Hey Guys,
Was hoping to get some opinions from the crowd. Without getting into exhaustive detail, I have......a fair number of guns. But what I don't have is a bird gun that I absolutely love. 99% of my hunting is Midwestern duck (mostly over decoys but some passing shots) and upland game (dove, pheasant, and quail)
My primary field gun is a 12 ga Benelli Super Black Eagle. I know it's a very nice gun but I'm not going to lie.....I don't like it. At all. I feel like it handles like a battleship and I don't shoot it well. Especially bundled up in a duck blind. I almost always miss my mount and end up with the butt against my upper bicep rather than in the shoulder pocket.
I have the budget and the blessing for one more gun. I know trying to get one gun to do multiple different disciplines might be kind of a fools errand but I would like to get something as versatile as possible.
I have a 20 ga, 30", O/U Browning Golden Clays that I shoot very, very well. It's probably my favorite gun. I take it out for dove even though it breaks it my heart to bring it into the field because it's such a pretty gun.
I also borrow a 12 ga, 28", O/U Beretta Sporting from my Dad from time to time. I feel like that handles remarkably nimbly for a 12 ga and I shoot it very well.
I have been talking to a lot of duck guys about this of late and a number of them have said that they switched over to 20 ga with a #3/#5 mix and they absolutely love it. I'm a good enough shot that I'm confident that I can kill flaring ducks with a 20 ga. And I've killed a lot of quail with a Franchi 20 ga that I absolutely loved but had to say goodbye to. So I have a mind to go with a 20 ga.
But I've also been wondering about a 16 ga. I've always wanted one, and I love the idea of it as the perfect sportsmans gun, but I have also never shot one and I dont know if the modern ones live up the to the romanticised hype of the old, mid-century ones.
I will note that I usually shoot an O/U better than I shoot an automatic. I don't know why. Something about the cycling of the action messes me up. Maybe I just need to get better. I will say that I'm a good enough shot that the loss of the third shot from an automatic is not a deal breaker for me. I kill two out of a covey reliably, and I'm not going to miss the third so badly that I would sacrifice fit and carry comfort for it.
So, what do you guys think? Does anyone shoot ducks with an O/U? Does anyone shoot them with 2 3/4" shells?
Does anyone have any thoughts on 20 ga vs 16 ga? I know the shells for 16 are tougher to get but it's not impossible with some planning. Boss makes all kinds of stuff for 16 and that's what I typically shoot anyway.
I appreciate any advice you all might have. Thanks in advance.