It figures: I buy an SX2 & the ducks and geese run and hide

[JohnBT]

Yesterday morning wasn't nearly as productive as opening day. Skunked. The birds just weren't flying - only 2 high-flying flocks of geese, a few stray ducks, and this one merganser that kept buzzing us and laughing. Even the seagulls stayed away. It was about 29*F, no breeze and not a cloud in the sky - even prettier than opening day. Oh well, we'll try again once or twice before the season closes on the 3rd (then it opens again on the 10th.)

I'd driven to my parents' home Wednesday morning and had no intention of buying a gun - my checkbook was still in Richmond. My father and I went to his local shop after lunch to buy some ammo and I started looking at gas guns. The Beretta was fine - way too pretty in fact - and felt great even though it only had a 26" barrel. The Benelli SBEII was nice - but not a gas gun and too much $$$ even if they said it recoiled less than a gus gun because of all the new features. Then they snuck in a 5-pound Franchi 28 ga. autoloader - - really sweet.

We each got a Beretta keychain with a miniture clay for a fob and a lapel pin, and the owner gave us a copy of the Beretta episode of Tales of the Gun to take home and watch.

Anyhow, I spotted a 28" ShadowGrass SX2 and decided immediately that I liked it. At first I couldn't figure out why the price was low even with the recent Win rebate. Well, it was used, but I couldn't tell even after they told me and I looked it over again. How much? $750. It looks to me like somebody put a tiny fiber optic front sight on it, shot it five or six times and took it turkey or maybe deer hunting once. Maybe they never took it hunting. Who knows. The shell lifter did not have one blemish on it. There wasn't a scratch on it inside or out other than two teeny black dots, maybe 1/8" big, on the magazine tube under the gas ports.

Now I'm thinking I should have waited to see the new SX3 duck gun specifications, but with a reported list price around $1300 I think I'll be happy with what I have. And I sure didn't know the SX2 Waterfowler listed for over $1200. My local shop still had a new one on the rack Friday for $1039. You know you're getting older when you find yourself saying "They want how much?"

Now, if only the weather will cooperate.

John

P.S. - You really didn't think I was going to take my nice clean SX1 out in the marsh did you?

 

[sm]

I keep telling you folks - critters, no matter if fur,fowl,or fin get Game and Fish magazines , complete with Regulations and how to avoid sportsmen...but you folks won't listen to me. They have thier own forums too...

JohnBT, I appreciate your sharing, really I do. Now what you do is [tm]

You get a old single shot, I mean baling wired and electrical taped up...you tote this one out where all the critters can see <chuckle, snicker, "look at that goofus with the sad excuse of a shotgun".

All the while the SX2 is cased until time to actually shoot...in the blind...etc. Critters fly and you blast 'em. Never knew what hit 'em.

*ahem* I 'll have you know a SX1 makes a perfectly good boat paddle.

 

[JohnBT]

I appreciate the advice. I tried climbing out of the boat and pulling my waders down to my knees, but it didn't scare up anything. I even left the gun in the boat. We thought about fetching a couple of cigars and a newspaper, but were too lazy. I don't have a beater single barrel, but there are a bunch of Winchester 37's in the family that I could borrow.

Oops, gotta go, supper time.

John

 

[scubie02]

you can come to my house--ducks and geese on the river behind it every day, as many as you'd want...

 

[JohnBT]

Thank you for your kind offer, but they'd run and hide as soon as I showed up. I do expect our luck to change because we're just learning our way around this marsh. Our first day out was pretty good and we can hear them out there, but the channels and cuts meander for miles and you can't see very far because the grass is 10+ feet tall. Ever been lost in a corn maze?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about having 1600 acres of private tidal marsh to hunt... ...it's just a learning experience. We were joking about getting a GPS, but maybe a satellite photo would be better.

John

 

[JohnBT]

Update...I called Winchester. Made in 2003. Ha, it still looks brand new.
And the more I use the "grip enhancing Dura-Touch® Armor Coating finish" the more I like it.

JT

 

[ArmedBear]

If it makes you feel any better, I was equally skunked yesterday on the opposite coast.

It was pretty out on the lake, though, as the sun rose, and since I had half of a good-sized reservoir to myself, I motored around glassing for ducks. I saw a lot of other birds, coyotes hunting in the woods, and even a few big black cows, but no ducks.

Oh well. Nice morning, though.

 

[IDriveB5]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about having 1600 acres of private tidal marsh to hunt... ...it's just a learning experience. We were joking about getting a GPS, but maybe a satellite photo would be better.

wow, now that sounds like a great place to hunt.
if your area is anything like some of the places ive fished in the upper chesapeake i know exactly what youre talking about. a channel will snake around thru the tall grasses and split off in all sorta of directions. sometimes i wonder how we ever make it out! some monster bass back there though.