Gosh, Stan, I don't think you're are narrow-minded at all. You obviously have great experience and have developed a good knowledge of your guns and yourself. And, by what I can tell from your posts, you're an excellent shot.

I like all kinds of double guns, and have a variety of weights, barrel lengths, etc. I tell myself I "need" all these variations for particular settings. I've got some 8-11 lbs. duck guns, a "heavy," long barreled gun for pheasants, a short barreled light weight arsenal for woodcock, and a wider variety of guns for quail (which I hunt the most). I choose the quail guns dependent upon the cover I'll be hunting, and my go-to quail gun is a 30 inch 20 gauge Parker that weighs 6 lbs. 10 oz (not exactly light). Most of my shooting is at close rising birds, often in thick cover. I like the maneuverability of a lighter gun then. At least for me, I get on birds quicker with that type gun. I can see the trade off when I need to take longer crossing shots, as I often end up stopping my swing. That's as much my poor shooting as it is the gun weight, but I know I shoot a more forward-weighted gun better on longer crossing shots. I just don't take many of those over the course of a season. Actually, I don't shoot that much at all any more, limiting my take to just a brace of quail on most days...if I'm lucky enough to find birds.

I've been think about getting a 3 weight Parker 12...and a .410 Parker. I'm sure I'd likely shoot the former better than the latter, mostly because of the potential dynamics of those guns. I'll never be a good shot at dove with a .410 like you obviously are(:bowdown:), but I only go a few days a year at the season's opening...then all the birds head South and I'm left to those "other" birds. Thank goodness. Dove are a humbling experience for this mediocre shot.:crying:

It's hard to stop a train! ;-)
Reminds me of a story.
I was at a pigeon shoot one weekend, in a little village in Old Mexico called Sacramento, as I recall. I think they called it El Champion Shoot, or sum sutch.
This particular shoot was a SxS shoot.
One of my crazier friends from back then, (I'll call him John) was shooting an 8 gauge SxS, and, after some persuasion, lent me the gun and 10 shells to shoot a 5 bird practice.
I don't remember much about the first 4, but the last bird sprang outta box 9 and sped away towards the right side of the back fence, like he needed to be somewhere!
The gun was slow to start, but I gave it a shove and it lumbered smoothly across the field, and past the fleeting bird. The right barrel discharged at almost the right time, and caused a large swarm of shot to cut feathers on his right side.
The bird, was infuriated, and swung a u-turn right at the fence, and commenced to charge the gun at high speed!
I left skid marks on the ground beneath me, as I slammed on the brakes, got her stopped, then muscled those huge barrels back in the new direction the bird had taken.
I managed to put the bead on the lips of the charging bird, and hit the 2nd trigger at just the right moment this time.
The devastation was epic! Looked like a pillow fight at mid-field! Imagine a full choked 8 gauge centering a pigeon at 20 or so yards.
I handed the big gun back to my friend and thanked him for the ride, while athletic young Mexicans cleaned up the mess.
The big gun kinda surprised me at how well it handled, in spite it's large frame, and long barrels. 36", as I recall. I think I was something like 3x5 with the big gun, on the practice, with the 8 ga. Yes, big guns are fun!
BTW, I did manage a 2nd place with a 32" Runge/Delgreco A-1 Special trap gun that I brought for the event, so it was a pretty good day for me.
The Parker Gun felt like a cue stick after shooting the 8 gauge, and earned me a few Pesos that day.

** Posted and later deleted until I have more time to check something interesting.

Were you in that part of Mexico about 20 years ago?

No, only in Cancun and Tijuana.

I'll bet there are some stories linked with those two locations.:eek::shock:

I know some guys who used to shoot doves down in Hermosillo and yes, there were some stories.
BTW, sorry about the wordy post above. I was home alone yesterday, and didn't know whether to write a country western ballad, or make a post on the Parker site.

Same here Todd. Somedays I don't know whether to solve world hunger, work for peace or go shooting. Can't decide between 20 or 28ga. Oh well, let's take them both.

Thanks Daryl. Maybe some day soon after some favorable climate change we can get together and work towards whirled peas.

I got a text from a guy that runs a ring in PA a couple days ago for a friday saturday shoot . Sadly I'll be out of the country (I hope) . But in the two days shoot there will be a 20 bird 28 gauge race . I'm kinda new to the pigeon game but I'd never heard of lesser gauge races .

I would however like to try my DH 8 in the pigeon ring with my light 1 1/2 ounce load in the right barrel and the heavier 1 3/4 ounce load in the left barrel .