First hunt with 20 DHE with 30 inch barrels

[Daniel G Rainey]

Had shot skeet with the gun at the gun club but had not killed a bird with it.Doing a walk up hunt for Pheasants and huns shooting left over birds from a 1000 bird tower shoot a few days earlier at Prairie Wildlife. Have been thinking about the hunt since last Thursday. I think maybe there is something to this longer site plan. I am aware that with longer barrels it is harder stop your swing. I was 7 for 9 on Pheasants and 4 for 5 on huns. 11 birds for 15 shells, I am not that good. Most to my recent bird shooting has been with 16's with 28 inch barrels and I am not a bad shoot. The 20 DHE fits me but so do both of my 16's.Learned a while ago that if the gun does not fit there is no need to waste my money. At 74 I am not as quick as I once was I did notice that the birds fell 3 to 5 ft. further than normal. Maybe I was slower because of age or longer barrels or both. It was a great afternoon and most likely was nothing but pure luck. Will do a quail hunt and try the DHE 20. Wondering that in my sunset years if I have found the great bird gun. More hunts will tell the tell.