Why do you got what you got?

I grew up with an English Setter and then 2 yellow labs after I got married and kids. When my oldest son had some health issues, we got him a Vizsla and then we bought another for ourselves. I got a female GSP in 2020 after our first Viszla died. She is our first GSP and has turned out to be a wonderful girl. We are lucky to have her but I had to have another Vizsla and picked up my new Vizsla pup two weeks ago.

I'll be 63 this year and hopefully these dogs and I will grow old together. They will likely be my last. I am running out of hunting partners anyway and my hunting truck should be shot by then.
 
Dogs -- Got my first Brittany about 1980, I've had 8 more Britts, down to only 3 now and one is 13 1/2. Before I got my first, hunting buddy had a Britt and I liked the hunting qualities and disposition.

First shotgun owned was my Grandfather's Parker sxs 12 ga, Damascus barrels - serial number says it was made about 1889. Shot it for 4 or 5 years - rabbits, quail, grouse, squirrels. Never a problem and wouldn't dare shoot it now. Now have 1100, 11-87, Browning 625 - my go to gun and couple of 20s for grandsons. I don't think I've ever sold a shotgun.

I'm 72, been hunting pheasants since 1995, started in KS. Started going just once a year, transitioned to SD a year later, so 26 years. Now that I'm retired go 3-4 times a year and try to play the weather in December and January which is my favorite time to hunt - no crowds. I know my years left hunting the way I like to hunt are coming to an end, so my plan is to go every chance I can. Maybe next year I go 5 times - new record.
 
dakotasj said:
Dogs -- Got my first Brittany about 1980, I've had 8 more Britts, down to only 3 now and one is 13 1/2. Before I got my first, hunting buddy had a Britt and I liked the hunting qualities and disposition.

First shotgun owned was my Grandfather's Parker sxs 12 ga, Damascus barrels - serial number says it was made about 1889. Shot it for 4 or 5 years - rabbits, quail, grouse, squirrels. Never a problem and wouldn't dare shoot it now. Now have 1100, 11-87, Browning 625 - my go to gun and couple of 20s for grandsons. I don't think I've ever sold a shotgun.

I'm 72, been hunting pheasants since 1995, started in KS. Started going just once a year, transitioned to SD a year later, so 26 years. Now that I'm retired go 3-4 times a year and try to play the weather in December and January which is my favorite time to hunt - no crowds. I know my years left hunting the way I like to hunt are coming to an end, so my plan is to go every chance I can. Maybe next year I go 5 times - new record.
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Good for you. I hope you get 5 trips this year. I am going for at least 3 trips myself. I'm 69 and like you I want to get all the gusto that I can.
 
Mosby said:
I grew up with an English Setter and then 2 yellow labs after I got married and kids. When my oldest son had some health issues, we got him a Vizsla and then we bought another for ourselves. I got a female GSP in 2020 after our first Viszla died. She is our first GSP and has turned out to be a wonderful girl. We are lucky to have her but I had to have another Vizsla and picked up my new Vizsla pup two weeks ago.

I'll be 63 this year and hopefully these dogs and I will grow old together. They will likely be my last. I am running out of hunting partners anyway and my hunting truck should be shot by then.
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Don’t sell yourself short, the hunt might change as you age but you will still be out there. I have hunting partners that are late 70s and just got new pups.

I will be 68 next season and I don’t foresee any slow down. But then I’ve never been a forced-march, hunt-all-day kind of person.
 
1st dog - Chessie (upland and waterfowl, mostly waterfowl) with a 870 Wingmaster for upland and a 1187 SuperMag SP for waterfowl

2nd dog - YLF (upland and waterfowl, split evenly) with a Stevens O/U 555E 20 ga for upland the the same 1187 for waterfowl

I did a lot better training the YLF than the Chessie (first time training a hunting dog), was not Roxy (Chessie's) fault, it was the trainer :)

Will not hunt without a dog....best friend!
 
My taste in dogs and guns have changed with time. I hunted Drahts and Labs. I used to hunt with an over and under. I now hunt exclusively Pointing Griffon and always have an 1100 with me. I like the Griffon because it is slow and methodical and never hunts for itself. I use the 1100 because it is the most dependable gun that I've ever owned and parts are easy to find and the parts are cheap and easy to install.
 

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Drew said:
How cold is it where you live? I hunt in temperatures down to zero and haven't had any issues.
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Drew, I think you're missing the point. He's trying to tell you that a reliable gun shouldn't need parts replaced. You indicated that the parts for your 1100 are easy to find, cheap, and easy to install.
 
Drew said:
How cold is it where you live? I hunt in temperatures down to zero and haven't had any issues.
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Sorry I was a little crotchety. I have had guys hunting with me on numerous occasion where their autos won't function. Browning Remington,Benelli whatever.

