Poll....who is hunting with small gauge for up-land birds?

[ED J, MORGAN]

I do like John Davis. 12, 16 or 16 , 20

[Dean Romig]

For me it’s 16, 20, and 28 but mostly 28 these last 10 or so years. My first 28 was a straight stocked Repro, IC/Mod with double triggers. The big deal came along when I bought one for Kathy with Q1/Q2 chokes and a beavertail. What a great combo that was.... then I graduated to original 28 gauge Parkers and haven’t looked back.
I have several 16’s both hammer guns as well as hammerless and I have 1 20 gauge DH with 28” Damascus barrels.

They’re all fun!





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[GH-16]

I split my time in the uplands between the 16 & 20ga. I've said it many times that if I had to be limited to one gun for upland work it would be a 16ga.

Occasionally I'll carry a one framed DH-12 that I bought from a member here. It's one of those Damascus barreled light weight beauties that only Parker could produce, coming in a 6lb 8oz for a 12ga. Other than it feeling a little wider in the hand when carrying it, I can hardly tell I'm not carrying a 20ga.

[24 grams]

16 for wild pheasants and prairie grouse. 28 for doves and preserve birds. 20 just for fun - whenever!

[Mark Garrett]

I mostly shoot a 16ga and sometimes a short 10

[George "Scott" Davis]

16 gauge except late season prairie birds ( pheasant, sharptail) then it's a 12 even with great dogs sometimes you shots can be a little longer.

[Dean Romig]

Askins’ opinion was exactly that - his opinion. And it certainly doesn’t fit the way I like to hunt and shoot and doesn’t even remotely define a significant number of us.





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[Woodcock survey]

Gun writers are paid to have opinions and to get paid they need a lot of them. They change them like socks and tout the latest fad as the world beater that it is.
We shoot our 100 year old technology and smile.

[Mills]

Lots of quail plantations require either a 20 or 28 double gun these days. I saw them shut down a guy with a 12 last year.

They ought to allow 16s in my opinion and why they don't I do not know.

[stumpstalker]

Originally Posted by Mills Morrison

Lots of quail plantations require either a 20 or 28 double gun these days. I saw them shut down a guy with a 12 last year.

They ought to allow 16s in my opinion and why they don't I do not know.

Thanks, Mills. You have just given me my excuse.

Should I ever be so lucky as to present myself for Southern plantation Quail, I don’t want to be shut out by solely owning side-by-sides in the disallowed 12 and 16 gauges.

And what gun fancier really wants to be on a hunt while shooting a borrowed weapon.