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Joined: 17 Oct 2019 Posts: 472 Location: New Jersey

I always have a backup. The back up you chose is up to you but normally a cheaper gun. The most important thing is have pictures of both guns especially the serial numbers in case the unthinkable happens.

When I drive to Kansas, I take 3 guns. My primary gun is a 16 ga Marlin Model 90DT with 26" barrels. A backup is either a 16 ga Model 90 converted to single trigger with 26 and 28 in. interchangeable barrels or my 16 ga Ithaca 37. I also take a 12 ga Beretta A391 Extrema 2 semi-auto for ducks and geese.

Joined: 21 May 2015 Posts: 135

For any out of town/overnight trip...

Generally, it's my O/U and my SxS.

In WI or any place with dangerous or a reasonable deer permit my Dreiling is my backup.

If I'm local, within 30-40 miles I don't bring a back up but if I'm going farther than that or for overnight I ALWAYS carry a backup!
It may or may not be the same caliber and it may or may not be the same configuration. For example a couple years ago I went to Iowa after the first of the year and it was bitter cold so I left my double trigger SxS at home and took a single trigger O/U and a Sweet Sixteen. Windchill was -25* and my hands were frozen with good gloves, I could have never used a double trigger gun.
I carry the backup broken down in a soft case to save some room and most of the time never even get it out.

Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 475 Location: WI

I usually have two guns with me. Sometimes 3. Not always for short trips "up nort" but almost always (but not always) when the drive is longer than a couple of hours. I even bought a second Citori SLF in case something were to happen to my primary one.

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 1135

I just got home from my fall western trip to my buddy's Idaho ranch and took two guns with me, the 16 ga RFM and the 16 ga Fausti DEA as backup. The RFM functioned perfectly and the DEA never even made it out of its case. Managed to bag California quail and Huns, but never saw a chukar. A neighbor said the chukar were around the reservoir off the property because of the dry conditions. The RFM did help me score a couple of doubles on quail when the birds cooperated and didn't hide behind willow trees in the creek bottom. Kinda like trying to flush a bobwhite out of a fence row and get a shot on a solo hunt.

Well, it looks like my backup gun question solved itself. I picked up this little 6.4lb Neuman Bros. (Belgian) hammer gun a while back but I didn't intend to keep it.
I converted it to straight grip, custom checkering, etc. But it was in such nice shape and felt so good that I had to try it out chukar hunting. Boy oh boy. What a fantastic shooter. First three shots with it, two chukars. I'll take it. Light, nimble, pretty, but not so pretty that I can't lay it on the ground without worrying about scratching it. It even has some really nice engraving of wild boars, foxes, and a spaniel holding a bird on the trigger guard. Here are a couple pics:

I also just won this fabulous Husky 16 at auction, and I'm hoping it will be my main upland gun. Fingers crossed. After selling most of my guns, these two should make a great pair to take with me from now on.

Joined: 09 Dec 2022 Posts: 12 Location: Westport, Wa

I never used to.
I got up very early and drove over three hours to get to a hunting spot for Chukar and quail with my trusty 1920's Model 12 16 gauge. It had taken a LOT of all types of birds from Geese to Quail.
I am, according to my wife, "Obsessed with cleaning and maintaining" my firearms, which even she admits is a good thing.
I had not walked more than 100 yards from my vehicle when a covey of Chukar blew up around me, which is quite unusual. I pulled up, lined up on one, pulled the trigger and was met with a very loud CLICK! Jacked the action and got another click when I squeezed the trigger. No mark on the primers when examined. Oh, oh!
The tip of the firing pin had broken off! I have never had that happen before or since on any firearm.
I started carrying a 'spare' after that.

Joined: 09 Dec 2022 Posts: 12 Location: Westport, Wa

I never used to.
I got up very early and drove over three hours to get to a hunting spot for Chukar and quail with my trusty 1920's Model 12 16 gauge. It had taken a LOT of all types of birds from Geese to Quail.
I am, according to my wife, "Obsessed with cleaning and maintaining" my firearms, which even she admits is a good thing.
I had not walked more than 100 yards from my vehicle when a covey of Chukar blew up around me, which is quite unusual. I pulled up, lined up on one, pulled the trigger and was met with a very loud CLICK! Jacked the action and got another click when I squeezed the trigger. No mark on the primers when examined. Oh, oh!
The tip of the firing pin had broken off! I have never had that happen before or since on any firearm.
I started carrying a 'spare' after that.

Joined: 07 Jun 2020 Posts: 253

I have yet to have a gun break on a hunting trip (knock on wood), though I have had some issues on clays ranges.

That said all my good guns are older than me, and some older than my Grandfather. Therefore I always pack two extras, one back up and one rainy day gun.

I rarely ever take either out of the case except to show off nice guns and have not used the back up, but I know if I did not have it a gun would break.

I've only had one incident where I needed a backup and I was in Kansas 250 miles from home and fortunately I had one. I mentioned above that I don't take one when going close to home but I've changed my mind on that after last week. My buddy was using his TriStar Raptor 12 gauge while we were hunting pheasants near his home in SD last week. We were 40 miles from his house and his first two shots were fine but after that it would only fire one without jamming or wouldn't fire at all. Of course all pheasants were flushing in front of him instead of me.
I had a spare SxS with DT which he wasn't used to but at least he was guaranteed one shot.