Your favorite pheasant gun

couple of years ago, i pick up a cheap o/u. i use this gun when i am hunting alone or with my hunting buddy. i have a berreta semi auto that i use with large groups, or when i am posting. i went to sd this year. i was the poster, and i could not keep up with all flushes:eek: . with my semi auto, i have couple of extra shots. being that i miss most of the time anyways:( .
 
mnhaus said:
couple of years ago, i pick up a cheap o/u. i use this gun when i am hunting alone or with my hunting buddy. i have a berreta semi auto that i use with large groups, or when i am posting. i went to sd this year. i was the poster, and i could not keep up with all flushes:eek: . with my semi auto, i have couple of extra shots. being that i miss most of the time anyways:( .
Click to expand...

:D That is hilarious. That reminds me of a trip in '06. I was out in SD with my buddy Joe from MN. It was his first trip in SD ever and we came to the end of the field... obviously pushing the runners and the landowner says: "Hey Ryan, You know what I get a kick out of?"... I say "What's That's"... A flurry of about 12 roosters bust out behind, in front, on both sides of us. After we got a miserable 2 roosters out of all of that, and I was busy missing bird after bird barely hitting one. Eventually I get back to asking him the answer to his original question... Answer: "Over Unders". Never hurts to have more shells!
 
Crashers2.jpg


Sorry Ryan, I couldn't resist... Please don't ban me. :D :D
 
I've been shooting a Ruger Red Label 12 gauge for the last 14 years. Before that I shot an 1100 that my dad bought back in 73 or 74. Las year I put a new barrel on it so I can shoot steel plus it has screw in chokes. I shot a couple of pheasants with it last fall.
 
Belgian Auto 5 Light 12, with 28" modified barrel. Been looking for a 22-24" Jap invector barrel.
 
Last edited:
Looks like a lot of autoloaders... I typically carry a 20 ga winchester 101. I'm in PA though. I'm not used to seeing very many birds.
 
Remington 870 express here. Its the one and only shotgun I've owned. I'd like to get into an autoloader, but its hard to justify. My 870 just keeps going.

What does everyone think of Franchi shotguns?
 
I have a Beretta ultralight 686 OU, classic black with a few gold details. I picked it up used which helps reduce the stress of some of the nasty cover and weather that I take it through. It's just under 6 pounds, so as light or lighter than a lot of 20 gauges. As a result, it's a bit of a kicker, but I'm fairly well padded so I don't mind. It's a dream to carry and lightning fast to mount. I'm a bit bitter about it at the moment though - missed the first two shootable roosters that we've put up in our last FIVE outings yesterday with it. No idea what happened. I know, I know, it's a poor carpenter who blames his tools!
I also really like the Franchi Renaissance guns. Also very light - carry and swing like a dream. I was basically looking for a used Beretta Ultralight or Franchi Renaissance - whichever came up first. Beretta won.

After yesterday though, where I could have used a few more shots (not for lack of birds - just becuase of poor/hasty shooting) I wished I had an autoloader. Franchi has a very light one - the Uplander. If I find a grand in the street on my way to work today I'll maybe order one!

-Croc
 
Top Gun for Pheasant

My Browning Citori "White Lightning," 12 ga., 24" barrels, straight/English stock, schnabel fore end, and selective safety. It's a fairly light gun, pretty short overall making for easy, all-day carrying in the rough hunting we do in the open country of western Kansas. Were I to change anything about it, I would get a pistol type grip rather than the straight/English stock because the long metal tang that runs back from the trigger guard to reinforce the thin part of the stock causes the hand on the stock to get colder on cold winter days; all wood as with a pistol style stock would be warmer. I also shoot my turkeys with this gun and a standard 2 3/4 inch shell holding 1 1/4 ounce of no. 5 lead shot through the turkey choke knocks them on their tail feathers with extreme prejudice.
 
Last edited:
I'm jealous

Bigswede said:
I have to go with my Red Label. Wife bought it for me 2 years ago for Christmas and never want to carry anything else while chasing the roosters.:)
Click to expand...

I hear that gun is a fine shooter.
 
Lucky

I shoot a Remington side by side .410. Gotta let the long ones go, but a great challenge! Just Lucky!
 
Best Shotgun

I have shot the 870 Express 12ga. pump my whole life.
My girlfriend shoots a FRANCHI AL48 20ga. automatic.

I really like the feel of the Franchi and it is very light.

Now I want a Benelli Ultralight 12ga.
I like the sound of a 870 backup.
 
The old Model 12 16 has been doing the trick for some time. The Model 21 12 gauge is my favorite to carry in the field but I just picked up a cherry Beligian A-5 20 magnum that is devasting on the roosters!!!
 
I use a F.A.I.R model 400 in 16 Ga and a Winchester 101 in 20 ga.
 
My primary gun is a Beretta 12 gauge 391 field grade at 28 inches. I always bring a back-up and that is a Benelli Sport II 12 gauge. It's good to have an auto when you get those big flushes that sometime happen in SD and I do take my plugs out for the additional ammo. We had 2 good trips this year to SD, we is me and 1 buddy and my Golden retreivers. We ended up with 48 birds downed and 4 lost-total of 44. This was in the Brookings area which was reported as down 30% from last year in the pre-hunt survey. I think it was down all of that and then some but still more birds than you'll see most anywhere.
 
Beretta, A303, 20 ga., english stock and a 26" barrel. Very light, quick and extremely reliable. Back up is a Benelli, Montefeltro, 20 gauge........
 
1187 Special Field 21in barrel in 20 ga. I want to get a Benelli ultralight in 20ga but cant justify the $1300 to shave 3/4 of a pound.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top