westernrover
Member
- Joined
- May 4, 2018
- Messages
- 1,613
I can't hunt quail like Dick Cheney with several people walking through the grass and dogs flushing the birds. I hunt alone. Where I am, it's all steep mountains and canyons. I drive a 4x4 down the trail until I see or hear a small covey in some brush. My dog doesn't care about birds and dislikes gunfire so he'll probably stay in the truck until I've finished firing. I'll approach the covey on foot and hope to shoot a couple of birds before the covey moves out of reach. I'll be walking on steep hillsides through thick brush with a lot of rocks and boulders.
So while Dick, hunting in open fields, would almost certainly choose something more similar to a trap gun, I have some doubts it would work best for me. In the mountains, would it be better to have a forward balanced gun or gun that balances more to the rear? Which would be easier to hold with one hand while traversing brush and rocks or just a deep ditch on the side of the trail? What would be easier to get onto a covey that flushed by their choice instead of a dog's?
Am I right in thinking a farther rearward balance would be better? What kind of gun would do this best? It seems like most guns these days have heavy profile barrels, interchangeable chokes, and lightweight stocks.
Should I be looking at single-shots? O/U's? SxS? Pump? Semi? I haven't hunted with a shotgun for over 20 years, so I don't have any recent experience to base a preference on. I might prefer a gun that doesn't eject so I don't have to scrounge on the ground for my empties. I'll probably prefer 20 ga. I have a slightly longer length of pull than average. It could be new or used. Any suggestions?
So while Dick, hunting in open fields, would almost certainly choose something more similar to a trap gun, I have some doubts it would work best for me. In the mountains, would it be better to have a forward balanced gun or gun that balances more to the rear? Which would be easier to hold with one hand while traversing brush and rocks or just a deep ditch on the side of the trail? What would be easier to get onto a covey that flushed by their choice instead of a dog's?
Am I right in thinking a farther rearward balance would be better? What kind of gun would do this best? It seems like most guns these days have heavy profile barrels, interchangeable chokes, and lightweight stocks.
Should I be looking at single-shots? O/U's? SxS? Pump? Semi? I haven't hunted with a shotgun for over 20 years, so I don't have any recent experience to base a preference on. I might prefer a gun that doesn't eject so I don't have to scrounge on the ground for my empties. I'll probably prefer 20 ga. I have a slightly longer length of pull than average. It could be new or used. Any suggestions?