven't tried any since. We might shoot a few ducks, but you need to go to the grain growing country if you want to eat them. We will take our usual trip to eastern Oregon to shoot quail and pheasants. I cut my teeth on shotguns and have to go after it if there is anything around to shoot with them.
I don't have those fancy P and K guns, just Beretta, Remington and Japanese Daly in OUs. After that it is Winchesters in Model 12s, 42, and 50. I have any old LC in 12 gauge that is a duck killer and an old French double in 12 ga., 2 1/2 " shells that I don't shoot. I may sell that one. There is also the possibility of the annual trip to central N.D. for pheasants. Man are those tough birds.

[GoodOlBoy]

I got the satisfaction of shootin a nice gun all these years in my old H&R, Skeet. It ain't fancy but it is nice. And no I don't think I could even get the $60 or so my grandparents paid new for it. Flip side is I wouldn't sell it. That four times the price deal don't do you a bit of good if you are gonna hang onto it anyway.

GoodOlBoy

[Dan Morris]

Glad the dove are moving.......frankly, after marriage and kids, I gave up skeet n trap. I have several 870's that I make 1-2 dove trips with....that ends my shotgun for the year! While elk hunting, I generally take one for
grouse. But....dang it, I always shoot em with a 357! Been pheasant hunting ONCE since I moved here 35 years ago!
Dan
:cool:

[skeet]

[QUOTE=Larryjk;331649]Skeet, The local doves are already headed to Colorado for Dan Morris to shoot their tails off. We had two mornings of 36-39 and one that I think it actually got to the lower 30s at my house. Game warden agrees that the local doves have already jumped ship.



Yep got pretty cool here a couple of mornings.. but the doves are still here. They are just cutting barley here now and the doves are chowing down on the spilled grain. If'n we're lucky we might get a shoot in here.

Larry I have a couple of K guns but the one that probably means the most to me is a nice little Ithaca NID in 28 ga grade 4 ejector gun. Nope don't shoot it very often they only made 5 of 'em and it is worth approx 25-30 K. It just means more to me because of the history. I know the guy that had it made back in 1930. Shot quail with him a few times. I was just a kid and he was an oldtimer.. but ohmigosh..could he shoot. Have had Perazzi's and they were alright..the Beretta was like shootin a fence post to me. But my all time favorite shootin in the field gun is the Model 12 followed closely by the good ol 1100....a much maligned gun. Usually when ya have an 1100 that won't work... it ain't the gun... it's the shooter. All time worst gun to shoot was an old Browning Auto 5..it worked but wow could it kick ya around. Not my idea of fun..but I shot it for 8 yrs about 30,000 rounds a year. Couldn't take the pounding..the gun I mean. Finally decided I couldn't either.. It was worse than owning the old XKE Jag I had..POS always needed workin on. both of 'em

[fabsroman]

I don't know where to start. I was shooting shotguns when I was 6 and didn't shoot a centerfire rifle until I was about 20. Most of my dreams about hunting/shooting involve a shotgun.

As far as high dollar guns are concerned, I like them. The only argument for not liking them is when you cannot afford them, like me right now. With that said, my first shotgun was some beat up POS .410 single shot with a hammer, that my dad still has in his gun safe. We were actually just talking about it tonight when I was over there. I said that in 5 or 6 years my son, my dad's grandson, would be coming with us hunting. My dad said he could use the .410, to which I remarked that he would still be too young for a shotgun at 5 or 6. We'll see what his maturity level is.

I've shot skeet's K gun, and probably the exact one that he is referring to in this post. It is a nice gun, but for some reason I just really like my Berettas for clays, especially my 391 Teknys Sporting Clays gun.

I thought I would always love the o/u guns because of their "snob" factor, but after shooting them for 10 years and then picking up a Benelli SBE for hunting, I found that I did better with the SBE than the Beretta 686. Then, when the Teknys came out I bought it as soon as I saw one on the shelves, and shot a 48/50 in sporting clays the first time out with it. Never hit that many with the o/u.

As far as shooting and hunting after a wife and kids is concerned, it does put a damper on it. However, I'm going to try my hardest to get out there this year. My dad, brother, and I are supposed to go clay shooting in 2 weeks and a friend wants me to shoot with him this weekend.

