Your favorite pheasant O/U

B

Bob Peters

Well-known member
I've been getting the urge to get an O/U field gun which would be strictly for pheasant hunting. I picked up a browning 725 feather the other day and it felt really nice. I'm a lefty so if the gun is italian I'd have to get left hand wood on it. Browning field stocks seem neutral to me. Gauge doesn't matter, the only requirement is that it is a good gun for wiley roosters that often run, don't play by the rules, and flush on the edge of range. Thanks for any reccomendations.
 
Bob Peters said:
Gauge doesn't matter, the only requirement is that it is a good gun for wiley roosters that often run, don't play by the rules, and flush on the edge of range. Thanks for any reccomendations.
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The bastards you describe can be shot with any gun, provided you shoot it reasonably well & use proper shells (fairly stout). Availability might be a challenge & a bit heavier than a 725 Feather, but my preference would be a 12 ga. Ruger Red Label with 28" barrels. English stock not required, but considerably better looking.
 
So many options out there it is hard to narrow down. For me it comes down to fit and typically that is Beretta but I do really like carrying my browning feather lightning In 16. Just shoulder as many as you can get your hands on and when you find the one you will know it. Most likely though the one won’t stop you from picking up 3-4 so you have options, just in case. 😁
 
My Beretta 687EL 20 gauge has been my go to pheasant gun for 31 years. Shot Fiocchi Golden Pheasants hunting the Ekroth farm near Winner In November. 6.2 pounds was ideal for day long hunts in corn and Milo stands.
 
Here is the 1991 gun. Similar models available from Joel Etchen in Pa.
 

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Undoubtedly, my Beretta 686 Onyx ultralight. The day I saw a picture of it in gundog magazine I ordered it. None were in the states yet and I waited 4 months for it, late 80s I think.. Had it ported and bought a set of extended chokes for it. But that's a bitter sweet memory because being a recently divorced and broke traveling construction worker it drained my bank account. Since I always quit my job to hunt the winter months, I ran short and sold my beloved 16 gauge lightning!😢
 
birddude said:
Undoubtedly, my Beretta 686 Onyx ultralight. The day I saw a picture of it in gundog magazine I ordered it. None were in the states yet and I waited 4 months for it, late 80s I think.. Had it ported and bought a set of extended chokes for it. But that's a bitter sweet memory because being a recently divorced and broke traveling construction worker it drained my bank account. Since I always quit my job to hunt the winter months, I ran short and sold my beloved 16 gauge lightning!😢
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Beretta 686 2-barrel set (20 and 28ga). Lately I've started hunting pheasants exclusively with the 28ga. I shoot it better, even though it is the same butt stock. I don't mind passing on long flushes as I just enjoy the hunt with my dogs. I have a Browning Cynergy Feather 20ga, which is a joy to carry, but the trigger is so bad, as well as the safety is awkward for my old hands, that I've relegated it to the safe until I get a chance to sell it.
 
For me, it's hard to beat a Citori Lighting w/ 28" barrels for upland work. I have both 12 and 20 gauges in that configuration and use the 20ga mostly for upland work, but I do shoot the 12 on occasions so it doesn't feel left out!

Hunt, 2019-11-16 SD pheasant hunt (7).JPG
 
My go-to is a 16 ga Citori white lightning with 28” tubes. I bought a 16 ga Citori Superlight (not feather) with an English stock and 26” tubes and while I think it looks better, I did not end up liking how it carried as much as the round knob. I’ve got a 20 ga Beretta with a classic pistol grip and I don’t like it as much for shouldering and walking. The newer super-agressive Browning pistol grip is a non-starter for me. Ugly and incompatible with comfortable carrying in my opinion.
 
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s.davis said:
My go-to is a 16 ga Citori white lightening with 28” tubes. I bought a 16 ga Citori Superlight (not feather) with an English stock and 26” tubes and while I think it looks better, I did not end up liking how it carried as much as the round knob. I’ve got a 20 ga Beretta with a classic pistol grip and I don’t like it as much for shouldering and walking. The newer super-agressive Browning pistol grip is a non-starter for me. Ugly and incompatible with comfortable carrying in my opinion.
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Thats a good observation. I carried English stocks for some time and although I think they look better than full pistol, I've decided there is no real advantage in them. As a matter of fact, I think they are a little bit of a disadvantage. Its hard to cradle with the butt under your arm and forearm behind the trigger guard. Also if I shoot to much they hurt my wrist on my trigger hand. A lot of emphasis is given to stock fit, weight and balance but mostly it comes down to personal taste... Nothing ever fit my hand like the prince of Wales.. LONG LIVE THE KNOBBY!!
 
s.davis said:
My go-to is a 16 ga Citori white lightening with 28” tubes. I bought a 16 ga Citori Superlight (not feather) with an English stock and 26” tubes and while I think it looks better, I did not end up liking how it carried as much as the round knob. I’ve got a 20 ga Beretta with a classic pistol grip and I don’t like it as much for shouldering and walking. The newer super-agressive Browning pistol grip is a non-starter for me. Ugly and incompatible with comfortable carrying in my opinion.
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Citori 16 ga white lightning 26 in barrels is my favorite
SKB 505 12 ga is the gun I shoot best but I was raised on 16’s so it sits in the safe until goose season
 
My favorite was a SKB Waterfowler that I had to sell 20 years ago following my divorce. Seems I couldn’t miss a bird with that gun. But now after trying a bunch of different guns, my favorite is a Citori White Satin 12 ga. It feels like an extension of myself.
 
I shoot a Browning Cynergy. I can't remember what the exact model is, but it does have very nice wood. Its not the lightest gun I have, but its the one I shoot the least worst! Please excuse the dirty stock in this pic. My guns are normally very clean, this pic was taken after several consecutive days of hunting.
 

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As BB mentions above its what feels good and fits. I went through this decision a couple of years ago and ended up with the Fabarms Elos D2 in 20 gauge. It's a very balanced gun on a true 20 gauge frame and patterns all loads better than any shotgun I have owned. Fabarms is owned by Caesar Guerini and carries an outstanding warranty if ever needed. It's a true field gun but also good to look at.
 
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