I was going through the ritual roundup of bird hunting gear last night. With two young boys I’m a little time-constrained, so after swimming lessons and bedtime, I disappeared into the basement to sort things out.
As more than a few of us will attest, I have the high grade problem of having more shotguns than I can shoot at any one time. Or, actually, in any one year despite my efforts over the past year to thin the herd.
I’m am also–most probably to my detriment–addicted to the 20 gauge. There. I addmitted it. So once again for the Pheasant opener, the 20 ga Browning 626 Super gets the nod.
I had never been much of an over/under fan until I lifted the 626. Like it was made for me. 5.7 pounds and it fits like a glove. Certainly NOT a high volume gun, but then since when is MN pheasant a high volume proposition? It’s been a damn good day if I shoot half a dozen times.
In the backup band, I’ll throw in a Beretta A303, also in 20. Always have a backup.
My father, for the 62nd year in a row, will open the pheasant season with his Remington Model 11 20 gauge. This is the same design as the A-5, John Browning leased the patent to Remington for some years before A-5 production began.
Dad was given this shotgun when he was 8 (they started young back in SD in the 1950s) and until he was 18 and bought a 16 gauge 870, it was the only shotgun he ever owned.
I aways found it amusing that Grandpa liked dad’s 870 16 gauge so much, and he was so tired of buying ammo for every gauge under the sun, that he decided standardization and economy of scale was the order of the day. He bought 4 more 16 gauge 870s, one for him and one for each of my dad’s younger brothers.
Then he could simply buy two cases(!)of #5 shells and everything was set for the season. Keeping in mind, of course, that this was the early 1960s and lead shot was still legal for ducks.
But that was then and this is now.
What are you taking afield on opening day for pheasants?
Grouse