GOB - you can buy 40 of the 870's for the price of the K-gun. You could also buy 3 of the 870's for what I paid for the SBE. With that said, if I had three 870's in my possession, I would gladly trade them for a SBE. I've shot a friend's 870 and absolutely hated it. In the end, if you enjoy what you are hunting with, that is all that matters.

As far as a Mercedes being twice as good as a car priced at half as much, I think that is a bunch of BS. My Taurus has 200,000 miles on it and it is 12 years old, knock on wood. It cost me $16,500. My cousin's Mercedes AMG cost him $100,000 and he has had a bunch of problems with it and it is just over a year old. Sometimes, there is the exclusivity factor. In other words, people are willing to pay a lot for something not because it is better, but because it is very exclusive. If Ferraris cost $50,000, I'm willing to bet over time more people would buy Corvettes and Vipers than Ferraris if the performance was anywhere similar.

[Larryjk]

Skeet, I grew up with a Model 12 in my hands, 12 gauge. I think I am going to like the 16 gauge better because of the balance. Actually, I feel the 28 inch barrels balance better than the 30s, and I am currently looking around for a 12 gauge with 28" modified. I think that should be a heck of a pheasant gun. You said a Beretta feels like a fence post to you and I bet you had a 30 inch gun. I shoot a 686 Perdiz with 28" barrels for hunting, skeet and sporting clays. I like the balance, and I can shoot it rather well. The 16 gauge also has 28" modified barrel. The first time I shot it was on a skeet field, and I shot a 22 international style. I felt it had potential for birds. They are all fun when we have time. Popplecop, I don't think we see as many scattergun shooters here because of the other shotgun forums. I look at Trapshooters.com every couple days, but it used to be better.

[skeet]

A Model 12 is the first gun I ever bought..and sold. Bought it a the age of 11..as new 26" IC. Paid 35 bucks..sold it a few days later for 50 bucks. Let me tell ya..15 bucks was a LOT of money then. especially for a kid. That 15 bucks bought me a Colt SAA in 38WCF which I still have. Worth a whole lot more than what I paid.

I have shot lots of Berettas. Owned quite a few and all of 'em seem to have clubs for stocks. I did have a Beretta double that I shot ok..but that thing would stomp ya. So I kept it around and was stolen out of my truck at the PG shooting place in Md. Except for the money..I never missed it.

Never had much use for the 16. Anything I can do with it I can do with a 20...and a whole lot easier finding good ammo. I did use a 16 for one season hunting waterfowl when they made us go to steel shot, which sucks. As far as M-12's I have a 12 ga skeet gun with a factory Cutts that I use ocassionally to shoot doubles at skeet with. Best I've ever done was a 99 but I shoot low gun with it. SO much fun. I also have a rem 31 with a cutts. Almost as much fun as the M-12. The one I enjoy shooting the most though is the Pigeon grade 20 ga. It just seems to fit so well. Hardly miss shootin doves with it. The 28 ga is neat for a conversation piece but doesn't operate as smoothly as the 20. Always seems to hang up at the wrong time. Had another one that was better but just too much wiggle room with 'em as they are made on a 20 ga frame. So is the 16.

As far as O/Us I used the Brownings..Belgian and Japanese..and they were ok but they stomped you in 12 ga....especially the Belgian Brownings Shot the Charles daly and Winchester 101s and really liked the 32 and 3200 Remingtons..Still have Franchi in my Live Pigeon gun. One of the only Italian O'Us that ever seemed to fit. Bought it on my way to the World Pigeon shoot in 1980 or so. It is as they say...a little tight. But it do kill a pigeon. I actually won 'nuff there to pay my way..but those people could shoot. No live pigeon shootin in Wyoming darn it. Expensive game.

But the gun I shoot the most for fun these days is the 1100 platform guns. They just fit..and for playing..work just fine for me.Also have an M1 Super 90 that feels about th same as the 1100s..SBE has a different feel to it. But it do shoot ok. And with heavy shot or it's equivalent..I really don't need a 3 1/2 inch 12 ga. gun...especially with that ol 10 ga Ithaca I have here.

