Shotgun Selction Questions

[Gary Korsgaden]

I pheasant hunt a fair amount late season. Currently I own a B-80 Browning 2 3/4" Upland Special with a 24" barrel. Works great with the hot mags 5 shot copper and vector imp mod choke. Been thinking of adding a 3" for late season hunting. I am looking at the M-2 Bennelli 26" barrel or the Browning Fusion. Any thoughts on this or is adding a 3" to my pheasant arsenal over kill. My upland special is a good shooter except if I am pass shooting sometimes fel the barrel plain is too short. Any comments would help. I do like the feel of the Bennelli.....

[Ivy not logged in]

The Browning ( which I have ) or the Bennelli are great choices. People will argue Browing or Bennelli or 1100's or whatever is the best and I would not want to go there.

I'm no purist when it comes to Pheasant hunting. I would love to hunt with an O/U but I must say that there are times when I snap shoot the first shell and miss only to get a bead on the 2nd, and if that doesn't work I have the 3rd in my semi-auto for back up.

I have a 3" chamber but only shoot 2 3/4. I just don't like the kick of the 3". I shoot 5's or 6's opening weekend and 4's later in they year. And I leave in the modified choke tube.

By god if they get to far out they got the better of me anyway.

I have hunted over a G.S.P. for over 12 years so most of the birds jump fairly close anyway.

In short go with the 3" chamber but if you don't like it you can always shoot 2 3/4.

Ivy

[Todd_NE]

I have not shot the new Evolve yet but I just traded a Gold I'd had since it came out for a Benelli. My Gold was great initially but drove me nuts with odd jams the past few years - not an uncommon complaint. I will readily admit it had a lot of shells through it.

I got a Benelli Montefeltro as a replacement. I like narrow, light guns and will use this for upland only. My 20 ga Benelli has never ever ever ever failed.

I like the 1.25 or 1 3/8 Federal loads in the 1400-1500 fps. By far the best shells I've ever shot since Activ went out of business. I shoot those loads in a IC all year and do very well. Pattern one at 40 yds sometime and you'll see. It takes an awful lot to hit vitals or break wings on a long range "going away" bird.

"Eliminates the runners"

Todd
Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game; In the deed, the glory - Memorial Stadium

[Birddog]

I own a Browning fusion, couldn't be happier! I don't shoot 3" shells,(unless i'm ducking) I stick with 2 3/4" with a full choke and #4's for late season, it works fine. I also hunt over German shorthairs, when the birds get up from right under my nose, I have no need for 3". I may shoot 3" if I were hunting over a flusher, not knocking a flusher, I've hunted over some great ones.
Both are nice guns, I don't think you can go wrong either way!

BIRDDOG

FOR BETTER OR WORSE FISHING AND HUNTING COME FIRST

[Mr Seaguar]

a B-80 is a darn nice gun. I remmeber when Grits Gresham wrote abote those when they first came out. He took his to Africa I think. I wont embarass you by saying I wasnt yet into Junior High.

Heres my take on pheasant hunting. I do a ton of it. I use labs. My birds dont always flush close. I use Improved Cylinder choke and 1 1/4oz #6 Remington Heavy Game load. I used to use Modified and full chokes. Then after much duck hunting realized how few pellets I was putting on birds to kill them. So after switching to IC, have become much more successful. I have left the modified tube in after hutning other things and gone pheasant hunting. I find my bird numbers not much different but birds badly shot up. I cant imagine what full choke does to a bird. I use Berettas, so if you want to compare it to back bored barrels that american manufacturers use it might be a Modified. Winchester makes a pheasant load of #5s, that if it wasnt for sharptails and gray partridge, would be my favorite load. Boy does that load kill birds.

[Todd_NE]

Nickel and Copper plated shot is a must, clean some birds and look.

Todd
Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game; In the deed, the glory - Memorial Stadium

[MrSeaguar]

Why'd you tell me I must use plated shot? I been doing fine for years with plain lead shot. Now I might not be able to kill nothing since I know my plain lead shells wont kill anything.

[Todd_NE]

Do what you want. There IS a difference.

Todd
Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game; In the deed, the glory - Memorial Stadium

[MrSeaguar]

You bet theres a difference. About $4 a box!

[Unlogged T-Mac]

Gary,
I agree on the 3" for late in season. They are both good guns.
I own some Browning autos (Gold and A-500)and one Benelli (Super 90). I tend to grab the Benelli more often. Subconscious trust, I guess.. The Brownings shoot well when clean, but I trust the Benelli whether clean or not.
But, that's just my take on it.

[Skindog]

I had the same problem with my Browning Gold hunter. I shoot about 250 rounds of 3 inch steel through it a year. So I assume my springs were tired. I figure a shotgun should hold up better than that.

After replacing a broken spring in the gas compensator and replacing the return spring in the stock, the gun is back to working great.

it sounds like this is typical of browning golds.

[swede sd]

shoot what you think is best, its your hunt.-----------------Living here in Gods garden, where the walleye are always hungry, and the pheasants are many, I have my opinions.---Shoot the BEST shells you can buy (plated shot premiums). I see it time and time again in the corse of a season where a hunter will travel hundreds of miles, use all his vacation time, spend tons of mony on a hunt, and then buy the cheepest shells he can find. You can gues the results.------Personally, I shoot a SxS 20 ga with 2 3/4 in, shells most of the season (plated premiums, #6). Late in the season, if I feel I need more gun, I switch to a SxS 12, (2 3/4 in) with premium #6 shot.----------I don't know what you folks call a "ton of hunting", but I can tell you that in the corse of a season, I will see well over 500 birds taken by me and the folks I hunt with. (no brag, just fact), all taken with 2 3/4 in shells.----------------shoot what you think is best, its your hunt.

[Jeremy Joosse]

>I pheasant hunt a fair amount late season. Currently I own a
>B-80 Browning 2 3/4" Upland Special with a 24" barrel. Works
>great with the hot mags 5 shot copper and vector imp mod
>choke. Been thinking of adding a 3" for late season hunting. I
>am looking at the M-2 Bennelli 26" barrel or the Browning
>Fusion. Any thoughts on this or is adding a 3" to my pheasant
>arsenal over kill. My upland special is a good shooter except
>if I am pass shooting sometimes fel the barrel plain is too
>short. Any comments would help. I do like the feel of the
>Bennelli.....
I am looking for a B-80 upland special, I wondered if you might like to sell yours. Anyone that knows of a 20 ga. upland special for sale should call 503.781.4313.

[Chuckles]

Yes plated shot performs better - the high antimony in quality shot stays rounder and it forms a more symetrical pattern with less fliers than cheap high brass rounds with soft shot. I look at the rest of the money spent on a hunting trip and to shoot 6-8 rounds costs very little compared to the rest. My preference is to go with the better shells up front. And there's alot to be said about confidence as well. Yor results may vary, Chuckles