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< 16ga. Guns ~ Shotgun weight |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 4:20 am
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Joined: 19 Apr 2014
Posts: 429
Location: Maine
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"Tears as big as horse turds" I'm going to borrow that one. |
_________________ If it weren't for women cats would be extinct. |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 4:37 am
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Joined: 09 Mar 2016
Posts: 756
Location: Mn.
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JonP wrote: |
Never understood the weight thing. Any gun that comes up right and feels good in my hands is going home with me. When I get so old that walking with 6 oz more is an issue, I'll do more duck hunting.
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That so old may come up faster than you think I've had quite a number of people suggest that I should take up duck hunting instead of upland. Last couple of years my body is falling apart at an alarming rate. Takes cortisone shots in my ankles just to walk before hunting season. Woke up at 4:30 this morning because the pain in my knees wouldn't let me sleep. The screws the Navy put in my body over the years throb at will. I will not be 60 for 2 more months yet. But I am square in the camp Gil mentioned-
Now, 40 years later, "run and gun" has gone to "hobble and wobble" or "stumble and bumble". Yeah that would be me too.
Fourtrax sent me an email last weekend saying that I kicked ass last year on grouse and my shooting percentage didn't hurt one bit. I averaged at least 75% shot to harvest ratio and it was one of my best years grouse hunting in a long time. It started about 2 years ago.
I can certainly tell the difference 6 oz. makes. 8-11 oz. is a make or break deal. At least hunting all day. The SD fields are harder to carry the extra weight compared to the Mn. grouse woods for some reason.
My hunting guns weigh between 6 - 6 and a quarter pounds. My target guns go up to 9 lbs. and have shot 100's of thousands of rounds with them. I stopped shooting my target guns at clays and started using my hunting guns 2 years ago. Had already dropped to 7/8 oz. for the 12 and 16 for clays. And sometimes shoot 3/4 oz. Despite that every once in awhile will start to flinch and switch to a 7.5 lb. B. Rizzini 12 ga. with 7/8 and after a couple of rounds the yips will go away and then back to the 16 and 6 pound guns.
Heavy target guns might take more to get going but once you do they keep swinging. Lighter 6 lb. guns require you to keep swinging and push through, you have to work at it, very easy to stop those light guns. Using the hunting guns for clays has made a big difference in muscle memory and keep swinging through. At least it seems to be working for me. For now. If I ever end up in the duck blind most of the time then the heavy guns will come back out to play. But the dog wants to run not sit in a duck blind even if he is a Duck Tolling Retriever. And I will oblige him as long as I can. |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 5:00 am
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Cold Iron, give your dog both. My Drahts absolutely love duck hunting and we get more than enough duck and upland hunting every year even as weekend warriors. Only to get better in a year when I hit semi-retirement.
I don't do duck blinds. I'm in timber and I don't make my dog sit like a robot. |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 5:26 am
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Joined: 09 Mar 2016
Posts: 756
Location: Mn.
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Dave Erickson wrote: |
Cold Iron, give your dog both. My Drahts absolutely love duck hunting and we get more than enough duck and upland hunting every year even as weekend warriors. Only to get better in a year when I hit semi-retirement.
I don't do duck blinds. I'm in timber and I don't make my dog sit like a robot.
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Yeah we do when I get drawn for Waterfowl in SD. It does kill some time before phez opens at 10. 2 weekends ago I was in Trempealeau looking for Eagles to shoot (with the camera of course) and thought how many woodies I see in the summer and fall.
Been 5 months since I've fired a shotgun Dave, we need to get out soon! Rained last night and the snow is trying to melt... |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 6:37 am
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Joined: 19 Apr 2014
Posts: 429
Location: Maine
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When I was kid and wanted to hunt an afternoon I went to the closet grabbed Gramps 12ga Ithaca SxS, a handful of shells that I saved paper route money for, compass, wool jacket, and off I went. Nowadays I go to the closet grab my RBL 16, a handful of shells (now have a choice lead or steel) , compass, wool jacket, and Ellie my Griffon and off we go. The only difference nowadays is Ellie and I no longer have a paper route. If I had to contemplate guns, weights, barrel lengths, chokes, shotgun shells, I doubt I'd get going before 11:00 am.