[GoodOlBoy]

fabs yer dead on I just had to throw a ration of crapola out there to all the owners of the high dollar guns. I just couldn't help myself. I don't own one because I can't afford one, and if I could it would be a waste of money for me because it would never leave the house. Thats why I don't buy very expensive purties. Not that they aren't worth it, but that they aren't worth it to me.

I was given my H&R model 88 at age 6 by my grandparents and have been hunting with it ever since. That old gun has had hundreds of thousands of rounds fired through it in the last 28 years and it still locks up tight, shoots better than I do, and looks good. The only thing I have EVER considered replacing on it was the plastic trigger guard with a brass one. I think the old girl deserves the upgrade. But then again she really likes what she already has.

GoodOlBoy

[Dan Morris]

Since you guys are talking bout what ya HAD.....started skeet with M12 set and a 42 with cutts. Went to a Browning Purbaugh tube set...then 1100's......mini gun (410) was a PITB.....loved the 28ga.Of all of em, the tube set was my favorite.
Only trap gun I ever owned was a M12......shot more skeet than trap...to me, trapshooters took it too serious!!!As stated, sold all this stuff off to feed the pamper habbit...LOL...skeet fields is scarce in Colorado....
Dan

[fabsroman]

Skeet,

Don't you know yet that you have to be Italian for the Italian guns to fit you. That is why they feel so good in my hands and on my shoulder. LOL

[fabsroman]

GOB,

I was talking the other day to a cycling buddy of mine about guns. We both race together, and used to race against one another 20 years ago. Anyway, he just got into shooting clays and knew I am a gun guy, so he called me to talk to me about buying a gun. He had no clue that I actually shoot a lot of clays along with hunting. He doesn't have a lot of money and was looking at an used Remington o/u for $450. He was talking to me about the expensive guns that other people have at the range. Actually, the same range where Skeet had his Beretta stolen from his truck, PG County Trap & Skeet. Anyway, we got to talking and we both agreed that it is all about the person behind the gun or on the bike. Me, I finally have money to buy expensive bikes and guns. However, I have less time to ride and shoot. On the other hand, my buddy has been tearing it up on the racing scene this year. He has a single road bike while I have 5, but he rides that road bike like crazy.

Ultimately, it is all about the person. Plus, it is all about the memories. I still have my 24 year old Mino Denti bike from when my buddy and I used to race 20+ years ago. He had the same bike back then. When he came over and saw it, it brought back a lot of memories for him. That is the reason why I will not sell that bike or any of my guns.

Use what you have, use it well, and have fun while you are doing it. Plus, be happy with what you have and live within your means. If everybody did this, we wouldn't be in a recession right now and a lot of people would be a lot happier.

[fabsroman]

Moderation. Moderation. You have to find a balance between pampers and guns, or you have to potty train kids ASAP. LOL

[skeet]

Since you guys are talking bout what ya HAD.....started skeet with M12 set and a 42 with cutts. Went to a Browning Purbaugh tube set...then 1100's......mini gun (410) was a PITB.....loved the 28ga.Of all of em, the tube set was my favorite.
Only trap gun I ever owned was a M12......shot more skeet than trap...to me, trapshooters took it too serious!!!As stated, sold all this stuff off to feed the pamper habbit...LOL...skeet fields is scarce in Colorado....
Dan

Hey Dan...I do know about them Purbaugh sets. Had a few...Still have a Perazzi with ol Claude's tubes. It still shoots good but the bbls are too short for best shootin 27 5/8" barrels.. I also started shooting a M-12 set with the 42. I shot a 99 with that 42...once. 410 IS a PITA for certain. But a 100 straight in the 410 is better than....SEX. And happens less often.

Fabs Some Italian guns fit just fine... Like the Perazzi. Berettas Nah. None have ever fit right except one a friend had a stock made for. It was a left hand stock and still fit me better than anything Beretta made. Back when Beretta ran PG they even offered me a free gun to use. I actually turned it down. Now I will say that the darn things can take a lot of shootin. A friend shot 250M through one and sent it to Beretta to be gone over. They didn't make it any prettier but when he got it back it was just as tight as new. The really bad thing about Beretta is their service takes forever. The Franchi also fits well...especially for a pigeon gun. It has boat oar wood(plain no figure) on it except it has to be extremely hard wood as it has 30 line to the inch checkering. You really can't put that fine checkering on any wood less'n it is hard. Oh and it do have a fair recoil with the heavy pigeon loads!

