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Pheasant Opener, 3 New Guns...

2K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  VietnamMarine66 
#1 ·
I'm really looking forward to Iowa's pheasant season this year. Bird numbers appear to be on the rise in my area. I also have three new 12 gauge shotguns that I have never hunted with before, and I'm still deciding which gun to take out opening morning. My guns are:

Franchi Infinity L
Benelli Montefeltro
Browning 725 Field

I bought the Browning in memory of my Mom, who passed away last November, so that's the gun I'm leaning toward. Very excited for October 31st to get here!
 
#3 ·
The Browning without a doubt, dedicating the hunt to Mom's memory.

I've been hunting with my Uncle's A-5 Light Twelve this season (I inherited it and several other shotguns after he passed away in Feb at age 79). It's been an honor to hunt with his old A-5 and also his 20ga Rem 1100. Every time I go out he's with me.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the input, guys!

I guess I'm not the typical pheasant hunter, because I don't own a dog. I usually hunt with one friend or alone. I also have no problem flushing close birds all season long. I do have 2 friends that own dogs, and I hunted with each of them once last year. While I enjoy hunting with a dog, I was able to shoot two dozen birds last year without canine help. Absolutely, dogs make a definite difference on a downed bird, but you are likely to lose some birds each year whether you have a dog or not. I'm in the situation where I love to hunt, but I don't have the time to commit to owning and caring for a dog. It would not be fair to the animal.

Sorry to get off topic. Anyway, I plan to use the Browning opening morning, but also hope to shoot the Franchi and the Benelli sometime during the season.
 
#5 ·
I'd go with the Browning as well. And I could use some advice from you: how could I explain having three very nice new guns to MY wife? You should have a great season; you're already on a roll! :D

BTW, I hope the weather is favorable for you. My brother and I shot in Montana (around Lewistown) during their pheasant opener. There were lots of birds but it was tough on us and the 8 dogs we rotated. It was 88 degrees on opening day, 61 with gusts to 70mph on Sunday, and 74 degrees on the last day of our hunt. We were fried but but had a good time and managed to take respectable bags of pheasants, Huns, and sharptails.
 
#6 ·
oldbirdhntr said:
I'd go with the Browning as well. And I could use some advice from you: how could I explain having three very nice new guns to MY wife? You should have a great season; you're already on a roll! :D

BTW, I hope the weather is favorable for you. My brother and I shot in Montana (around Lewistown) during their pheasant opener. There were lots of birds but it was tough on us and the 8 dogs we rotated. It was 88 degrees on opening day, 61 with gusts to 70mph on Sunday, and 74 degrees on the last day of our hunt. We were fried but but had a good time and managed to take respectable bags of pheasants, Huns, and sharptails.
Wow, oldbirdhntr! Those are tough hunting conditions! It's never fun to hunt birds in high winds or on hot days. It looks like the forecast here for next Saturday is sunny with an afternoon high of around 55. That's pretty decent.:wink: Also, most of the corn and beans have been harvested, so that's a big help.

As far as the new guns go, I'm pretty good at hiding them! :wink: Actually I traded up for 2 of the shotguns I bought with two I already owned. The Browning I bought in memory of my Mom with some of my inheritance $$$. My mom grew up in Nebraska during the depression and always told me stories of the hunters that would visit their farm to hunt in the early 40's. Lots of birds and she loved cooking/eating them. She always enjoyed hearing my hunting tales and looked forward to the rooster feathers I would bring her. She passed away last November at age 87, one week before my 50th birthday. So, I will think about Mom each time I take my new Citori into the field.
 
#7 ·
It's wonderful that you are able to honor your mother's memory in that way. It sounds like she endured some very difficult times with a lot of grace. I'm sorry she has passed and dread that day myself as my 91 year old mother continues to decline.

I'm happy to hear that the weather will be more favorable on your opening day and that the crops are down. Hopefully all the stars will align and you will have terrific hunting.
 
#8 ·
Thanks so much for the kind words, oldbirdhntr!

Yes, I tried to think of something I could purchase that would honor Mom's memory and something that would last a lifetime or beyond. I also knew that I would more than likely never be able to afford a new Citori at any other time in my life, so that was how my choice was made. I fell in love with the 725 Field when I picked one up in a store and it fit me like a glove. The matte finish on the wood was perfect, as I am a bird hunter rather than a clay shooter. My hope is that if Mom were alive, she would approve.
 
#9 ·
UPDATE ON GUNS:

Well, it's been an interesting journey with 2 of my new guns so far this pheasant season. I have yet to shoot the Benelli, but have used the Franchi and the Citori.

Our opening day here was wet, so I decided to take out the Franchi rather than the new Browning. I did not pattern this gun, but I shot very inconsistently with it from the beginning. While I was able to make some shots, I routinely missed close flushes, which is something I usually don't have trouble with.

The past two weekends I have shot the 725 Citori and it has made all of the difference in the world. Last Saturday I shot 7 out of 8 pheasants with it on our first snow hunt. This guns fits me great and shoulders like a dream. So....guess which gun I'm going to be using for awhile?! :wink:

As for the Franchi, since I have always wanted a SxS, I am trading that gun for a CZ Sharp-Tail. I am anxious to shoot that particular gun before season's end....
 
#10 ·
Congratulations. You have 3 very nice shotguns, and you won't go wrong with any of them. my go to pheasant gun is my LH Monty 26" barrel. I don't know that much about the Instinct, but I have a Franchi Veloce 20 gauge, and a Franchi Renaissance 28 gauge which I love for Ruffies and woodcock. The 725 is a superb gun. Guess, it always comes down to what fits you the best. I'm a lefty and had to heat bend my stocks to fit me.(except the Montefeltro which has great cast shims.) Good luck, and enjoy the pheasants.
 
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