Starting with my grandfathers 1897 Winchester I too have gone through a few over the years.What I've settled on when birds are on the line are my 80s era 870 wingmaster 12 guage 28 inch with tubes for water fowl and my Browning Citori lightning 12 guage 28 inch for upland. As soon as I can scrape together the cash I'll get a 20 guage Lightning or White Lightning for quail or smaller upland birds, then I'll be all done buying guns. Yeah right!

Took a Winchester model 1400 20 ga out yesterday. I have a number of shotguns but chose this one because; Light weight(Al reciever), plain barrel with SK choke and I was out for more of a walk/exercise thing. I am 76 Years old and have Type 2 diabetes. The gun really enjoyed the walk by the way and I never even saw a tweety bird so I didn't even waste a round or dirty the barrel.

Since I only hunt doves and rats with shotguns, I use a 1981 Citori 12ga and a Remington 870 in 20ga for the doves. For the 2 legged rats I use a Dept. issued 18" Rem 870 loaded with 00 buckshot. All 3 guns work great.

Depending on my mood...

1972 Browning A-5 Light Twelve
1986 Browning Citori (12ga / 26")
1993 Browning Citori (20ga / 26")

Used a Ithaca Model 37 for my dove, quail, and small game hunting. Now I use my CZ 712
semi auto 12ga. Love that shotgun!

As many have said, depends on the mood and and what I'm hunting. I prefer fixed choke guns.
Screw in chokes ruined a mans excuse to own many many shotguns :

Deer - Ithaca 37 Deerslayer 12 Ga.
Dakota Pheasants - Miroku Daly O/U or Superposed
Slower Pheasants - Belgium Daly 20 ga.
Or Orvis uplander Beretta 686.
Quail -Merkel 147 EL sxs or Citori uplander 20 ga.
Prarie chickens and sharpies - Superposed Magnum or 3" Charles Daly Miroku O/U
Preserve birds - whatever I feel like digging out.
Squirrels - Winchester model 42
Dove - Winchester model 12 12 ga.

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