Dancing With An Old Flame....

[Dave McCracken]

Today's session of Mongolian Wobble, Wobble and so on was fun and I shot well. As usual of late, I shot the WOP gun and enjoyed it.

But, Dove season is nigh upon us. I've no plans as yet, but hopefully an opportunity will knock on Casa McC's door. So, I took my Dove gun along.

Known here as Number 6, it's the pretty 870 I picked up a few years back. Made in 1955, it wears a new 30" LC barrel, and the LM tube was screwed in. The stock is the original wood, but spacers and a Decellerator pad put the LOP at 15", near perfect for me. The butt is bigger due to the length, not enormously so but enough to spread out the push.

Like my other shotguns, 6 has been neglected while I have been engaged with the WOP gun. I have lent it out to students a bit, but I doubt I've shot it since last year.

No problem, it remembered what to do.

I had the range to myself at this point. So I moved the Canterburys around, dumped a couple boxes of Gun Clubs in my pouch, and tried some odd angles. It took a few shots to regroove, the WOP gun weighs a good lb more and 6 is a hair faster. Then, the birds starting exploding.

It was a waltz. The birds launched, we pirouetted, the birds broke. I took a break after the first round, then shot another. The birds continued to shatter.

As I carried 6 back to the car I could almost hear a little imaginary voise saying, "I thought I could, I thought I could"....

Go dance with your bird gun....

 

[gp911]

This is not helping me to be patient while waiting for my NEF to return with its new barrels...

You said "dove gun" and I immediately pictured swinging the gun with its 22" 28ga. barrel up toward the tree branches on a cool morning, then *pop* goes another beauty for the cookpot...

Don't think I'll be cooking doves ever again though, what with West Nile and bird flu ...

gp911

 

[Superreverb]

Excellent post, my friend! It really is nice going back to an old flame that has been neglected in favor of others (like my old Monte Carlo stocked TC last week). I only wish I would've had more time to play out at PGC today - I would've loved to go another couple of rounds of wobble with you and Number 6.

Sadly, it's been so long since I've been hunting that I don't even have a shottie that I can call my "bird gun." I do have a feeling, though, that I'd probably take "Mary Louise," the 20-ga Parker Repro, if the opportunity presented itself. She just feels "right," ya know what I mean?

See ya next Friday!

Ed

 

[waterhouse]

September can't come soon enough. Even the dog is looking longingly at the doves that land on the fence out back.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Thanks, folks.

GP, there's something abot 28 gauges and doves. Read Brister, and others too.
Dove shooting is one activity where success is measured in ounces and memories. I shoot most other stuff better, but just hearing that noise they make on takeoff has me reaching for a shotgun.

Ed, you'da loved it. We could have done an 870 flurry.

BTW, I've come to the conclusion that if we ever did hunt quail together, the only shots I'd get would be those well over on my side.

You're fast.

Waterhouse, you're so right. August is over-rated in my book.

 

[cameron.personal]

Dave you have still got it.

 

[Oldnamvet]

I'd love to practice for doves. Most days I have several on my front deck. Millions of them around, they darken the skies in the fall. Can't shoot a one -- they are legally songbirds here:banghead:. So I put my modified barrel on the wingmaster and practice at trap and skeet for pheasants.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Thanks, Cameron. Glad to hear so.

ONV, that bites. As Steve Smith pointed out a while back, those soft coos are actually invitations of the most vulgar sort, and a harvest of 100 million doves each year has no effect on overall population numbers.

 

[Big Az Al]

Dave GOOD story

The great thing about, my shotgun, now named CHAMP, is it is closing in on 30 years, of being #1 shotgun, dove or guail, and starting the fifth target year Trap. It is the gun!

Sept 1, It may play second fiddle to a very close sibling, but with quail season and the Autumn Grand trap shoot and AZ winter chain, it will be in use as often as I can make time to shoot!

 

[Dave McCracken]

Thanks, Al. I've 870s I've had longer, but they're dedicated, or in the case of Frankenstein, more suited to waterfowling.

Everybody needs one good shotgun that fits.

At least one....

 

[Superreverb]

[quite]At least one....[/quite]





Off for vay-kay starting tomorrow, Dave. See ya 2 Fridays from now!

Ed

 

[HuntAndFish]

Thanks Dave. That reminds me to get the 16ga M12 out of the safe, clean it, and take it to the range. I know it will remember how to dance.

 

[Dave McCracken]

See ya, Ed. Enjoy your time with the family.

You're welcome,HAF. I wager it does...

 

[IDriveB5]

Dave- glad the reunion with Six went well. My 870s have become wallflowers of late, and i sure do miss dancing with them. Cant wait until my solar house project is complete at school so I can have a reunion of my own.

 

[Dixie Slugs]

Excellent! Just before I retired form the gun and ammo companies, and opened up Dixie Slugs.....I bought a little Remington 870 Skeet Custom (1952) 20 ga. The gun was bought from the family of a well known Remington skeet shooter. It is in perfect shape and has the best wood I have ever seen!
Now....When the day is just right!.....I take it for a walk! Doves, quail, snipe...the gun loves them!
As I have gotten older, I enjoy some of the old friends (guns) that have been in my shooting family for years! Lately some of these old friends have moved and now live with my grandson.....they seem happy and are well cared for....being fed quite often.
Regards, James

 

[Dave McCracken]

B5, I'm sure your 870s remember what to do.

Welcome, Dixie. Sounds like another reunion gone well. I hope your Grandson knows how good he has it...