Who's an Upland Birdhunter here?

[Spurshot]

Any upland hunters here?

 

I have an old lab from good hunting stock and a young well bred English pointer from national level champion trials blood. I really enjoy a good quail hunt or pheasant, as well as some light chukar hunting.

 

I'm into old early 20th century side by side small gauge guns. My favorites being .410s. But I shoot some 28 and 20ga as well. Not much 12ga these days. I don't have any interest in black guns, just fine guns are my thing.

 

 

 

 

 

[Spurshot]

 

 

 

[kstruckcountry]

I like to hunt for quail and pheasant. I'm looking forward to the prairie chicken population growing, I really like them. Not upland, but in the last couple years it's been doves only. My lab loves bringing back anything that gets shot. As far as guns I usually hunt with my cheap 887, sometimes I break out the Win '97 pump for old times sake.

[Mckenzie]

I'd love to go out west and do some hunting for pheasant and chuckar. Thats been a dream of mine. I got a jam up bird dog but we can't ever put him on any wild birds like quail here in SC. DNR says they manage for em but ill be damed if i or anyone else can find em

[sourdough44]

Nice pictures, yes as much as time allows here in the upper Midwest. It's usually Ruffled Grouse and Woodcock here. Years past we even had Wilson(Common) Snipe in the bag too. Not much beats a mid Oct day in grouse coverts.

 

My favorite upland gun is a Browing Citori, 20 ga 'Lightning Feather' with 26" barrels. There is an adage that he who walks the furthest usually sees the most grouse, suitable cover assumed. A lighter gun makes that walking easier.

[Spurshot]

.... A lighter gun makes that walking easier.

 

Spoken like a man that has a lot of miles on his boots.

[Texas Husker]

Last year end of deer season hunt, temp went from 68* to -15* and blowing snow overnight. Couldn't pass that up. While walking for deer, jumped a bunch of pheasants and grouse. Swapped guns a got 2 pheasants. Use to do a lot more when growing up, quail, dove and pheasant. Now I take what I can get on trips back to visit my dad. Used to use an old .410 o/u when little. Still need to get another. New gun last year, Beretta A400 Xtreme Unico 12 ga. Loving this gun so far.

 

[HDNitehawk]

I hope this is a good year of Kansas Pheasant.

[Spurshot]

It's not looking good for much across the southwest. Not much rain = no birds.

[Stex]

Well I guess one would call it down-land birds here in S. TX. Mostly dove hunt around here. Quail hunting is extremely expensive now. My friends that lease the big places south of here say the deer hunters drive in with big motorhomes while the quail hunters fly in.

 

We have to drive long distances for pheasants. We have one group that drives all the way to S. Dakota. Most pastures, like ours, are losing the quail. some blame fire ants, coons with no predators etc...the reason I stop shooting coyotes and bobcats...which may also get the quail. No rain is a major issue.

 

I have been shooting 28ga o/u for about 25 yrs. Gives up nothing to a 20ga, lite and shells are lite. Nice 101 and a rare grade five browning. My rain gun is an Ultra XS 30 inch. Fits perfect. I find the best shells to be the Federal copper coated lead pellets, high brass. Really holds a pattern and brings down the birds. Expensive but cuts down on speculation shots.

[Spurshot]

STex,

I found all the Federal shot to be better than anyone else's. Even the cheap Federal has perfect, hard, shot in it.

 

I have a 525 20ga 32" gun for clays. Hard to miss with that gun. Your Ultra XS is probably a very similar gun. A friend of mine has an old Grade 5 Citori in 12 ga Skeet. Not many were made. The Grade 5 Superposed guns were very limited and eventually the Diana grade superseded it.

 

I don't have but one 28ga I can think of. It's a Parker Reproduction. I bought it to convert to .410 with Galazan barrels. It took a few years, but Galazan eventually sent the barrels and I had a former Pachmyr gunsmith fit them. Now it's a 2 barrel 28/410 set, both 28" long. The factory 410/28 sets were all 26".

[Stex]

^ nice guns and dogs! Would like to see the guns and dogs. I have a good hunting friend that could talk to you for hours. He too is into older side by sides, 410 and 28s. He does a lot of his own work. He is a fine wing shot with the 410 or any gun for that matter.

 

Yes the XS is similar to the 525 but more the 425 with the 100 percent vertical back part of the receiver. A lot like these Miller 425 guns: http://millersguncenter.com/collections/browning-limited-production/products/browning-425-american-sporter

 

I am down to 4 28ga o/u. Really just like the gauge. My gun store friend has a matching XS 410. he tried to sell me but I passed as not sure about doves and a 410. Hate to wound a bird. He said to shoot 3 inch 6s and all good. May go back and see if still there. Nice wood like new but 2,500 +.

 

Note, use to dove hunt with my friends golden. Made the whole hunting thing better. Friend lost his dog and barely hunts now as he says no fun. I cannot talk him into another dog.

[kstruckcountry]

It's great to have a couple labs along for doves. Gives them good practice fetching for other birds and they always have a blast.

[Spurshot]

When I first got my lab, it was all about my hunting. The truck, the dog, the guns, everything was about hunting. Now it seems it's all about the dogs, the truck and all the guns and gear are all about getting the dogs some hunting time. I've gone out without a gun many times just to get the dogs on birds and concentrate on their training. Fun to see the dogs work well. Amazing critters and great companions.

[Kali_diver]

I have a rescued German Shorthaired Pointer I have been traing and hunting with since he was.4months old. Started out pheasant hunting but due to declining numbers here in C.A. we mostly quail hunt as of late. He is 3 years now and is naturally staunch on point. Just working on steadiness.