[GoodOlBoy]

Someday I am going to get me a good Stoeger coach gun. Maybe in 20, or maybe in 12, I really really like 20s so I don't know.

GoodOlBoy

[skeet]

Those coach guns really have a limited use. Hard to hunt with except for really close shootin but if ya just have to have one..make it a 20. Less recoil:D

[wrenchman]

goodolboy i had the stoeger coach gun in 12 it was my bear bait grouse and rabbit gun for a while it handels real well.
When running bear baits the gun was lite and could be carryed with one hand while the bucket of bait was in the other bait bucket gets dropped when a sow steps out on the bait.
I am sorry i sold the gun now thow i do have a savage 311 the stoeger was liter and shorter.

[Dan Morris]

Fabs, I found it better to chamber something beides shotgun round LOL
Besides, skeet ranges a scarce in Co.....K guns...I shot em with Jim Bellows an John Guitar....both worked for Hal...wasn't really impressed Hey, I just graduated to big bore rifle...M12 trap I bought from the same gut I bought home from...Col Jim Ballard...on a Army Trap Team
Dan
:D

[Larryjk]

Dan Morris, There should be some skeet ranges on the front range. I used to shoot it at Ent AFB and Winchester Denver. I would think Colorado would have a bunch on the front range. We put in two fields in Rawlins (along with 4 trap and 1 five stand field). The fellow that ran the range told us we were wasting the money to put in skeet ranges, but they get as much use as the trap ranges. There are 4, maybe 5 towns in Wyoming that have skeet ranges. I am going to look up the shooting ranges on the net to see what I can find in CO. In order for people to shoot skeet, there have to be skeet ranges.

[Dan Morris]

Larry, thanks... usta shoot at Ent and Isaac Walton....35 years ago.
AF was always more skeet than trap...man. the years do go away! Any how, I graduated to center fire rifles ...don't get to shoot as much as I used too...
too busy being greedy to chase the $$$ for retirement!!!
Still go up to Laramie and shoot a trap round with Jimmy Rinker...fine folks in WY...NEVER met one I didn't find to just be people! Better than this cutthroat paradise I live in!!!LOL
All my life, I've chased the wind....no clear goals...I think it's about to catch up with me....
Dan

[skeet]

Heck I know there is one down a little east of Denver. I shot the state shoot there last year. It was an ok place to shoot. Even ran a hundred in the 12, I guess. I shoot the 20 in the 12 ga .. Blew the shootoff though..dang it. Hate to do that. Got in a shootoff this year at the state shoot in Casper. I think the fellow was from down to Denver..He lasted almost 2 boxes of doubles with the 28 ga.. I'm gonna have to get down to Rawlins..check out the shootin there too. I know they shoot in Casper Cody and I think down to Cheyenne.

[Larryjk]

Skeet, I think Jackson may also have a skeet range. The range in Rawlins closes in the fall, and the indoor range at the Recreation Center opens (pistols and 22 rifles.) I will have to get the dates. There is also a pretty good sporting clays range at the Silver Spur Guest Ranch south of Saratoga. It is 10 stations and they get tweaked often so it changes a little. The Silver Spur is tied in with Cabela's hunts and gets a pretty good turnout for some shoots. I believe the Platte Valley Shootout in mid-July had 154 shooters. That, and a 4H benefit shoot in Mid-June are special events, with a shoot each month. The next one there is September 13th, the last of this year. I am going to shoot my old LC Smith double for the heck of it. The range at the Silver Spur is new and growing. I think they also acquired the skeet machines from Old Baldy Club.

[MtnMike2]

I have to admit I'm not that good w/ a shotgun. Like Dan, I practice with rifle and pistol but haven't had a shotgun out in years. Well, I just inherited a Win Mod 21 and it's got me thinking about maybe doing some turkey hunting in southeast CO. I know I need to practice both shooting and calling for this, but I wouldn't be too worried about bagging a turkey; I'd like to see the country there, camp and just get away (again).

