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gary olmstead

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hi guys, wich is better for pheasant hunting? and also 12ga or 20ga?,i am going pheasant hunting in october and i am not sure wich one is better for this. and can you suggest a good brand for my budget (850$). thanks for your input. gary.
 
what's wrong with the shotgun you have now? 12ga is better than 20ga on pheasants since they're a larger bird and fast. if you practice well, you can simply use your duck hunting gun (if you hunt ducks that is).

If you are really wanting an excuse for a new shotgun (like that never happens :p ) you have a couple of decent choices. CZ now makes a few decent shotguns (actually they're turkish made), but still CZ puts their name on it..so can't be that bad. Try Ellwood Epps. Mossberg makes an O/U in your budget and I believe there's also the Russian made Baikal. All should do well.

Depending on where you are going for the hunt, pheasant hunting can be quite a long walk, so something light is important. 20ga is great but requires a bit more skill. I'm making a leaping assumption here that if you don't have a shotty for upland gunning, you're probably a bit out of practice. :)

At the end, what really matters is how much you practiced and how well you shoot, rather than O/U vs. SXS or 12ga vs. 20ga. Go to a local store and try to swing em both and see which one FEELS and FITS better.

If all else fails.. let me know where and when and I'll come with you. I'll bring my guns and I'll do the shooting. You can have the pheasants..:p hahah save you all the trouble. :)
 
First question:
How good are you on clays or other birds?
What are you using presently?

My first recommendation would be for a used auto like a Beretta 390 or 391 with a minimum of 28 inch barrel, a 30 inch is better.
If you are hunting over dogs, a good used O/U Beretta or Browning sporter with a 30 inch barrel will fit your price range.

If you are a really good shot, then you can look into a SxS, as they are much harder to shoot clays or game. But, they do look good!

Of course, 12 gauge is preferable for reliable kills. If you are really good on game then a 20 gauge will suffice.

After a good number of years of shooting backup and guiding pheasant hunts, those are my recommendations. As for myself hunting over my own dog, I have a nice new one off besposken:
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IMG_1760.jpg


IMG_1766.jpg


IMG_1760.jpg


BTW, I shot a 40/50 in the 28 ga side event with it yesterday at the Great Eastern HiDefspex Lobster.

Regards,
Henry;)
 
A decent gun in your price range is the CZ, Mossberg Silver Reserve, Stevens 512, Baikal, and I am sure there are many others. Or you could pick up a good used one from the exchange forum. 12 or 20 is the most common, and probably makes the most sense too. I use a 28 gauge for almost all my upland hunting now, it carries very well, is balanced beautifully, and points & swings very naturally for me. And I have killed woodcock, grouse, chuckars, pheasants, and snowshoe rabbit with mine and I never once wished I was carrying a larger gauge. In fact I am in the process of selling most of my 12 gauges right now so I will have more funds to buy another 28 gauge!
 
hnachaj said:
If you are a really good shot, then you can look into a SxS, as they are much harder to shoot clays or game. But, they do look good! Henry;)
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Henry,

While I enjoy reading your posts (and narratives) I must say that you do come up with some weird statements at times - the above is one such particularly where the word "game" has been referred to although I do agree on the "clay" part to a major extent.

For even remotely suggesting something in the negative please go and stand in the corner of the room :D.


gary olmstead said:
hi guys, wich is better for pheasant hunting? and also 12ga or 20ga?,i am going pheasant hunting in october and i am not sure wich one is better for this. and can you suggest a good brand for my budget (850$). thanks for your input. gary.
Click to expand...

Gary,

Welcome! Some points you may wish to consider that could facilitate and lead to gaining some constructive and enjoyable experience in the field.

1. Is your intent to use that shotgun exclusively for Pheasants? If so, how often during the season would that be unless you are planning on visiting Game Farms regularly or perhaps trips to the US?

2. Would it be wrong to assume that it's not the only Upland species that you may be pursuing (more frequently) with the new shotgun?

In your scenario, either a 12ga or a 20ga (read generally much lighter to carry and wield) could effectively serve your needs.

In terms of the shotgun type question i.e. whether sxs or o/u - fyi, an o/u will be more versatile and practical should your interests also drift towards occasional clay shooting at a later point in time. A proper gun fit regardless of brand/type etc should be a key selection criteria.

Having said that I strongly feel the urge to mention that, IMO, absolutely nothing :D beats an appropriate sxs when it comes to Upland hunting.

A part of the challenge in acquiring an appropriate shotgun can be in view of a small budget - I'm afraid one's options become rather limited due to that and that could mean making some compromises in terms of the desired guage, fit/finish, balance/weight etc.

I recommend that you take some time to explore for "Used" quality brand names first.....SKB, Winchester, perhaps even a Browning (could be a bit more than $850) etc.

Among shotguns in the lower price bracket - CZ, Yildiz or Baikal will adequately serve your needs. However, a new one will reach or exceed the $1k mark.
 
