What do you lose most often?

[roadscholar]

I'm terrible about leaving stuff behind that I needed to take with me. Like ammo.
Twice this season, I've left the house to go hunting and discovered later that I didn't put my ammo bag in the vehicle.
First time was in Sept, and I had just driven to a spot almost 3 hours away, west river, to hunt sharptails. I had both a 16ga and 28ga with me, and luckily I dug around and found 9 shells. 28ga dove loads, 3/4 oz of 8's. Not optimal, but at least I was gonna be able to hunt. Ended up shooting 3 sharpies in about 20 min with those dove loads, quickest limit of the season for me.

Now both of my hunting vehicles have a stash that stays in there all the time- a box each of 28, 20, 16, and 12 non-tox.

 

[Tomahawker]

I’ve lost 2 controllers. 1 as a youngster, it was my Dad’s. He was less than happy. 2 was in Kansas. $500 replacement. I was less than happy.

 

[Quailnerd]

When I hunt with buddies toting 28 gauges the thing they lose most often are downed birds.

Thank you!!

 

[Quailnerd]

My item left behind the most has to be sunglasses…

 

[benelli-banger]

Thank you!!

Truth is, lots of guys lose lotsa birds, regardless what they’re shooting…buddy called me earlier, he and his son are in SD hunting…gave them some tips on public land spots, CREP mostly..told me the first spot they went yesterday they flushed a bunch of birds, 10+, and they both got a clear shot at the same rooster…knocked it down…they’ve got a good dog…both shooting 12 gauges, #5 lead…coached them on chokes…lost the bird. These guys are shooting trap weekly, for about 2 months, pretty good shots…better than me. They weren’t in cattails…I’d be curious if Bob has actually hunted with anyone using 28’s…maybe, but I’d be surprised. I’d guess that the guys shooting the biggest, fastest, spendiest 12 gauge loads shoot at long-range straight aways and put pellets in birds that aren’t ever recovered…seems like discussions about restraint and disciplined shots often result from guys shooting sub-gauges, and by virtue of that, may not be guilty of that as consistently. As always, could be wrong. Certainly some truth about sub-gauges, including the 28, in particular, but I meet more and more guys that use them, and like them a lot. Quite a few on this forum do. Do what works for you, that gives you confidence…that’s pretty key…different topic, but at times, I’m not as confident, for whatever reason…spot I’m hunting, dog, buddy, maybe the gun I’m toting…not that often, maybe more often than not it happens if I’ve done some missing…usually I’m very confident, and that sure translates into birds in the vest for me…I’ve missed several layups this year, but my overall % is really good, for me, at least…maybe as good as I’ve shot in years. Mainly, I think, because I’ve been shooting one gun, that I shoot as well as any I own…Benelli Ultralight 12 gauge. But I want to be true to my authentic self, and manifest abundance on this special day, and practice gratitude…I’m getting a Benelli 28 gauge!!!

 

[Quailnerd]

Truth is, lots of guys lose lotsa birds, regardless what they’re shooting…buddy called me earlier, he and his son are in SD hunting…gave them some tips on public land spots, CREP mostly..told me the first spot they went yesterday they flushed a bunch of birds, 10+, and they both got a clear shot at the same rooster…knocked it down…they’ve got a good dog…both shooting 12 gauges, #5 lead…coached them on chokes…lost the bird. These guys are shooting trap weekly, for about 2 months, pretty good shots…better than me. They weren’t in cattails…I’d be curious if Bob has actually hunted with anyone using 28’s…maybe, but I’d be surprised. I’d guess that the guys shooting the biggest, fastest, spendiest 12 gauge loads shoot at long-range straight aways and put pellets in birds that aren’t ever recovered…seems like discussions about restraint and disciplined shots often result from guys shooting sub-gauges, and by virtue of that, may not be guilty of that as consistently. As always, could be wrong. Certainly some truth about sub-gauges, including the 28, in particular, but I meet more and more guys that use them, and like them a lot. Quite a few on this forum do. Do what works for you, that gives you confidence…that’s pretty key…different topic, but at times, I’m not as confident, for whatever reason…spot I’m hunting, dog, buddy, maybe the gun I’m toting…not that often, maybe more often than not it happens if I’ve done some missing…usually I’m very confident, and that sure translates into birds in the vest for me…I’ve missed several layups this year, but my overall % is really good, for me, at least…maybe as good as I’ve shot in years. Mainly, I think, because I’ve been shooting one gun, that I shoot as well as any I own…Benelli Ultralight 12 gauge. But I want to be true to my authentic self, and manifest abundance on this special day, and practice gratitude…I’m getting a Benelli 28 gauge!!!

I’ve just noticed that when a guy pulls out the 28 he’s either the best shot in the group or the worst…. Know your skill level!

 

[benelli-banger]

I’ve just noticed that when a guy pulls out the 28 he’s either the best shot in the group or the worst…. Know your skill level!

The only guys I’ve hunted with that shoot 28’s were last year, a guy that’s been using them for decades, great dogs, he’s a good shot…watched him hunt a few weeks ago, couldn’t believe the birds he was putting up in a sea of CREP…has pointers. And a buddy of mine joined me for an afternoon about a month ago in SD..he was heading further West the next day to hunt..I didn’t know he was shooting a 28…he had a Beretta auto…he killed 5…Goose referred to that as me “getting my ass kicked!”……if Goose ever hunted with me, I’d send him on the exact same walk…always works…follow the 3 field edges that border the crop fields…works great! Wandering around in the interior of the field, a sea of grass, yields birds, but those edges are the bomb…yeah, blinding flash of the obvious…I get a major charge when I hear my buddy(s) shooting…I like to kill a bird or two, but I really enjoy when others have success, especially newer hunters. I’ve announced previously, on this forum, that I’m going DEEPER into the dark realm of the 28 gauge! Benelli Ethos!

 

[benelli-banger]

I’m a Benophile….he who uses a Benelli 28 gauge in ways that are legal, but just barely…

 

[roadscholar]

I’m going DEEPER into the dark realm of the 28 gauge! Benelli Ethos!

You're gonna love it. This pic is from last season, first time I carried my wife's 28ga Ethos. Was in a bit of a shooting slump.....had been shooting my 7.5 lb 16ga 1100 on that trip and thought, "what the heck, might as well mix it up and try something else".

Got a double about 30 seconds into the first walk that morning
Full disclosure, I whiffed on the next one later that day
I enjoy carrying that Ethos so much that it's got me thinking about eventually getting one in 12ga.

 

[benelli-banger]

Nice!!!!