Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
One of the reasons Yr Humble Scrivener is found often at PGC on Fridays is the other kids let me play with their toys.
I shot my Beretta WOP today as usual. I also took a few shots with....
Superreverb's delightful 28 gauge Winchester 101.
His 11-87 Sporter.
Another 11-87, this one with a synthetic stock instead of decent walnut.
And a high grade, sideplated and engraved Blaser with fantastic wood and a propensity to grind targets into separate molecules. A very pretty shotgun that's absolutely lethal, the modern equivalent of a 16th Century Spanish Rapier with a blade of fine Toledo steel and a arabesque handguard.
It and the little 28 handled like rapiers, quick and responsive. Two well built O/Us different in design and mission but alike in quality and handling.
The autos were decidedly muzzle heavy, which kept the swing going nicely on trap style targets.
I hit targets and had fun with all.
So, I'm letting the pony run for home afterwards with the Ipod (See, I'm not totally anachronistic) and Lee Ann Rimes telling me about good friends, and I fell to musing about this fine morn.
I shot guns ranging from about 6 lbs to more than 8. Balance went from neutral to brick on a snow shovel muzzle heavy. Gauges were 12 and 28. Loads were my usual 7/8 oz of 7.5 shot in 12 gauge and whatever Ed loaded up in those teensy red hulls.
I get a bit obsessive sometimes on things like fit and keeping things the same. My 870s get little exercise these days because I like to stick to one gun for clays and right now that's the B gun.
But t'is fun to try out the other guns and note that regardless of weight, balance and load, I got hits and plenty of them.
I note that Al and Brian of the Geezers shot similar scores today.
Al used a Model 21 Winchester that's a fine piece of functional art.
Brian used an off brand SxS made in Europe somewhere, possibly in a factory that also produces tractor parts. It's a blue collar double, but the barrels shoot together and I've taken a few shots with it also and found it worthy.
We spend way too much time and bandwidth here debating the merits of 870s vs 500s, Brownings vs Berettas ad nauseam.
The hardware is simple. Buy a durable, easily serviced shotgun, get it fitting you and try to wear it out.
The software is more crucial. We need to learn the mount and swing from our toes up. We need to learn how to find the line and where the shot should happen on it. We need to learn how to narrow our focus down to the leading molecule of the target and how to sustain that focus again and again. We need to learn to do this without thinking. Shotgunning is too important and quick an activity to trust results to intellectualizing.
The Shotgunner's Mantra, Just shoot the $%^&**( thing.
And while I like my shotguns, I have to admit they're not the part that misses.
Darn near any shotgun will do the job. A good thing, since I like most shotguns,
Heck, if shotguns talk to each other, they'd be saying.....
Dave? He's SO easy.....
I shot my Beretta WOP today as usual. I also took a few shots with....
Superreverb's delightful 28 gauge Winchester 101.
His 11-87 Sporter.
Another 11-87, this one with a synthetic stock instead of decent walnut.
And a high grade, sideplated and engraved Blaser with fantastic wood and a propensity to grind targets into separate molecules. A very pretty shotgun that's absolutely lethal, the modern equivalent of a 16th Century Spanish Rapier with a blade of fine Toledo steel and a arabesque handguard.
It and the little 28 handled like rapiers, quick and responsive. Two well built O/Us different in design and mission but alike in quality and handling.
The autos were decidedly muzzle heavy, which kept the swing going nicely on trap style targets.
I hit targets and had fun with all.
So, I'm letting the pony run for home afterwards with the Ipod (See, I'm not totally anachronistic) and Lee Ann Rimes telling me about good friends, and I fell to musing about this fine morn.
I shot guns ranging from about 6 lbs to more than 8. Balance went from neutral to brick on a snow shovel muzzle heavy. Gauges were 12 and 28. Loads were my usual 7/8 oz of 7.5 shot in 12 gauge and whatever Ed loaded up in those teensy red hulls.
I get a bit obsessive sometimes on things like fit and keeping things the same. My 870s get little exercise these days because I like to stick to one gun for clays and right now that's the B gun.
But t'is fun to try out the other guns and note that regardless of weight, balance and load, I got hits and plenty of them.
I note that Al and Brian of the Geezers shot similar scores today.
Al used a Model 21 Winchester that's a fine piece of functional art.
Brian used an off brand SxS made in Europe somewhere, possibly in a factory that also produces tractor parts. It's a blue collar double, but the barrels shoot together and I've taken a few shots with it also and found it worthy.
We spend way too much time and bandwidth here debating the merits of 870s vs 500s, Brownings vs Berettas ad nauseam.
The hardware is simple. Buy a durable, easily serviced shotgun, get it fitting you and try to wear it out.
The software is more crucial. We need to learn the mount and swing from our toes up. We need to learn how to find the line and where the shot should happen on it. We need to learn how to narrow our focus down to the leading molecule of the target and how to sustain that focus again and again. We need to learn to do this without thinking. Shotgunning is too important and quick an activity to trust results to intellectualizing.
The Shotgunner's Mantra, Just shoot the $%^&**( thing.
And while I like my shotguns, I have to admit they're not the part that misses.
Darn near any shotgun will do the job. A good thing, since I like most shotguns,
Heck, if shotguns talk to each other, they'd be saying.....
Dave? He's SO easy.....
