C 10
 

Here are some more pictures of my recent C 10 gauge. It has some issues, but not as bad as I expected.

Notice two dogs on both sideplates which I thought was reserved for B Grades. The order book is missing and I wish I knew who ordered it.

Nice gun Mills

Beautiful! What a great gun...those barrels would look great refinished if you decide to go that route. And 31" barrels right? Not too many left the factory like that...

Very sweet Mills, I'm a big fan of dogs on a gun! What are it's issues? What kind load are you shooting in it for dove?

Chris

Very nice :cool:

The big issue is a cracked stock with old (but solid) repair) The second big issue is a hatchet job on recheckering. Stock looks like a V grade. The toplever does not stay right when open but that is relatively minor. I will probably leave as is. The barrels look pretty good as is, although getting them refinished is tempting.

According to TPS, it is the only C 10 toplever with 31" barrels. So if anyone knows of a trapshooter who had such a gun, that is our guy.

I would leave as is, shoot and enjoy it. I don't touch mine unless they're suffering structurally. I like patina, I'm a purist. Once again, great gun Mills!

I wish the checkering was correct, but seeing the stock is already cracked, doing that work would weaken it more. I plan to leave as is for the moment and I have some other more pressing projects anyway

1 1/8 RST for doves. No. 8s

Nice loads. I'm loading 3/4 ounce #8 for my 12GA lifters. Shoots with the recoil of a 410. Checkering is tough around or covering a repaired crack. I fixed an old repair in the wrist of a hammer. Someone also butchered the checkering after the first repair. I ended up filing down their checkering and started a fresh layout and made the checkering look the way it should.

The first two shots with the C 10 brought down birds dead as a doornail. Then I started missing and then I went back to the 16. Julia's semi auto jammed up so she borrowed my 16 for a while.

Giving the dove hunt it's own thread since it deserves it. The good news is we just got invited to another dove hunt this coming Sunday. Will probably get good photos there and save them for Parker Pages.

Our season here in AZ ends tomorrow, but we still have the Eurasions. I'll most likely hunt them Saturday. Do you have many Eurasions in Georgia?

We don't have Eurasians unfortunately. The first leg of our season goes a few more weeks, although the good hunts will be over by then.

Don't over look late season doves. If you can find a nice watering hole you can hunt them late in the day when they go to water before roost. Also late crops attract them just the same as early. One of my most memorable dove hunts was very late in the year over a cut field when a cold front was bringing snow in. The birds went on a frenzy hunting food before the bad weather.

I have not been on a great late season hunt in years. Not since they outlawed top sowed wheat.

We actually do have Eurasian collard doves in Georgia. Just not the numbers y'all have out west. I've got 15 or so that hang around the horse barn and we usually get a few flying into the dove fields.

I saw two at a dove shoot Saturday morning. Bobby

I've not been in on a great ANY season dove hunt in maybe 6 or so years .

I hadn't thought about it but we've only got two dairy farms in our county and the chopping of silage has lessened a great deal . Most of the farmers around here that raise beef cows pick ear corn or shell corn so they don't bother with that until mid to late October . And to be honest the places I know of that grow sunflowers especially for dove season didn't have great first days either this year .

A friend of ours has a field that has always been a natural dove field. A lot of other formerly great fields have gone to nothing, but his is still good. The decline of agriculture in our area has not helped the situation either.

Late season Doves
 

Reggie is right some of my late season S Tx dove hunts in Jan 36 degree weather have been killer both Whitewings and morning non stop. Over sunflower fields doesn't get any better and sure beats Sept 100 degree weather on this 73 year old gentleman!!

Opening weekend here can be dangerous hot. One opening hunt had multiple hunters and dogs having mild (or worse) heat strokes. Our opening weekend hunt this year was too hot and it was a good thing it got delayed to the next weekend where it was pleasant.