16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 19 Jun 2004 Posts: 1480 Location: Mpls, MN.

Hello All,
Has anyone here ever given serious thought to working themselves down to just one gun? Maybe not emptying the safe, but, just finding the one in the collection that works the best for a variety of jobs for the guy that uses it?

I have a nice "accumulation" of guns, that, for the most part, aren't worth too much to anybody but me, but, find the bouncing around between them does little to nothing for my all around score.

My usual gun for the trap range is not my sporting clays or skeet gun, and none of them are my favorite grouse and woodcock gun, and my pheasant guns are a motley crüe on top of that. What gives?

Do I have too many different games, or too many different guns? I've tried shooting trap with that 16 gauge Ultralight Ithaca, and you can forget that-what a pounding.

I watched a good friends father in action at our local gun club recently. He uses but one shotgun, a Western Field pump that looks to be a clone of one of the Mossberg or Savage guns from the 1940s, with a Polychoke on it. Vern is a Korean and Viet Nam war vet, and can't remember if he bought the gun new or used circa 1948 or so, but, the poly was there when he did. Vern tighened her down for trap, and loosened it up for sporting clays that day, shooting pretty darn good "old guy" scores at both. This is one of only two shotguns he has ever owned, the other being a 16 gauge bolt action that he still has, but says he might have trouble finding, it has been so long since he used it.

I brought two guns and had a lousy outing. Leaving my coat at home didn't help. It is tough to shoot well when I'm shivering.

But watching him got me thinking.
Best,
ted

*Last edited by revdocdrew on Sat Oct 21, 2006 7:51 am; edited 1 time in total*

Part of it may be getting older and more squishy brained, but over the last 2 years I've whittled down my gun collection substantially. Most of us go through 'phases' in our shooting and collecting. Mine sorta went skeet guns to trap guns to M-12s to Ithaca SBTs, SxSs, and M-37s to Classic American SBTs while an assortment of mostly Browning hunting and target guns came and went. Ignoring the handguns around the house (and cars-love this State Wink

) I'm down to:
20g. 22’ Trojan quail gun: .000 and .007 (C/IC) 6#
16g. 11’ Elsie all-around pheasant gun: .006 and .014 (Imp/Mod) 6 ½#
12g. 24’ #2 frame Trojan low gun skeet and clays gun: .005 and .015 (Sk 1/Sk 2) 8# with adjustable comb and butt (I know-looks hideous but sure does break targets)
12g. 13’ Sterly late season pheasant and fun trap: .015 and .035 (Lt Mod/Full) 7 ½#
One of my long time hunting partner brings a spare Benelli SBE to S. Dakota which I'm happy to shoot when the weather turns nasty.
It is easier for me since I don't hunt waterfowl or turkey and have regretfully had to pretty much give up trap.
And I'm seriously thinking, since sweet Elsie has captured my heart, in using her for most of my skeet with 7/8 oz loads. Rolling Eyes

BUT, as the good Padre observed, just ONE vanity gun would be nice Very Happy

My motto: "So many guns, so little time." Laughing

Lets face it. most of us could shoot very well with but one or two well fitted guns. However, life is a bit drab without a nice full gun safe, or room, depending on how bad your gun jones really is. We dyed in the wool shotgun nuts would get bored shooting even perfect scores with but one or two guns and would soon be looking for the ultimate shotgun again--the next acquisition. The only reason to sell off some guns is to make room for some new ones.

Its the hunt and not the kill that keeps us out there always wanting, always looking. So go to the next shop, the next show, the next auction, or prowl the web sites with eager eyes and quickened pulse me boys. We is what we is and thats all that we is. Wink

Serious thought? No way! No how! NO SIR! You need different guns for different sports and venues.

One analogy: how well would I make out by entering my H-D Fatboy in a motocross race???

We need to all buy more guns to keep our economy rolling and the DOW over 12K.

Member Joined: 15 Mar 2005 Posts: 358 Location: Houston

A timely post, Ted. Was just puzzling through the same issues myself.

Why do I still have that Rem 31 I seldom shoot? And which gun do I REALLY want to use for my main trap gun? Decisions, decisions. . .

If I can't make up my mind, at least it helps to know I'm not alone.

Ted, maybe there is something in what you said about getting older. I've been selling guns and hope to get down to the four I like the best. That switching guns all the time wasn't doing anything for my scores. My plan is to keep my Citori 16 ga for Sporting Clays and Trap. Keep the 20 ga Citori for Skeet and keep my two 20 ga Benellis for what little hunting I do. Just this last week, I sold two 20 ga autos. At least, I'm working in the right direction for my goal.Just a few more to go. The only thing I'm afraid of is seeing the new guns for next year. I still would love to get a nice 16 ga auto if one comes out. Oh well, maybe I'll go down to five.

