What type of shotgun for upland birds?

[Gen273]

I love my Benelli Ultralight 12ga.

 

[Blockcaver]

My favorite upland bird guns (hunting wild birds behind Vizsla pointing dogs for over 30 years) and I've owned quite a few that are no longer in the safe. The keepers are listed below:

1. AYA #2 Round Body side lock SxS's with twin triggers, straight stock, 28" barrels choked IC & Mod. The 16 ga gets the call for pheasants and late season sharptails, etc.....the 20 ga for early season sharptails, blue and ruffed grouse. And the only round of skeet I shot this fall with the 16 ga was a 25 straight...not a common score for me. Downside is they are far from inexpensive, even when these were bought new in the early 2000's.

2. Winchester Model 12 pumps, again in 16 ga and 20 ga, both with a measured light modified choke constriction. The 20 ga is a 1935 with a 26" solid ribbed barrel and the 1947 in 16 ga has a 28" aftermarket vent rib barrel with the choke opened up. Both have straight grip stocks that I converted by removing the pistol grip via the bandsaw, belt sander and a lot of hand sanding/oil finishing. Both were $300 CAD shotguns bought 4 years ago and handle and shoot great in the upland and on the skeet and sporting course. Haven't been made by Winchester since 1963 though so kind of a crap shoot to find one. The later Miroku (Japan) made reproductions were all 26" vent ribbed barrels in 20 ga or 28 ga and are very well made but much heavier in physical weight, with a heavier trigger pull than the USA made Winchesters. I don't like them as well for a hunting gun due to the weight, but they work fine on the range.

3. Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon O/U 20/28 ga combo gun with choke tubes from 2001. I hunt and shoot the 28" barrels in 20 ga almost exclusively. The 26" barrel set in 28 ga just don't shoot as well for me and are actually slightly heavier than the longer 20 ga barrel set. Hunting I usually use IC and Mod chokes except for early ruffed grouse when it is Sk and IC. The stock is an upgraded straight grip from Coles. I did remove the Schnabel tip from the forend as they hit my index finger. The small gauge (not the 12 ga) 686 are a very slender, great carrying hunting gun still available today, new or used.

4. Beretta A400 Xplor gas operated semi-auto 28 ga with 28" barrel with choke tubes....IC early season and Mod in the later season. If buying one of these for my hunting gun I'd buy a 20 ga vs my 28 ga for versatility . They are very light, mine weighs just 5.5#s in 28 ga, and I doubt the 20 ga is much heavier as they are built on the same frame. Mine was built in 2016 but they are readily available today new and used. Shims for cast and drop on the stock, along with a variety of recoil pad thicknesses (.4" to 1" thick in .2" increments) available from Beretta help ensure that you can get great gun fit with them. Excellent shotgun I shoot well.

 

[Bopper0219]

2. Winchester Model 12 pumps, again in 16 ga and 20 ga, both with a measured light modified choke constriction. The 20 ga is a 1935 with a 26" solid ribbed barrel and the 1947 in 16 ga has a 28" aftermarket vent rib barrel with the choke opened up. Both have straight grip stocks that I converted by removing the pistol grip via the bandsaw, belt sander and a lot of hand sanding/oil finishing. Both were $300 CAD shotguns bought 4 years ago and handle and shoot great in the upland and on the skeet and sporting course. Haven't been made by Winchester since 1963 though so kind of a crap shoot to find one. The later Miroku (Japan) made reproductions were all 26" vent ribbed barrels in 20 ga or 28 ga and are very well made but much heavier in physical weight, with a heavier trigger pull than the USA made Winchesters. I don't like them as well for a hunting gun due to the weight, but they work fine on the range.

Great post that got me going down memory lane of my favorite scatter guns over the years.

Included on my list are several Model 12's in 12, 20, and 16 from a variety of years. There's even a Model 42 in .410 that my grandfathers. 15-20 years ago, the Model 12s were common finds in used racks and pawn shops all over the midwest for a couple hundred bucks.

I'd love to see photos of the straightened grip stocks you crafted. Might become a project on my end.

 

[WoodDuck]

I was in a similar situation to you. Hunted a fair amount of waterfowl with the occasional upland foray (pheasants and ruffed grouse) and used a 12 gauge semi auto for everything. While you can certainly do the job with sub gauges, the 12 will do everything fine without being overkill as long as you choose the right load.

Last year I decided I needed a handier, lighter 20 for the grouse woods and shouldered a bunch of the mid tier O/U options. Long story short, nothing fit me well and I much preferred the fit of the auto loaders, and ended up buying a Franchi Affinity 20 with 26” barrels. I absolutely love how handy and light it is, and don’t mind beating it up for the price payed. This would certainly be an option if you aren’t dead set on a double.

 

[Fireman03]

Check out webleyandscott.com

 

[Ringbill27]

I have two. CZ upland ultralight and a Winchester SX4. Both are awesome.

 

[43.6N]

I’m interested in how your silver hawk ended up working out op!

As for myself, I live in Idaho and get to hunt grouse, chukar, Huns, and pheasants weekly.

I prefer 12 gauge.
Favorite guns have been:
-CZ redhead premier with the green cerakote
-Beretta 1301/A400
-Beretta 686 silver pigeon

I stick a sling on it, and try hard to keep up with the dog.

 

[WRO]

I’m interested in how your silver hawk ended up working out op!

As for myself, I live in Idaho and get to hunt grouse, chukker, Huns, and pheasants weekly.

