Grizzly2
Member
I've always enjoyed hunting with them. Those old Savage/Stevens doubles are heavy and pretty slow to swing on birds and rabbits. I started cutting one back for cowboy shooting. Was hoping to make it to 19" or a tad less, but at 24" it started loosing the regulation and so I stopped. It is still heavy and a bit slow to swing. For years I used an old Spanish double in 20 that was much lighter and faster. The old SKS guns were great. Dad had one imported for Ithaca and I almost bought one when Sears sold them in the 70s. Those grouse will frustrate a guy with a heavy 12 double. Something light and fast with open chokes and you'll probably start enjoying it. I know Dad got so frustrated with those birds, he began cutting barrels back on an 1100 which he gave away when he broke down and bought a Superposed back in the late 60s and took up skeet. That improved his shooting skills dramatically. You could do the same with a sxs. An uncle brought a sliding breach 16 Darne sxs back in a duffle bag after WW2 and I've never seen anyone better on rabbits than he was with that odd looking double. But he just learned how to master that gun.