Mike

[GoodOlBoy]

I started hunting at age 4 with my grandfathers. I started carrying my own gun at age 6. It was a H&R model 88 20 gauge. I still have it, and it is still a beauty. I am better with that shotgun than any other I pickup, but then I have had a couple decades to practice with it.

I only started skeet shooting (other than just messing around with a thrower) last year at the skeet range with dad. I am using a mossberg model 500 20 gauge. I think the guy with the 12K 28 gauge OU was stunned at how well I was doing with it. After all his attitude (and yes he voiced it) was that if it didn't cost at least $5k then it wouldn't work for skeet at all, it just wasn't enough gun. He had alot of surprises coming that day.

GoodOlBoy

[popplecop]

Good ole boy. you proved it's the shooter not the gun. As far as SS shotguns go, both my turkey guns are breal actions. Have one 12 with a red dot type scope and a 10 with a peep sight, love em both.

[GoodOlBoy]

I really REALLY want a coach gun length side by side with functional hammers. But as long as I am dreaming I want to win the lottery too.

GoodOlBoy

[popplecop]

You can sign up on Gun Broker for the specific type of gun you looking for and they will email as they are posted.

[GoodOlBoy]

yeah but so many of them the hammers are just decoration. . . .

GoodOlBoy

[rainydays]

I do quite abit of hunting with a shotgun. For uplands, which include pheasant, sharptail and huns, I use only a 20ga. Used an old Savage/Stevens model 311A SXS for decades. One day I decided I should have an new lighter weight O/U so I bought a Beretta 20 ga. Yes they are nice guns, but it didn't take to long to find that I really did miss the double trigger. My son has the old 311A now. If it wouldn't be for my wife possible killing me, I would trade him even up for the old 311A. For ducks and geese I mostly use my Stoeger O/U 12 ga. It's a workhorse and doesn't mind laying around in dirty muddy stubblefields where we mainly hunt. Season is close at hand again. My young lab is always ready to go as am I.:)

[skeet]

Personally I could never shoot a SXS very well. Oh I had a few that were ok.. Neat on a quail shoot..but I really was so quick on a covey rise 2 shots just didn't cut it too well. Course i was young and young'uns always want to shoot more. Had a Win M-21 or 3 that I shot ok 12 16 and a 20..had a 410 but never shot it. I also used a Stevens 311 in 16 ga for one season when they went to steel shot. I could still shoot an ounce and a quarter with the 16 but it was again..a 2 shooter. I was guiding and actually needed 3 shots. The double triggers were a pain too. I had a really nice double gun with 2 sets of bbls. Bought it at the Grand one year. Had a set of 32 Inch trap bbls and a set of 26 inch skeet bbls. Miller Single trigger and I shot it great(at skeet) but someone paid me too much money to think about keeping it. It was a Fox SxS made in the mid 30's.. Had a bit of recoil too. Only SXS I have now is an old Parker 12 ga D grade A Win 21 20 ga bird gun and an Ithaca 28 ga..Also made in the 30's

[Duffy]

skeet ranges a scarce in Co.....

Dan, check out www.claytargetsonline.com for a guide to skeet/trap/5-stand/sporting clays locations nationwide. I don't know Colorado's geography very well (I've only ever been in the Denver airport), but it looks like there are a few to choose from.

I got started hunting with a shotgun, then moved on to rifles when I lived in Pennsylvania. Now that I am an Ohioan, my hunting, including deer, is mostly with shotguns, though I still have my rifles. I have several shotguns, though none which are really high-end. But I agree that it's the person behind the stock, not the gun itself, though I wouldn't mind having a five-figure firearm someday! (Emphasis on someday...)

For the past few years I've been shooting skeet weekly in a league, and shoot a Baikal O/U there most times. I can't begin to calculate how many rounds have gone through it, and it works great every time. (I don't always, but the gun does!)

I have other shotguns in single, semi-auto and pump, and love them all.

[popplecop]

Good ole boy, Told you wrong, it's Gun Broker that will send catagories that you want.