Poll: Upland bird hunting....your gun choice?

[DeanMk]

Feel free to wax poetic about your favourite upland bird gun to your heart's content...and don't forget to vote. It's your right. =)


Dean

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[Bigbaddude]

Hard to give up my old Marlin model 90. Going keep hunting with it while I am still young enough to carry this beast

 

[that guy]

The H&R Topper is super light and easy to carry, and I never get off more than one shot on a bird anyway.

 

[Joe13]

Rem 870. Useful for everything.

 

[Legs]

Superposed

 

[Geardo]

I use a franchi al48 in 20 gauge.

Aluminum reciever autoloader, very light.

If I could afford it, I would prefer a high quality over under to prevent having to hunt around for spent hulls.

 

[Argonaut]

I have lots of 12 Gauges that I like........probably my Merkel 26" O/U. It weighs less than 6 lbs IC/mod and is very fine. I love my 870's, A5's, Superposed's as well.

 

[Stomper]

I'd just run my already dedicated bird gun... a Weatherby SA-08

 

[Alexx1401]

When I lived in the SW I LOVED Quail hunting. We were normally in heavy brush like Greaswood. Most shots the birds would flush almost right in front of you and hit the brush again. I soon learned what worked for me was a Mossy 500 I cut the barrel down on so no choke. Was a great little meal getter and miss the taste of those birds.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

mossberg 535. it can do it all. mine has 20,000+ rounds thru it with no problems

 

[USMC-03]

Winchester model 12 in 16 gage. Anything and everything upland...

 

[DirectDrive]

Browning B-80

 

[DeanMk]

When I lived in the SW I LOVED Quail hunting. We were normally in heavy brush like Greaswood. Most shots the birds would flush almost right in front of you and hit the brush again. I soon learned what worked for me was a Mossy 500 I cut the barrel down on so no choke. Was a great little meal getter and miss the taste of those birds.

Reminds me of the time I ran across a covey of Bobwhite's sitting in an Alfalfa field, out in Quincy. The whole covey would erupt out of the alfalfa, up to...maybe...eye level, then settle back down. Leaps of maybe 30-40 feet.
After a couple of hops, I started to notice them running on the ground, under the brush, huddling themselves back together.
I didn't really care if I got one or not, I was havin' a ball just chasing them around the field!
Might've had my 511 by then. Either that, or that cursed Model 20.

Dean

 

[DeanMk]

I'd just run my already dedicated bird gun... a Weatherby SA-08


View attachment 461184

I think you forgot something Stomper.
I only see a black strap on the ground.

 

[Southpaw]

Old Ithaca 37 featherlight in 20 gauge.

 

[Alexx1401]

Reminds me of the time I ran across a covey of Bobwhite's sitting in an Alfalfa field, out in Quincy. The whole covey would erupt out of the alfalfa, up to...maybe...eye level, then settle back down. Leaps of maybe 30-40 feet.
After a couple of hops, I started to notice them running on the ground, under the brush, huddling themselves back together.
I didn't really care if I got one or not, I was havin' a ball just chasing them around the field!
Might've had my 511 by then. Either that, or that cursed Model 20.

Dean

Yep that was what it was like, flush to eye level, hit the brush and run. Couple times when I would take a new hunter out to my favorite spot it was amusing to watch. Those who had hunted only things like Pheasant or Duck. I would say, "ok just up on the right, they are going to flush". When it would happen the shock of them taking off in front of them, and the speed would make them freeze or miss. Would always take them a few times to be ready for one it was so different from most other bird hunting. I always preferred it since I was never into sitting for hours and waiting for game to come to me. Wanted to get out and move around. When young it cost me one time though. Got too far from the adults. Made another huge mistake of thinking something way off in the distance was the ranchers home and walked to it. Only to find it was not. So spent the night out there. It got to the low teens and I had just jeans and a short sleeve shirt on. Wandered to one of those ICBM Sites we used to have out there in the middle of nowhere. The 2 GI's on Guard duty who I found probably still tell the story if they are still alive. It was a good laugh when it was all over but the people back home were not laughing until they got word they had found me about 0400

 

[MrMillspecer]

I shot a Pheasant and my dad's dog Rowdie took a bit to retrieve it . I was grabbing the bird from the dogs mouth by the neck as usual when it started scratching the heck out of my forearm. The dam thing was playing dead. A few spins in the air while holding his neck calmed him right down.

I used a Browning A5 and a Wingmaster now. Both in 12ga. Choose one that you shoot well with , once you get the lead down with the right ammo birds start dropping.

 

[bbbass]

I started out with longer pump guns because that is what I had been able to afford. Used them for duck also. I lived in San Diego, so we would hunt doves in Calexico with the longest shotties we had. Hunted ducks in the morning over decoys at the preserve on Salton Sea. Then we would go a bit south and hunt for quail... a lightweight, fast pointing shotgun is what I needed. So enter the SKB 20ga O/U. Never looked back. Used it for hunting Hungarian Partridge. Found it to be a bit underpowered for pheasant and chukar, so I bought a SKB 12ga O/U. And a Charles Daly 30" O/U for pass shooting of waterfowl and doves.

IMO, nothing beats the beauty, quality, and engraving of an O/U.

But the best duck shooting I had was with an A5... go figure.

 

[Alexx1401]

I shot a Pheasant and my dad's dog Rowdie took a bit to retrieve it . I was grabbing the bird from the dogs mouth by the neck as usual when it started scratching the heck out of my forearm. The dam thing was playing dead. A few spins in the air while holding his neck calmed him right down.

I used a Browning A5 and a Wingmaster now. Both in 12ga. Choose one that you shoot well with , once you get the lead down with the right ammo birds start dropping.

When I was a kid I always wanted one of those old Browning hump backs. Of course could not afford one but would always drool over them when I was in a shop.

 

[Alexx1401]

I started out with longer pump guns because that is what I had been able to afford. Used them for duck also. I lived in San Diego, so we would hunt doves in Calexico with the longest shotties we had. Hunted ducks in the morning over decoys at the preserve on Salton Sea. Then we would go a bit south and hunt for quail... a lightweight, fast pointing shotgun is what I needed. So enter the SKB 20ga O/U. Never looked back. Used it for hunting Hungarian Partridge. Found it to be a bit underpowered for pheasant and chukar, so I bought a SKB 12ga O/U. And a Charles Daly 30" O/U for pass shooting of waterfowl and doves.

IMO, nothing beats the beauty, quality, and engraving of an O/U.

But the best duck shooting I had was with an A5... go figure.

When I was a kid I was working in the city once a week or so. Would always stop at the Fredrick and Nelsons on the way home. Pick up some .22 ammo and drool over the gun case. They always had a few hand engraved Browning O/U's. They ran as much as a NICE new car then so of course there was no way it was going to happen but they were fun to look at and dream