Your "Go-To" gun and why?

Carguy2Banker

Carguy2Banker

Active member
Like many of you, the gun safe is full of options, but I always gravitate to the same gun for the pheasant season. Mine is a Franchi Alcione (2 barrel set), but I mainly only shoot the 20 gauge barrels. It wasn't expensive when I bought it new in 2003. Cost with both barrels was $1150. It fits, it's effective and it's easy to carry, and clean. It's got more scratches than I wish it had, but I remember where each one came from.
Is it because of everything listed above that I gravitate to it? I hope someday my kids battle each other for it over the much more expensive guns just because they remember the old gun Dad always hunted with.
Someday, I'd like to find a Browning BSS that's nice, but not too nice to carry in the field....but will I ever trust it enough to leave my favorite hunting weapon at home? Until then, excuse my admiration with a cheap old gun with lots of memorable and lucky shots left in it!
 
Had been Beretta SV10 Perennia in 12 gauge but added a Rizzini Aurum in 16 last year and foresee that becoming the go to from here on out. If I had to pick one for killing and ease of carry and not worrying about beating up it would be the Montefeltro in 12 gauge. It is my bad weather option that goes along with me.
 
Preserve birds Ugartechea 20 sxs Imp. Cyl. As I think I've said before. If I lived where I could hunt any time I wanted I might hunt with a sub gauge, probably a 16. But as long as I have to drive 10 hours I'm not screwing around. I'll hunt with my Beretta ultralight full and xtra full.
 
I like all my shotguns, but I'm an autoloader guy at heart. My 1990 Auto 5 Sweet 16 w/ 28" barrel & factory Invector chokes is my hands down favorite. It began life as a gorgeous shotgun, & when I bought it (I believe in 1999), it had only been fired a couple times. I've hunted pheasants with it nearly exclusively since then. It's somewhat worn now & will get worse, but its fit, feel, & performance haven't changed. Incomparable!
 
I’m a Rizzini over under guy. I tried several attempts hunting with an auto loader and after many boxes of shells and almost as many misses, I’ve put those guns to the back of the safe. My 16 gauge Rizzini with a 28”barrel used to be my go to, but now I’m into the 28 gauge with 30” barrels. Seems like the longer barrels on a lighter platform have smoothed me out.
 
With these late season rooster I've got to have a 12 ga auto. I work too hard for a reasonably close e flush to gamble on a lighter gauge and two shots.
In my younger days I always shot a Rem 1100 which I shot well but the auto was fussy if you didn't keep it clean. Now I shoot a Benelli Ethos which is not fuzzy but I don't shoot it anywhere near was well. Maybe... just maybe... it's my old rusty reflexes and eye sight where I see 2 floaters in each eye along with the moving bird when I go to shot. Those under 60 yrs old please Google floaters.
 
Mine would be either Remington 1100 or 870, these frames just seem to fit me very well and I shot years of competitive trap and skeet with them, gauge doesn't matter.
 
I'm a one gun guy. For probably 20 years it was a Browning Light(er) 20g A5 with a 28" barrel. Switched about 20 years ago to an Ithaca 200e in 12g with 26" barrels. I had it bent to fit me and sent the barrels to Briley for thin wall choke tubes. Most of the time I shoot it pretty well.

The A5 is still in the back of the safe looking pretty, as is the single shot 20 I used when I first started. There's also a Franchi O/U in there that I bought as a loaner for my high school trap team. By necessity it saw a little field use one year when the barrel hook on the Ithaca broke free and needed re-soldering. It also goes for a ride in the truck when I go on multi-day trips.

Some day I'll upgrade, at which point the Ithaca will also become a safe queen or maybe a travelling back up. I doubt it has much value with a bent stock :).
 
Mine is my 1874-1885 Thomas W. Perkes 12b SxS built in London. It is choked LM and Full. I currently shoot pheasant with either H&H or RST paper hull 2 1/2" loads of 1oz #6. I love this gun because of the balance between the handles, the fit, and how it shoots. It is just a natural pointing gun for me and I am really confident with it.

I have a newer Browning 16b White Lightening I wish I could say the same about. I struggle with fit and how I shoot the gun. I am really inconsistent and need to get on a sheet field for a few rounds to dial it in.
 
I've got prettier guns and more expensive guns and cheaper guns and lighter guns, but if I am serious about killing pheasants, it is my Beretta 391 12 guage. Bought in 2003 when they were changing to the 'Optima' version and the older Mobile choked versions could be had for $600. I was freshly graduated from college and pretty broke, but I had $600 to treat myself.

Couple years ago on a late season Kansas hunt.
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cheesy said:
I've got prettier guns and more expensive guns and cheaper guns and lighter guns, but if I am serious about killing pheasants, it is my Beretta 391 12 guage. Bought in 2003 when they were changing to the 'Optima' version and the older Mobile choked versions could be had for $600. I was freshly graduated from college and pretty broke, but I had $600 to treat myself.

Couple years ago on a late season Kansas hunt.
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My dad has an AL390 Sport from 1997 and I love shooting that shotgun. I keep trying to bring it home with me when I visit, but no luck so far. LOL
 
I’ve always shot Citori Superlights. Started with a 20ga in 1979. Used a 24” Upland Special for a long time until I found that 28” tubes are much better for me (easier to swing). Then I found my Grail Gun. 12ga Citori Esprit European. It is my go to. When ever I open the safe and reach in it is the one that I grab. It will be my last upland gun as I will need no other.
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Uplandhunter67 said:
I’ve always shot Citori Superlights. Started with a 20ga in 1979. Used a 24” Upland Special for a long time until I found that 28” tubes are much better for me (easier to swing). Then I found my Grail Gun. 12ga Citori Esprit European. It is my go to. When ever I open the safe and reach in it is the one that I grab. It will be my last upland gun as I will need no other.
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Great gun even better dog! Fox Red Lab for the win!!!
 
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