Steel Shot Special at work on Cape Cod

[George M. Purtill Member #28]

We got a White Wing Scoter today. It was cold on Pleasant Bay and not many Eiders were within range which was unfortunate. But Charlie got to do some swimming and we at least got a bird. The SSS is a great gun and you can feed it anything. I'm shooting up a bunch of miscellaneous rounds- 3 inch 4s, 2.75 inch 2s, whatever.
The SSS is a working gun now and definitely not a virgin anymore- read below.

[Double Lab]

And no snow in the picture, looks like springtime up there. Charlie is looking good but you have to give him more than one bird to retrieve.

[George M. Purtill Member #28]

My SSS fell off the bow of the boat into Pleasant Bay near the cut into Nantucket Sound. The anchor line caught it as we were loading the boat.
It floated but the muzzle end leaked. Fortunately the gun was in a sock inside and the salt water was confined to the muzzle end - 10 inches or so. I spent the afternoon with warm fresh water and WD40 and finally Rem-oil. I will be watching it carefully.

[George M. Purtill Member #28]

Originally Posted by Daryl Corona

And no snow in the picture, looks like springtime up there. Charlie is looking good but you have to give him more than one bird to retrieve.

True- but with our lousy waterfowl season in New England this year I am thankful to have one.
Its all about Charlie, anyway.
Next Saturday is the last day so I will give it one more try. But I am grateful for the SSS. Its nice to leave the 870 at home.
There will be lots of snow here tomorrow.

[Double Lab]

I may just have to get me a SSS.

[BRDHNTR]

George, for great eider and scoter shooting, try the Eastham Marsh. You can launch right off the beach.

[Jeff Christie]

George-- My mother accidentally dropped my great grandfathers DHE into Tokyo Bay in 1954. We recovered it 4 hours later when the tide went out. It suffered no ill effects but my father was not amused. I kill lots of roosters to this day. It is the gun in my picture by my post.

[Kevin McCormack]

Years ago some duck shooters dropped a 12 ga. VH overboard in Shinnecock Bay, Long Island. A year or so later some oyster tongers brought it up and finally succeeded in opening it up to find it was still loaded. The "oyster telegraph" got started and the owner came and got it and sent it up to Del Grego for rehab. The gun apparently spent enough time under the mud in the cold water that all it required was the usual disassembly and cleaning and the wood spent a good deal of time in a dehumidifier cabinet before being refitted to the gun.

[George M. Purtill Member #28]

That's a great story Kevin. Fortunately for me the immersion was brief and only the barrels were wet.
So far so good..........

[George M. Purtill Member #28]

3 Eiders with my SSS. Unfortunately the Eiders have just arrived in Pleasant Bay from Canada and the north and the season is over.
I was shooting just opposite the lighthouse in Chatham, on the sand that forms the Chatham Bars made famous by the recently released movie "The Finest Hours".
Pleasant Bay is a great place to hunt and my guide, who is a lobsterman, drops me at cool places everytime. This was a good location but my shooting was poor.
Charlie had 2 great retrieves on the two Drakes that were cripples.