Here is a snipe painting by Audubon. You can't see the fine print, but the scene depicted is an old plantation near Charleston, SC. Prime snipe habitat.

http://prints.encore-editions.com/50...ican-snipe.jpg

I am going to have to find something around here to hunt that aint made of clay.

Mills this requires a very specialized gun. I would look for a graded 20 or 28 with 28 inch barrels choked IC/M a straight grip is preferable for its quick handeling ability. Your Snipe gun is a multipurpose firearm and can double as a suitable Grouse/Woodcock gun should you ever decide to broaden your horizons and hunt a more northerly climate.:)

One suggestion from COB which is noted with thanks and added to the want list:bigbye:

Any other suggestions?

I've always considered snipe to be the hardest to hit American gamebird. They will downright baffle a man at times, and I've been that man more than once.

To me the perfect gun would be a 28 inch 12 gauge with right cylinder and left full, with 1 1/8 ounces of #9 in the right and 1 1/8 of #6 in the left. Double triggers of course!

With the longer range shots that snipe oftentimes offer, I don't really think a smallbore is ideal. And I wouldn't want something I was afraid to get wet because the shooting grounds for them are often sloppy.

Last snipe I killed was on one of my most memorable mornings of gunning ever. I'd killed four mallard drakes (one banded), a pair of black ducks, had a right and left on canada geese, and then killed the single snipe as it flashed over the duck blind after we were done shooting. Kevin McCormack and Don Kaas were there, it was quite a day.

Thanks Destry. That makes a lot of sense. Yep the habitat down here is mud and tripping and landing your gun in nasty water is a real hazard.

i think destrey just discribed the perfect snipe gun...charlie

Remember when Countrysport did anthologies on duck, quail, woodcock and grouse hunting in the early 90's? Too bad they did not do one on snipe as well, but there seems to be little interest in these birds

I have a reeeeal beater of a GH 12 that Brian Dudley is brushing up and fitting new barrels on that I am hoping will be just the thing. This gun is used to getting wet, I think

I found this website while surfing around. This guy likes a 20 gauge, so one more perspective.

http://www.thesnipehunter.com/page4.html