Joined: 17 Dec 2005 Posts: 47

Yes Ted, I've often thought about this concept.

I really like SxS's and am fortunate to own several nice ones, mostly classic American guns, and one delightful Arrieta. They are great fun to shoot and to hunt with.

HOWEVER, and it is a BIG HOWEVER, I shoot skeet and sporting clays all summer with a Browning 12 gauge Gold Hunter. I shoot it better than any other gun I have EVER owned. With it, I've gone 50 straight at skeet - which I consider a significant accomplishment. Since it has choke tubes, and 3" chambers, I could really use it for all my hunting and clay bird endeavors. That would be with wisest and most reasonable course of action.

But I just can't bring myself to do so. Instead, I thoroughly clean the Gold Hunter the last week of August every year, and put it in the back of the gun safe. Then I shoot the SxS's on Doves and Clays in September and October, and use only the SxS's for bird hunting the rest of the year.

Most of us really aren't all that rationale when it comes to shotguns. If we were, there would be no valid reason for this 16 Gauge Board. Instead, we'de all be shooting 12 gauge auto's or pumps.

Joined: 20 Aug 2006 Posts: 20 Location: MANAKIN, VA

I like this thread. It was fairly easy to settle on one woman for life, but it's impossible to settle on one shotgun. I have four, and none are what I would consider a vanity gun. I would like to add one more, like that M24 Winchester no one likes. I'm not so single-minded that I can relegate myself to a niche or a brand. You know what they say about variety....

"Most of us really aren't all that rationale when it comes to shotguns."

Well said gold40 Laughing

But we probably wouldn't stick with one if we couldn't hit anything with it-no matter the gauge, looks, or maker's name.
(And every now and again even 16GG sounds rational and reasonable Wink

)

Member Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 602 Location: western pa

It's hard to pass up a pretty gun or a pretty girl, but experience teaches you that the guns don't end up being quite as expensive or troublesome.Seriously though, the best game getters I've ever seen were one gun men and they both shot well worn pump guns. On the other side of the coin---- Variety is the Spice of Life.

Joined: 03 Sep 2006 Posts: 4

I have downsized the number of firearms in order to go up in quality. I currently use one shotgun as my "go to" for all my hunting and then have one that always goes along for a backup. Fortunately I have never needed to pull the backup gun out for myself but have had to for others. I have a few other shotguns I would describe as recreational guns meaning they are kind of like having a convertable...just enjoy bringing one out when the weather is nice and sun is shining.

since i sem to like to "tinker" i end up shooting any number of guns just a little, and therefore my trap/skeet scores are mediocre at best.

however i think i enjoy my shooting a lot more than some of the people i shoot with seem to.

this phase may change later.. and i recognize that

i'm having fun, enjoying what time i do get to shoot & hunt, and it provides a nice stress/pressure relief and relaxation.

just my 0.02

rayb

"i'm having fun, enjoying what time i do get to shoot & hunt, and it provides a nice stress/pressure relief and relaxation."

Well said Ray. Very few of us are messing with guns and dogs to make a living or a name for ourselves. Having fun should be the point Very Happy

(though missing targets or wounding birds ain't much fun Rolling Eyes

)

Understatement of the month (maybe the year):

"Most of us really aren't all that rationale when it comes to shotguns."

From what I've seen and read here, not too many of us could remain rational about putting on a hat. SHEESH!! Rolling Eyes

I've seen, and even unintentionally instigated some pretty heated debates about something as trivial as a shot shell wad. Rational??? OH yeah, we're rational all right--and I'm the freakin Queen of England. Laughing

I would bet that most shooters do have only one shotgun for all purposes, and that they would think most of the folks on this forum are nuts for liking lots of guns. If you include stuff like trap shooting regularly or pass shooting of big waterfowl along with upland hunting, then I think a guy would need at least a specialized big shotgun along with a general purpose one. Or choose to get along with the heavy one for all uses. When I was young I could only afford one shotgun, and I picked out an unlikely all-around choice: a 20 gauge double with C/IC chokes and 22 inch barrels. I did not know any better, and this 90 dollar gun worked fine for decoyed ducks, pheasant, and especially ruffed grouse. Since I now know much more about shotguns I presently own about a half dozen of them, however I don't really think I am very much more effective on game than when I had only the one little 20! So, my choice if I could only own one shotgun again would be for a 16 or 12 gauge which handled nicely and weighed around 6 1/2 to less than 7 lbs. and which would be a two-triggered double with fairly open chokes or a pump with open choke or choke tubes. But I hope I never need to make this choice, as at least three of my guns fit this description (and I like to shoot the others at trap etc. too). Very Happy