My First Shotgun!

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Prof Young

New member
Very excited that LGS had a "My First Shotgun" hanging on the wall. Did the paper work and will pick up later this week. Have wanted one for 8 year old grandson to squirrel hunt with. I'd gotten him a single shot H&R 410 but the kick was just a bit too much for him. This gun is build with a "chamber" that absorbs some of the recoil. (Don't ask, I have no idea.) Would be fun for him to get his first squirrel this fall.

Life is good.
Prof Young
 
Take him on a wood duck hunt early on in Big Duck Season when it’s not so cold. If you can find where they want to be, they will tornado in right at legal hours and give him some opportunities for a few water swats. No calling is needed. Might need some waders. Usually you can find used child waders for a little of nothing in good shape.
 
The smile says it all . . . .

And no the box/target was not on the truck when we shot it.

Life is good.
Prof Young
 

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The shotgun I learned on was a 16 gauge Auto Five Standard. Lord have mercy that thing would thump ya. The hardest kicking shotgun I have ever shot was a Mossberg Bantam You 20 Gauge. Man alive that thing had some kick. I bought it for my sons and quickly traded it for a Remington 870 Youth 20 Gauge. That Cricket will empower him to learn the basics without creating a flinch.
 
The hardest kicking shotgun I have ever shot was a Mossberg Bantam You 20 Gauge. Man alive that thing had some kick.
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I have the Super Bantam in 20 gauge for my wife and there's a sealed bag of sand in the stock. Haven't had any problems besides it's hard to shoot/aim with it being so small. But it breaks the clays.
 
I've a 20 ga. 3" double, it is pretty light. Of course my brother had to also "borrow" a few rounds. Uh no just take the standard velocity, it's all your need.
He just had to have "magnums"

He failed to respect that little 20, didn't have the gun against his shoulder, he regretted that. Black blue green and purple was the result.

Uh brother did I mention that a magnum 20 kicks more than a 12? See velocity and payload are pretty close, but the gun is 2 lbs. lighter.
 
When son turned 8, I found a big frame 870 20ga, at a gun show. Took it to gunsmith and had barrel cut to 23 1/2" ( that is where the vent rib brace was ) and Rem Choke installed.
Found an old 870 butt stock. Cut it fit him and added a super soft recoil pad.

Found a 20 Ga load that replicated a 28 Ga skeet load. 3/4 oz 8s @1200 fps.

Loaded several boxes and headed to the skeet range. He shot the entire round, singles, high house, from station 7. Took a few shots, but he started getting hits.
Next trip was single, low house from station 1.

One more trip, shot from all stations, all singles.

Opening day of dove season, he was ready, got a few and had a blast.
Teal season, heavier clothes, heavier loads, had a blast.
Big duck season, 3" loads and he never noticed.

Over the years, added some spacers to lengthen stock, until finally, put the original stock back on.

Same gun has been through 5 grandkids. Gave it to #6, last year.

870. $125
'smith $90
Happiness $ priceless
 
Great story Seedy. I grew up in AR. it lived in Dallas 25 years. I ended up guiding for 7 of those years in a Duck Camp. The concentration of Ducks we used to get has shifted to the Central Flyway for a number of reasons. It’s hard for a young boy or girl to get the hang of it if there are no Ducks.
 
Opportunity and abundance are great teachers.

Growing up, SW OK was a quail hunters heaven. Everybody I knew had a pointer. Most from the bloodline of my Granddads dog.
Today, I am lucky to find a good covey.
 
In 1988, a man from Florence, KS came to our office to buy steel. He was a mountain of a man, dirty and wreaking of B.O. I treated him like he was royalty and thanked him for driving all the way to Wichita. He became a regular customer and later invited me onto his ground to hunt quail. As it turned out, he owned 8,000 acres and had barred any hunting on it for three years prior to my arrival.

A law surfaced in the KS legislature that would have allowed land owners to hunt in their own land sans a hunting license. Not a single member of Quail Unlimited stood up for it. The day after the bill failed, he had pipe gates erected on every entrance to his property.

For the years it was special. I would hunt it twice a year and every time we went, you were done by 10:00 or 11:00 AM. We shot each covey twice ——- using that grouping whistle thing they do.

I got hooked.
 
This gent owned the largest crushed rock operation in KS. Good man but he was Quaker and did not believe in hunting dogs.

I feel the same way about Labs. Although not as refined as the Pointer, they complete a Duck hunt. I raise them to hover. The Pup I have now is the best one so far. She sees she hears them before I do. A Duck Hound makes flooded timber hunting better. A wounded Duck can disappear quickly under the hardwood canopy. All the trees look the same.
 
Lima Oscar 7 said:
This gent owned the largest crushed rock operation in KS. Good man but he was Quaker and did not believe in hunting dogs.

I feel the same way about Labs. Although not as refined as the Pointer, they complete a Duck hunt. I raise them to hover. The Pup I have now is the best one so far. She sees she hears them before I do. A Duck Hound makes flooded timber hunting better. A wounded Duck can disappear quickly under the hardwood canopy. All the trees look the same.
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I agree, Lima Oscar

I moved to the Gulf Coast on '78. Not much for quail, but Heaven for ducks and geese
After the first season, I knew I had to have a Lab, but where to get a hunter, not just a pet?
August '80, we go the skeet range. Coming out of the clubhouse, tied under a tree, is a 9 week old Lab. Sitting in the shade and watching every bird that flies and never flinching.

I walk over and she is friendly, but calm and quiet. The group shooting finished their round and a guy comes over. We talk a bit and tells me she is the last of the litter, because she was the runt. He has to sell her today, because he leaves for Mexico dove hunt tomorrow afternoon and Wife said he ain't leaving her with no puppy.

I had her 13 years, would hunt from before sunrise to past dark. Everybody that ever hunted around us, wanted on the list for her puppy.

I have never had another as great as she was.
 
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