I have hunted many times when it was zero or below and then add in some windchill. I actually believe my new O/U didn't function properly because of the cold. I have froze a 870 pump up 2x.😉
 
McFarmer said:
Don’t sell yourself short, the hunt might change as you age but you will still be out there. I have hunting partners that are late 70s and just got new pups.

I will be 68 next season and I don’t foresee any slow down. But then I’ve never been a forced-march, hunt-all-day kind of person.
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I personally have hunted with a guy on here one year in December when he was about 80. He went all day without regret.
 
Weimdogman said:
Dependable guns don't need parts replaced.

Your 1100 would stay in the warm truck most of my hunts. It would be too cold to function. FACT
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This made me laugh today. I’ve been thinking about another post where everyone’s popping there chest about the best gauge they use, the correct choke, ect. The sport is hunting! The tools we use to obtain our success are mostly up to the individual. I hunt with a friend that wears the worst boots ever and dumb cloths. But the dude don’t complain a bit. The funny thing is he did hunt with an ol Remington 1100 that was broke all the time. But that was his favorite gun that he had hunted with for 40 years. He did give up on the ol girl and did get a new gun. So if a guys hunts with a stick and don’t complain it’s kinda hard give him a hard time. But I still would. I hunt for fun, so whatever I got I’m gonna have a great time with, and gonna get the most game!!!
 
Weimdogman said:
I have froze a 870 pump up 2x
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I've had an 870 jam up too, more than once. I got rid of that gun years ago though.

Honestly, if my shotgun failed while I was hunting, I would probably bring it in to a gunsmith one time for repairs. If it failed again, I'd get rid of it. There's no reason for equipment like that to be failing if you take care of it properly, even during inclement conditions. I had a friend to retired recently and he used the same 1100 Wingmaster since high school (50+ years). He told me that he had taken that shotgun into the gunsmith over 20 times over the years. I just shook my head and wondered why.
 
I owned 2 Rem 1148, 3 Rem 1100, Belgium Browning, Win 1400, Franchi 48, Numerous Ithaca 37's. Most but not all the 37 Ithaca failures were my fault from short shucking. All the autos jammed sooner or later except the 1400. Not saying it was always the guns fault as I'm not great at maintenance. But that's one reason I like o/u's and sxs's. I also think they are safer. Safer to unload. Easier to check to make sure they are unloaded, same if.. I mean when I go down. Get up break it down, look down the tubes, rinse and repeat!
 
gimruis said:
I've had an 870 jam up too, more than once. I got rid of that gun years ago though.

Honestly, if my shotgun failed while I was hunting, I would probably bring it in to a gunsmith one time for repairs. If it failed again, I'd get rid of it. There's no reason for equipment like that to be failing if you take care of it properly, even during inclement conditions. I had a friend to retired recently and he used the same 1100 Wingmaster since high school (50+ years). He told me that he had taken that shotgun into the gunsmith over 20 times over the years. I just shook my head and wondered why.
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try

It’s stories like this for the reason I started this thread. I have a friend who buys cheaper older cars because he don’t mind working on them. This personally makes my stomach hurt. I shoot a Benelli M2, is the thing flawless? Heck no! When it does malfunction most times I know why and can be prevented. That’s what makes hunting and forums like this fun. Given your buddies a hard time bout how there gun don’t work knowing tomorrow that could be you, and gonna take it twice as bad
 
Hard to beat a model 12 Winchester for reliability. I have a couple to loan to hunters if their gun fails during a hunt plus my own.
 
I hunted with a group of guys late season lots of snow on the ground. Heavy cover and sloughs with a couple food plots for good measure. We all had multiple dogs and blockers on escape routes as late season birds often flush wild. I had my beat up old 870 with a tiger stripe camo paint job,or what is left of a old poor camo job😉
Birds were flushing wild and because of old slow reaction times or for safety reasons I never fired over 1 time at any of the birds. One guy who shot quite a few birds was giving me shit about having a single shot pump. I responded hunting with the group I wish I owned a ammo company because of all the shots they were taking.
 
On my 6th dog. All springers, but one Brittany in the mix. 9 month old pup is the latest. Biggest reason, I like to be up close to watch them work. It’s all about the dog really. We’ve hunted waterfowl, ruffed grouse, and pheasants. Hope to do some out west stuff in coming years. Guns have been many. Browning pumps, a few 20 gauge sxs, but mostly over and under. I’ve had a sig Rizzini, a few beretta bl, and a few browning Citoris. Most all 20 gauges. My kids had 20 gauge youth BPS as first guns. Never wanted to carry 2 types of ammo. Settled on the superlight feather. Like the English stock and light weight. I do a lot more carrying than shooting. And it seems to shoot where I want it to. Newest puppy has way more energy than I remember, but I’ll never quit the dog stuff. Figure I have one more in me after Gus. That gets me into my 80’s. Fingers crossed!
 
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