Ahsan Ahmed said:
Henry,

While I enjoy reading your posts (and narratives) I must say that you do come up with some weird statements at times - the above is one such particularly where the word "game" has been referred to although I do agree on the "clay" part to a major extent.

For even remotely suggesting something in the negative please go and stand in the corner of the room :D.




X2 Maybe "Henry" could explain why a SxS is not a good game gun....
Click to expand...
 
I like the balance of both , but in different ways, the sxs seems to follow nice with overhead shots, where the o/u tracks sweet on the side . Over decoys their both great.
Its a toss up , their awesome guns...
Just a note on these 2 shot guns, quality shooting goes one better than laying a wall of shot out there.;) enjoy those high winds, and rain..:D
 
Levi Garrett said:
I like the balance of both , but in different ways, the sxs seems to follow nice with overhead shots, where the o/u tracks sweet on the side . Over decoys their both great.
Its a toss up , their awesome guns...
Just a note on these 2 shot guns, quality shooting goes one better than laying a wall of shot out there.;) enjoy those high winds, and rain..:D
Click to expand...

You shoot Pheasants over decoys?
 
Neither type is neccesarily "better" ... that argument has been raging on for years.

Most importantly ... gun fit, the gun has to shoot where you look ! 12 or 20, use the appropriate shells, the pheasants will be brought to bag.

As to a suitable gun ... I think you may need to up your budget !
 
I am back from eating 5 pound lobsters and over priced wines in R.I.! Here are a few expert comments for shotguns for hunting and shooting clays by his eminence: The Technoid, Monsieur Bruce Buck:
http://www.shotgunreport.com/TechTech/TechnoidArchive/27-Feb-07

.pdf

http://www.shotgunreport.com/TechTech/TechnoidArchive/27-Apr-09.pdf

This from my friend Chris Batha can explain many of the advantages of a O/U:
http://www.chrisbatha.com/gazette_01/gazette5.html

Here is the most important aspect of shotguns:
http://www.chrisbatha.com/customgunfit.html

Now, if SxS are such good guns to shoot clays and birds, why do most shooters use O/U and Autos? Why do you use a Semi for Doves in Argentina and why does the World Allround Champion (all disciplines including live birds) GD and ALL competitors, use O/U? SIMPLE, it is so much easier to shoot!

I use my Cleaborough & Johnson London gun to shoot SxS events (including a top 10 finish at the World SxS Vintage Cup) and to handicap myself when shooting birds over my dog. It is just ot easy to shoot upland game with a semi or O/U!

Nostaglia is nice, join the Vintagers, get the knickers and clothing, buy a SxS and good luck!

If you are serious about succesfull shooting, then get a good fitting shotgun and practice on sporting targets before going out to shoot game.

Going back to my corner to fill my glass with a nice 15 year Oban (same name as my Dhratthar) as I write my next musings..

Regards,
Henry;)
 
hnachaj said:
I am back from eating 5 pound lobsters and over priced wines in R.I.! Here are a few expert comments for shotguns for hunting and shooting clays by his eminence: The Technoid, Monsieur Bruce Buck:
http://www.shotgunreport.com/TechTech/TechnoidArchive/27-Feb-07

.pdf

http://www.shotgunreport.com/TechTech/TechnoidArchive/27-Apr-09.pdf

This from my friend Chris Batha can explain many of the advantages of a O/U:
http://www.chrisbatha.com/gazette_01/gazette5.html

Here is the most important aspect of shotguns:
http://www.chrisbatha.com/customgunfit.html

Now, if SxS are such good guns to shoot clays and birds, why do most shooters use O/U and Autos? Why do you use a Semi for Doves in Argentina and why does the World Allround Champion (all disciplines including live birds) GD and ALL competitors, use O/U? SIMPLE, it is so much easier to shoot!

I use my Cleaborough & Johnson London gun to shoot SxS events (including a top 10 finish at the World SxS Vintage Cup) and to handicap myself when shooting birds over my dog. It is just ot easy to shoot upland game with a semi or O/U!

Nostaglia is nice, join the Vintagers, get the knickers and clothing, buy a SxS and good luck!

If you are serious about succesfull shooting, then get a good fitting shotgun and practice on sporting targets before going out to shoot game.

Going back to my corner to fill my glass with a nice 15 year Oban (same name as my Dhratthar) as I write my next musings..

Regards,
Henry;)
Click to expand...

I think your Beret is crooked. And it is Clabrough & Johnson. ;)
 
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I find it funny, but reading W.W. Greeners book from around 1900, he talks about how superior the sxs platform is for shooting. I think a lot is personal preference.
 
Hi all.

I seldom hunt upland and when I do it's with a 20 Win pump so I am probably the LEAST qualified to throw in $0.02 - but if you check out tradex you'll find some nice used possible solutions to your problem. O/U, SxS and some single shot stuff in all the aforementioned gauges.

I've dealt with them on a K31 and a couple SKS rifles and they're great folks to deal with. www.tradeexcanada.com

Regardless, good luck in October!
 
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