Post by: at2smithjason on December 03, 2014, 08:54:04 PM
Post by: wildweeds on December 03, 2014, 09:37:01 PM
Post by: C-Money on December 03, 2014, 10:05:31 PM
Post by: at2smithjason on December 03, 2014, 10:22:12 PM
Post by: C-Money on December 03, 2014, 10:44:38 PM
Post by: bobcat on December 03, 2014, 10:52:05 PM
I agree with the others that a pump action would be a good choice.
Post by: Fishnfowler on December 03, 2014, 10:58:27 PM
Best of luck in your adventures.
Post by: wildweeds on December 03, 2014, 11:00:18 PM
Quail are so good....but you need a pile of them. Pheasants are great too, and hard to beat a good grouse. Ill take my fresh quail and fry them in butter and eat them right out of the pan. This works when I only get a few. If I blast a pile, the wife will bake them for dinner and serve with mashed potatoes and stuffing with gravy. Mouthwatering!! She usually does the Pheasants and grouse in a turkey bag, oven baked.
Post by: GoBeavs85 on December 03, 2014, 11:08:51 PM
I started w a 12 Gauge and think that is the clear best first gun choice. It's just so versatile.
My wife who is very picky about what she eats likes quail the best. They can be hard to hit but they hold well for dogs and if your in a good area usually provide lots of shooting
Opportunity.
Good luck!
Post by: RadSav on December 03, 2014, 11:13:59 PM
I think Chukar are the best tasting without doubt. Quail and Grouse are my next favorite with Pheasant and Huns in a tight third place. Any bird can taste like an old shoe, but proper handling of the game with the right cooking will turn almost any protein into good eating.
:tup: :tup: Nothing better than Buffalo Chuckar for the Super Bowl feast!! Add a little gorgonzola dip and oh my flippin' goodness :drool: :drool: My absolute favorite bird, wild or domestic.
Post by: AspenBud on December 04, 2014, 09:01:08 AM
So, I am a city transplat and I have just tapped into my hunting desires. I am very new to this and I am trying to collect all of the info that I can. While looking through all of the awesome pictures that you guys and gals post on here about all of the good hunting that you have had, I think that I was meant to be a bird guy. I find my self coming back to the bird section time and time again. The question that I have is what gauge of shotgun is everyone using? I am thinking about getting a 12GA so that I can do turkeys and ducks. But the uplands all seem to be smaller and I dont want to lose too much from the shot pellets. Thanks for the help.
The best all around gauge out there is 16. Guns in that gauge tend to be lighter but have a similar impact to that of a 12.
That said, 16 gauge ammo is harder to come by and more expensive so 12 gauge is often the choice people make for a do-it-all gauge.
You're bigger concern should be weight. What makes a great duck and turkey gun does not always make a good upland gun. 7 lbs may not seem like a lot but after an hour or two of hiking around behind a hot bird dog you'll start to notice it. Been there, done that.
Post by: lonedave on December 04, 2014, 09:25:38 AM
Chukar are by far my most favorite to hunt, but I think grouse are the least dry. I like to hunt any upland bird though. I'm partial to 20 ga with either #7 1/2 or #6 shot, but I also haven't hunted waterfowl for almost 30 years. I do use a blackpowder 12 ga on occasion with shot size up to #5. That said, I think the most important piece of gear the upland or waterfowl hunter needs is a good dog. Most any gauge gun and shells will work, but having that nose working for you is priceless! In that department, I'm partial to Brittanys. A couple of other items that I use for upland hunting that I don't see used a lot are binoculars and a sling.
Dave
Post by: salmonchaser on December 04, 2014, 09:52:05 AM
Waterfowl, as well stated, get a 12 gauge.
On the table;
Ptarmigan are easily the best eating when taken in August or September as they are living on a variety of wild berries.
Grouse number two.
Pheasant, quail, chukar, Huns. Depends a lot on where you find them.
I save all my waterfowl for pepperoni so I don't have to sacrifice deer or elk for pepperoni.
Everyone has biases when it comes to shotguns. If you have not spent any time reading about shotgun fit, do yourself a favor and gain some understanding before you buy a gun. I'm not saying you need a fitted gun, far from it. There are significant differences in stock dimensions some guns will point better for you then others. You will have far more success using a gun that fits you. It might be an 870 pump or an M2 Benelli. Once you have an understanding of fit, spend some time shooting, set your budget and then go buy the gun that won't handicap you.
Post by: at2smithjason on December 04, 2014, 02:02:12 PM
Post by: AspenBud on December 04, 2014, 02:27:00 PM
So I was thinking that for my first shot gun I would get a good Benelli. I love the way that they look and I havent heard a bad thing about them, aside from the price. But you gotta pay to play.
I love my M2.
Post by: C-Money on December 04, 2014, 02:27:25 PM
Wildweed....the does sound delicious. ...gotta try it!
Post by: RadSav on December 04, 2014, 02:39:32 PM
So I was thinking that for my first shot gun I would get a good Benelli. I love the way that they look and I havent heard a bad thing about them, aside from the price. But you gotta pay to play.
When looking at Benelli be sure to pay attention to weight if upland hunting is part of the game. If you think to yourself, "It's a little heavy, but it will be ok" while you are still in the store...probably should be looking for something lighter ;) Benelli has some great dual purpose options, without a doubt! But, when chasing chukars there is no such thing as being too dang light! I'd rather error on the light side than error on the heavy side.
Benelli's Nova is a great place to start, IMO. Few serious bird hunters ever settle for just one single gun anyway. That's part of the fun of bird hunting! At one point in time I had a;
Turkey Gun
Goose Gun
Duck Gun
Grouse Gun
Quail Gun
Chuckar/Pheasant Gun
And the cool 222/20 double gun 8)
Warning: You get serious about bird hunting and their are plenty of fun toys you are going to
Post by: CP on December 04, 2014, 03:01:07 PM
Post by: salmonchaser on December 04, 2014, 03:58:57 PM
If I could only have one it would be the M2 because it fits me and is very reliable.
The very best pointing gun I own is a Heym drilling, double 12 over a 7x57. Very handy with a deer tag in your pocket.
Have fun, the Benelli will suit you fine and let us know what breed of dog you're going to get. I happen to own shorthairs.
Post by: salmonchaser on December 04, 2014, 04:43:43 PM
Post by: at2smithjason on December 04, 2014, 08:31:49 PM
I have an M1 super 90, an M2 field, a 20 gauge ultra light and I may buy an ethos, trading off the Super Black Eagle. Just never fell in love with the SBE. The M1 is my loaner, the M2 does my heavy work and the ultra light for chukar. I also break out the old doubles when and where I can use lead shot.
If I could only have one it would be the M2 because it fits me and is very reliable.
The very best pointing gun I own is a Heym drilling, double 12 over a 7x57. Very handy with a deer tag in your pocket.
Have fun, the Benelli will suit you fine and let us know what breed of dog you're going to get. I happen to own shorthairs.
I was looking into the dog options, and brits and the german pointers i have read dont do good in the cold. I was thinking about betting a pointing lab. I just would like to get a dog that is an all around good dog.
Post by: salmonchaser on December 04, 2014, 08:50:23 PM
Post by: RadSav on December 04, 2014, 08:58:13 PM
I think if I were to go back to waterfowl hunting as well as upland I might take a real hard look at the GWP. The ones I've hunted with both in the duck blind and the upland hills have been quite spectacular! Less shedding, less noise, less food, less allergies and fewer garbage cans to pick up too. All a big plus in my book!
Post by: wildweeds on December 04, 2014, 09:37:40 PM