PS Thanks again Dale, Tears as big as horse turds... I'm going out to the club tomorrow and one guy always whines about the targets as he frantically changes choke tubes between stations. |
_________________ If it weren't for women cats would be extinct. |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 6:52 am
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Member
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Joined: 14 Jan 2006
Posts: 1007
Location: Lancaster county, Pa
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Preference is what your used to shooting and your shooting style. If your a swing through or sustained lead clay shooter heavier and longer may work for you. If your a short window insert into the lead type shooter lighter may work for you. I prefer light guns because that's what I am used to and shoot almost exclusively. I hunt in very thick cover with tiny shooting windows I like a light gun for carrying, maneuvering and shooting in that environment. Out in the open plains were swinging is possible the heavier longer gun may be more suited. I shot the new super light A5 sweet 16 for Ducks this year and it worked wonderful for me. I am sure for someone used to an 8lb or 9lb 12 gauge auto it would have felt like a toy and they would not have shot it well. My shooting buddy shoots 2 beautiful heavy Krieghoff K-80's he is used to them and the weight doesn't bother him. I think they feel like a lead weighted 2x4. Opinion and preferences are like you know what everybody has one. |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 7:17 am
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Member
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Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 1257
Location: Nebraska
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Cold Iron wrote: |
I can certainly tell the difference 6 oz. makes. 8-11 oz. is a make or break deal. At least hunting all day. The SD fields are harder to carry the extra weight compared to the Mn. grouse woods for some reason.
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I might run opposite of that, if just a little. "All day" is at most 4-5 hours for me, but the probably heaviest gun I carried was a 30" solid ribbed standard A-5 16ga that wasn't too much to hump over the relatively flat hills. In the open you're free to carry the gun in many different ways, either hand, over the shoulder, etc. for relatively long periods. Maneuvering thick stuff you are (or at least I am) required to shift the gun around a lot more to get through the cover. A gun hanging at the end of the arm can be a bit heavier than one used as part of a calisthenics-with-weights program for each of them to wear you out to the same point. Maybe.
Additionally, gamebirds in the thickets get out of shootable range a little quicker than even faster gamebirds over open grass. That tenses a shooter up some, and guns may be held a bit higher to be ready to react. |
_________________ Bore, n. Shotgun enthusiast's synonym for "gauge" ; everybody else's synonym for "shotgun enthusiast." - Ed Zern |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 7:33 am
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Member
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Joined: 09 Dec 2009
Posts: 1370
Location: Cheyenne, Wy
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WyoChukar wrote: |
Don't get your shorts in a bunch Dale. Look at your responses here, there is a surly pattern to many of them. It was only a joke.
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"Surly pattern"? Who made you editor-in-chief? When I address a subject, what I say is my opinion, my opinion is not predicated on whether or not you consider it "surly".
In my opinion, it wasn't a joke, that's why I replied.
Dale |
_________________ One man with courage makes a majority.
...Andrew Jackson... |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 8:43 am
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Member
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Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Posts: 425
Location: Maine
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Griffon wrote: |
I'm going out to the club tomorrow and one guy always whines about the targets as he frantically changes choke tubes between stations.
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Is a man-hug the proper antidote for horse-turd size tears? |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 12:08 pm
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Joined: 19 Apr 2014
Posts: 429
Location: Maine
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Neigh oh Pumpkingun |
_________________ If it weren't for women cats would be extinct. |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 1:07 pm
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Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2126
Location: Hudson,Wy
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Dale, you are the one person who I have witnessed using a harshly derogatory tone toward others here. Heck, you had a man apologizing for doing absolutely nothing wrong. Now I return the favor with a little humor, and you get uncomfortable. Think about that. Use your wit more constructively (you could have easily) instead of provoking ill thoughts and people won't respond this way. |
_________________ Only catch snowflakes on your tongue AFTER the birds fly south for the winter... |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 1:10 pm
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Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2126
Location: Hudson,Wy
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Heavy, light, quick, or slow, bad technique is bad technique. When I do my part all goes well enough. When I don't, well I have stopped my swing with a 10 lb. gun all day before. Find what works for you and stick with it even if it doesn't make sense. |
_________________ Only catch snowflakes on your tongue AFTER the birds fly south for the winter... |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 1:40 pm
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Member
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Joined: 09 Dec 2009
Posts: 1370
Location: Cheyenne, Wy
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WyoChukar wrote: |
Dale, you are the one person who I have witnessed using a harshly derogatory tone toward others here. Heck, you had a man apologizing for doing absolutely nothing wrong. Now I return the favor with a little humor, and you get uncomfortable. Think about that. Use your wit more constructively (you could have easily) instead of provoking ill thoughts and people won't respond this way.
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Thank you for your OPINION.
I have my OPINION.
Dale |
_________________ One man with courage makes a majority.
...Andrew Jackson... |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 1:40 pm
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Joined: 19 Apr 2014
Posts: 429
Location: Maine
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Paging Dr. Phil.... |
_________________ If it weren't for women cats would be extinct. |
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Posted:
Tue Mar 27, 2018 3:52 pm
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Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2126
Location: Hudson,Wy
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No need for Dr. Phil. My feelings aren't hurt, I just figured that someone needed to challenge his attitude by putting the shoe on the other foot, to keep things in perspective. As far as opinions go, I never once criticized that. |
_________________ Only catch snowflakes on your tongue AFTER the birds fly south for the winter... |
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