Upland hunting with hammer guns

[Jerry Andrews]

I'm from West Virginia, and well, you've heard all the stories and told all the jokes but...we don't bite live shells!!!! We've bitten other live things but not shells. Jerry
PS. Bill, just funnin' with ya

[Jawjadawg]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

But not on ruffed grouse and woodcock in heavy cover without a dog.

I'd love to hear how those guys who hunt from their 4 wheelers in the UP and Minnesota handle it - hammers down/cocked, open/closed?

[C.O.B.]

I hunt in the U.P. but don't have a 4 wheeler but when I take the hammer gun I don't cock it untill I walk in on a point and I'm usually hunting alone.

[Jawjadawg]

Wasn't trying to offend everyone in the UP or Minnesota, but I'm sure you're aware of those types I was poking at. Frankly, I'd be surprised to learn anyone on this forums hunts with those tactics.

[Andy Kelley]

Hi all have been hunting the last five years with hammer guns(British and Belgian) in Maine, Canada but mostly in the western Adirondaks. I cock both hammers when I walk in on point. My dog is very solid and I have never had a problem. I do however shoot a lot of skeet with my hammer guns so the cocking becomes muscle memory.

[Charlie Price]

Originally Posted by scott porter

I have just become the owner of D grade 10 ga. hammer gun #96343 which is featured in the Parker Story on about 10 pages. I took it pheasant hunting at Primland this past weekend expecting to be shooting over pointed birds that would hold as usual. We had a young lady with us on her first hunt and I planned on backing her up. To my surprise the roosters were running and getting up about 20-30 yards from the dogs and required quicker cocking and bringing the gun to shoulder than I could manage. I dont feel comfortable walking with a cocked gun. Is it advisable to walk with the gun cocked but the breech open. The single motion of closing the breech while raising the gun to shoulder would be better, but I have no experience. Do any of you experienced hammer gun guys have some advice? BTW the gun is choked XF,XXF and the birds fell like stones at some substantial distance.

Scott: I owned that gun for many years but never shot it. I bought it from a guy who said it came from Owensboro, KY. I guess you know the barrels are set 2. Would be neat to find set 1. The order for it is in TPS, in the chapter on paperwork. as I recall. I've only used a hammer double -- Parker 16 ga. -- pass shooting doves from a stand. Plenty of time to cock the hammers when you see one coming. That D grade is neat; wish I hadn't sold it. Best wishes, Charlie Price

[todd allen]

Barrels open with hammers cocked. Why else would they have invented the fish-tail top lever?

[Paul P.]

I've only hunted upland with a hammer gun once. It was last year, in a preserve here in south Texas. I never thought about what I was doing with the gun until I read this post. It must have been automatic for me to cary the gun open with hammers down and cock it after the dogs went on point. The guide always checked with the hunters before sending in the flushing dog.after I was set and the gun pointed up and cocked I was ready and the dog flushed the pheasant. It seemed to work well as I dropped 7 the first time out.

[C.O.B.]

I tried it with the hammers cocked and the gun open but found it uncomfortable to carry that way and I lost a couple of shells to boot. I just cocked the gun when the dog went on point.

[John Farrell, Charter Member #33]

This question had bothered me for many years. As many hammer guns as I looked at, the mystery of how to get them into the game when the bird flushed remained a mystery. I got the answer at the Mpls Pheasant Fest from one of the wizards of hammer guns at the PGCA booth. This conversation supplies even more answers. Now I may finally get a hammer gun for my collection and use.