16ga.com ~ View topic - Are you a Traditional 16 Gauge Bird Hunter?

*Last edited by gomerdog on Fri May 15, 2020 2:10 pm; edited 1 time in total*

Thanks.

The Iver belonged to my dad, but about three years ago, I committed an nontraditional act and sent the barrel to Mike Orlen. He opened the choke to light modified, so it's probably not a turkey shotgun. I will try it out on blue grouse this fall though.

Joined: 14 Apr 2020 Posts: 144 Location: Boise,Idaho

Grew up in central Oklahoma. Used to be good pheasant country. When I was a kid, my first real pheasant hunt was with my dad, granddad, uncle and cousin. It was a Thanksging morning and we were assigned to bring back birds by my grandmother.
I was handed a 16 ga single shot gun and I was in heaven. The gun was longer than I was tall. Heard shots and voices saying "rooster" and "bird down" but never saw a bird till back at the truck. Grass was almost over my head.
I keep up the Thanksging Day tradition of a pheasant hunt. Then it is a scotch and memories in the evening.

Member Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 376 Location: North ID.

The first grouse (3 species of forest grouse) hunting I did here in N ID was with a Winchester model 37 16 ga that my older brother and I shared. When he received a Remington model 1100, the model 37 was all mine to use. I used that shotgun for both grouse, waterfowl and trap shooting until I was about 15.

My dad was given a Remington model 1900, 12 gauge, from a guy that owed him money for pasturing his horse. After me pestering him about letting me have the shotgun, he gave it to me and I bagged my first pheasant, quail and hun with it. I got seriously into goose hunting and set the 1900 aside and bought a Rem 870 which I used for years in both N ID and in AK for mainly waterfowl and ptarmigan.

After moving back home to N ID, I pulled the old 1900 and model 37 out of my folks closet, used both for a bit of grouse and pheasant hunting, which re-ignited my appreciation for both the double and the 16 ga. Now I have a number of both 16 ga and double shotguns and that's about all I ever use for upland hunting.

Member Joined: 24 Jan 2007 Posts: 467 Location: SC PA

The great thing about tradition is it's up to each individual to decide what that really means to them. No one is bound to someone else's arbitrary idea of it, responses here are testament to that.

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1842 Location: Central ND

skeettx,

Maine has some good ruffed grouse hunting. I am not sure about Vermont and New Hampshire, but I can't see why they wouldn't.

Member Joined: 16 Dec 2007 Posts: 592 Location: Minnesota

Joined: 14 Feb 2017 Posts: 401

[/quote
My Grandkids are the 5th generation of upland hunters in my family and it is a blessing to pass this marvelous activity on to them.

Good Hunting,
Mike[/quote]

5 generations! How awesome is that !

Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Posts: 694 Location: MN

I guess folks would say I am very traditional. I hunt with 2 barrels -16 guage of course-and I shoot birds that my DD have handled properly...over points or when commanded to flush. If 2 shots can't do it, then the bird wins. I also stalk and shoot big game up close and personal. Although I shoot to 600 yds at the range...not what I'm gonna do in practice. I do have a semi for the duck blind. Most young hunters snicker.

JonP,

I commend your ethical hunting practice, I also make sure to back up my shots by looking for a winged bird, or birds I believe I have missed completely. A good dog usually shows a gunner how many birds he has actually put shot into. Many times my dogs have retrieved birds that I thought I had completely missed.

Great ethical hunting JonP! Next a 16 gauge Hammer Gun of your choosing. They open up another fantastic disciplined way of gunning. Some of the very best Grouse & Woodcock gunning that can be done.

Pine Creek/Dave
Pine Creek grouse Dog Trainers

Neat collection Dave.
Is the 2nd gun from the top your 1898 L.C. Smith Special Ordered Pre-production Regular frame 20 gauge No. 2 with tubed Chain Damascus barrels?

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1310 Location: Western WA

Am a lifelong confirmed SxS Ruffed Grouse hunter but not by tradition. That first cool October morning afoot for grouse in Northern Michigan as a teen with the bright early sun streaming through the frost-tipped ferns and golden leaved Aspen against the deep blue sky was all it took.

Of course we had birds back then. We once counted a flush of two dozen when the dog got ahead of us. We then learned we didn’t need a dog anyway. They were more of a hindrance back then. All it took was to stop and wait every few steps, and the birds would get nervous and flush at the next step.

Then I found that the SxS with its great big wide barrel sighting plane was much quicker than a single barrel for covering the bird amidst the jumble of cedar boughs and tag alders before it slipped behind a balsam and disappeared forever.

So yes, tradition for some, but a lifetime of wonderful discovery for the rest of us.

Cheers All
B

revdocdrew,

Yes the 2nd gun from the top is the special order 1898 #2 20 gauge my Great Grandfather had made for his Woodcock and mountain Quail hunting here in Pa. It's Damascus Barrels were fully sleeved by Briley for 28 gauge shells long ago. Great gun for Grouse, Woodcock and Quail. Would like to have another set of 20 gauge barrels fit to the gun also. Probably will not be lucky enough to find a set close enough have the work done however. Hoping for a very early set of Krupp 20 gauge Barrels to become available.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Close up of the Kraus engraving usually found on #3 16 gauged L.C. Smith double guns.