Back up guns

quail hound

quail hound

Moderator
As some of you may know I am heading to SD in a few short weeks and I got to thinking about which guns I will take. I'm taking my 20ga O/U of course, my 28ga SxS, uncles 20ga A5 mag as a back up, and grandpa's (my) 12ga webmaster because it deserves to drop a few SD birds. 4 shotguns, and thats just me.:eek: I'll have to limit my brother to bringing one gun.:D Am I crazy or is this normal?
 
One year I had been shooting a couple older 16 gauge guns a lot and quite well, so I reloaded some Nice Shot (nontox) for the South Daota state lands and of course brought lead for the private and ditches. At the last moment I threw in modern 12 gauge "just in case" and felt a little funny about bringing a 3rd gun. Wouldn't you know BOTH of those older 16's went down with mechanical problems and I finished the trip with the 3rd gun, the modern 12. Lesson learned!
 
At least one back up gun. I've never had gun troubles but I always have a back up gun.
 
Well my 28ga is my #1, its the only gun I've shot this season and there is a chance I will stop in Kansas on the way home and try for a covey or two of quail so I'll definitely need it for that. My 20ga O/U is my regular pheasant gun, I just haven't shot it yet this year. A5 mag is my back up and the Wingmaster is coming mostly for nostalgia but I'll walk a field with it or use it if I'm ever a blocker so I pretty much have them all rationalized.:thumbsup:
 
carptom1 said:
Only 4? Your legs are too young to be a blocker.
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Maybe so, but if I bust my knee one more time between now and then I may need to once or twice.:(

I busted my knee (this is the third time in a few weeks) on the door of my work truck getting out today and it took all I had to climb into the grader after that.
 
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it doesnt matter if im hunting pheasant, squirrel, rabbit, deer, turkey, or varmits, I ALWAYS take at least two guns. im a firm believer in the saying "2 is 1, 1 is none" i would hate to travel all the way out to somewhere nice only to be caught without a working firearm.
 
FCSpringer said:
LOL have fun in the mid west QH. You certainly will not be able to yell "Don't shoot! I am unarmed!":thumbsup::cheers: Enjoy your trip.
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No one will accuse me of being under gunned, thats for sure.:D I can't wait, come on Dec 10.
 
We always bring an extra gun! Except the one time I needed it. Wouldn't you know it my o/u stopped firing and I was about 3 hours from home. I went into town and bought a cheap pump shotgun for the rest or the days hunt. Lesson learned. Now my other problem, I always bring too many shells. Do you bring a case of 16's a case of 12's, a case of 28's, and a case of 20's if you are shooting all those different guns?
 
goldenboy said:
We always bring an extra gun! Except the one time I needed it. Wouldn't you know it my o/u stopped firing and I was about 3 hours from home. I went into town and bought a cheap pump shotgun for the rest or the days hunt. Lesson learned. Now my other problem, I always bring too many shells. Do you bring a case of 16's a case of 12's, a case of 28's, and a case of 20's if you are shooting all those different guns?
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i bring AT LEAST two boxes of every gauge i am taking. If i have two 12's and a 20, i take 4 boxes of 12, and 2 of 20. Again, "two is one, one is none"
 
Two guns (always Ithaca Model 37s, which I own seven of) are all I ever take on my Montana trips -- this year it was a 16-gauge and a 20-gauge. There's probably a better chance of me losing possession of one of them somehow than there is of encountering an unfixable mechanical issue, but I don't feel right unless I have two and I always end up using both.

I used to take an entire bag full of ammo, but no more. I go the minimal route in that area now because I can always buy more when I'm up there.
 
Not a case, I'm not that bad of a shot lol. I'll take a couple boxes of lead and a box of non tox for each gauge though. To be honest there's probably enough lose/ random shells in the top of the dog box to keep a whole hunting party supplied for a week of hunting.:D
 
tript2009 said:
i bring AT LEAST two boxes of every gauge i am taking. If i have two 12's and a 20, i take 4 boxes of 12, and 2 of 20. Again, "two is one, one is none"
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Tript, not boxes CASES!!!!!!!!!!
My favorite line to everybody is do you have enough shells when we leave the truck, because they are really expensive in the field?! Couple of years ago I asked the question and everybody said yes. Wouldn't you know it the guy to my left started getting a lot of shooting! Missed a bunch but ended up walking towards me and mumbling under his breath lets switch spots. I said why you are getting great opportunities? Then he informs me he is out of shells! I have never let him live that one down. So yes I bring way to many shells but I never run out!
 
goldenboy said:
Tript, not boxes CASES!!!!!!!!!!
My favorite line to everybody is do you have enough shells when we leave the truck, because they are really expensive in the field?! Couple of years ago I asked the question and everybody said yes. Wouldn't you know it the guy to my left started getting a lot of shooting! Missed a bunch but ended up walking towards me and mumbling under his breath lets switch spots. I said why you are getting great opportunities? Then he informs me he is out of shells! I have never let him live that one down. So yes I bring way to many shells but I never run out!
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thats exactly how I am: I would rather walk into the field with more ammo than I could ever end up needing, than be caught with an empty gun.
 
quail hound said:
As some of you may know I am heading to SD in a few short weeks and I got to thinking about which guns I will take. I'm taking my 20ga O/U of course, my 28ga SxS, uncles 20ga A5 mag as a back up, and grandpa's (my) 12ga webmaster because it deserves to drop a few SD birds. 4 shotguns, and thats just me.:eek: I'll have to limit my brother to bringing one gun.:D Am I crazy or is this normal?
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Only reason I ever bring an extra gun, is for nostalgic reasons. While I dont particularly like the learning curve associated with handling a gun that I dont shoot regularly, it does my mind and soul good when I carry a gun that hasnt seen the light of day for a while.

I carried the old Browning Twelvette that was a gift to me from my 5th grade teacher several times last year..

I carried the 1968 Browning A5 20 mag with a skeet bbl a couple times this year.

Im picking up a new to me 69 Browning A5 20 mag full choke that I bought last week today. Not much on a full choke gun, but the price was right.

Pretty sure she will be riding with when I go out over Thanksgiving.

I should take my old 1100 that I grew up with one of these days also, but I just cant hardly bring myself to carry a 12 anymore..
 
quail hound said:
I pretty much have them all rationalized.:thumbsup:
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That's the bottom line. I only have two shotguns and I used to take both to Montana but since I shoot so few times, the 12 ga. and its' shells were just extra baggage so I now pass on the 12. The only problems I've had with the 20 ga. Citori O/U were my fault and didn't have a real effect except to allow the bird to fly away unharmed. I'd bet your guns are well maintained so that a catastrophic failure, although possible, just won't happen. On your first big trip, bring everything you own plus a slingshot and a sackful of ball bearings.:)
 
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