I prefer 12 gauge.
Favorite guns have been:
-CZ redhead premier with the green cerakote
-Beretta 1301/A400
-Beretta 686 silver pigeon

I stick a sling on it, and try hard to keep up with the dog.

I love mine


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[Griffmax36]

A lot of good advice here..

My favorite upland gun is my beretta 686 onyx 28 gauge. I hunt a lot of grouse in Wisconsin and the gun is light and knocks them down just fine if I do my part. I have a 686 black onyx in 12 gauge as well. I cannot recommend them enough. I picked both of them up used. My 28 gauge I did put a coles custom stock on it so it fit me better. So that is always an option.

One thing I cannot stand about my side by side is on cold days my hand freezes carrying it because it touches the barrels as opposed to the wood. I never thought of this until I bought a sxs

 

[WRO]

A lot of good advice here..

My favorite upland gun is my beretta 686 onyx 28 gauge. I hunt a lot of grouse in Wisconsin and the gun is light and knocks them down just fine if I do my part. I have a 686 black onyx in 12 gauge as well. I cannot recommend them enough. I picked both of them up used. My 28 gauge I did put a coles custom stock on it so it fit me better. So that is always an option.

One thing I cannot stand about my side by side is on cold days my hand freezes carrying it because it touches the barrels as opposed to the wood. I never thought of this until I bought a sxs

The beaver tail forend vs splinter solves that issue.


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[onlybrowning]

CZ Bob White or Sharptail...imo

Love the Bobwhite! In 12, 20, and especially 28!


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[Bluefish]

A lot of good advice here..

My favorite upland gun is my beretta 686 onyx 28 gauge. I hunt a lot of grouse in Wisconsin and the gun is light and knocks them down just fine if I do my part. I have a 686 black onyx in 12 gauge as well. I cannot recommend them enough. I picked both of them up used. My 28 gauge I did put a coles custom stock on it so it fit me better. So that is always an option.

One thing I cannot stand about my side by side is on cold days my hand freezes carrying it because it touches the barrels as opposed to the wood. I never thought of this until I bought a sxs

You can get leather barrel covers for a sxs. I too have a few 68x in 12 and 28. Love the 28.

 

[z987k]

I really like the 28ga for upland birds, but no one ever has steel shot for it in stock and it's really expensive to ship ammo up here. I have a hard time finding #6 20ga steel, which is what I normally shoot.

 

[ORwaterfowler]

lots of great older guns with some character and soul as others have mentioned, the quality and craftsmanship on a lot of the newer inexpensive doubles leaves a lot to be desired. I moved back to a sxs for ducks 2 years ago. If you go the older sidelock route have a good smith available, boxlocks are less expensive and also less prone to issues.

-Browning BSS - very well built a little heavy beavertail fore end
-Miroku 500 - miroku made the bss and still makes the citori, its a basic BSS straight stock and splinter fore end.
-Webley and scott 700, look for older
-AYA
-V Bernardelli stoeger imports from to 60's
- Merkel
-Francotte


Check barrel wall thickness, ring the barrels, on the older guns don't trust what the stamps say for chokes, lots of them have been opened up, stock dimensions for cast and drop and make sure its tight on face. where does the lever sit in relation to center. lots of the older english guns are 2 1/2" chambers so something to watch out for as well.


A couple of great resources are dogsanddoubles.com
vintage doubles in eastern WA has a lot of inventory to look at on their site.
The birdshot podcast - Episodes with Greg Elliot from dogs and doubles

 

[Mtndawger]

I’ve got a Huglu (CZ) 20 gauge double “Ringneck”28 inch barrels, color case receiver, upgraded Turkish walnut stock, screw in chokes. I use it for upland and have used it for waterfowl jump shooting. For those uses I wouldn’t need another shotgun. Fun to shoot. It’s an eye catcher

 

[Predator_SD]

Get yourself a 16 gauge. Keep it under $1000 it don’t take much to kill birds easy peasy.

 

[redtop65]

Rizinni is my favorite now in 20ga.

 

[Parkerpusher]

I’ll add another plug here for the CZ Bobwhite. Mine fits me perfectly, and both barrels pattern perfectly to point of aim. I also like two triggers. Great hunting shotgun for the money even if you pay full price like I did.

 

[Jason Snyder]

lots of great older guns with some character and soul as others have mentioned, the quality and craftsmanship on a lot of the newer inexpensive doubles leaves a lot to be desired. I moved back to a sxs for ducks 2 years ago. If you go the older sidelock route have a good smith available, boxlocks are less expensive and also less prone to issues.

-Browning BSS - very well built a little heavy beavertail fore end
-Miroku 500 - miroku made the bss and still makes the citori, its a basic BSS straight stock and splinter fore end.
-Webley and scott 700, look for older
-AYA
-V Bernardelli stoeger imports from to 60's
- Merkel
-Francotte


Check barrel wall thickness, ring the barrels, on the older guns don't trust what the stamps say for chokes, lots of them have been opened up, stock dimensions for cast and drop and make sure its tight on face. where does the lever sit in relation to center. lots of the older english guns are 2 1/2" chambers so something to watch out for as well.


A couple of great resources are dogsanddoubles.com
vintage doubles in eastern WA has a lot of inventory to look at on their site.
The birdshot podcast - Episodes with Greg Elliot from dogs and doubles

I found a 5 1/2 pound 20 gauge side by side that I'm strongly considering for a chukar gun.

 

[redtop65]

My FAIR Iside is right there, a nice gun so far.