I have been reading the threads on Grouse guns, quail guns and shooting damascus. I thought I'd start another story line that combines all three.
I usually hunt quail over dogs with my 1894, 5 1/4 lb Thomas Turner lightweight 12 BLNE, 28" damascus barrels choked 1/4, 3/4. The original design of the gun was as a light weight 12 for grouse hunting.
My wife Patti and I joined Toby Barclay (Heritage Guns) and his wife, Chrissy, for 2 weeks of stalking, touring and grouse hunting in Scotland.
Our hunt was on the moors of Ben Rennis overlooking the Glenfarclas Distillery. The grouse hunting exceded our expectations. Grouse are wild birds on the moor. Our guide and dog handler, Roy, did his best to manage our expectations low since it was early in the season and they were not too sure of the bird counts.
When we got started I first took my Turner lightweight out of the case and assembled it. Roy looked at it hard then stated that it was not the kind of gun used for grouse. He expected a modern over/under or SxS, not my old thing. I had to explain the gun and it's unique design.
Roy then questioned my shell count. "A dozen or so", I said. The hunt fee allowed 3 grouse (then overage). Toby used a pretty Blanch 12 SLE and had also pocketed a dozen shells.
Roy told us most folks take 2 boxes of shells (before lunch!!) We each had a single box of 1 oz 6. We took them all.
The wives came along to watch Roy's field trail champion German wire hair pointers work.
I am the yank in blue jeans.
The first point I got my first grouse with a single shot from the right barrel.
And got "bloodied".
The second point I got a right-left double.
Roy and his dogs take a mid-morning break.
After the break, there were 2 more flushes before lunch and I got 2 more birds with 2 more shots.
When we stopped for lunch, I was 5 grouse with 5 shots. Roy said he had never had a client shoot 100% before. Toby had yet to take a bird. He had never hunted rough over dogs and was still getting a feel for the point-flush-shoot of the game. But Toby was undaunted, the weather was great, the dogs were great, and birds were being shot.
The first point after lunch, we sent Toby up to the dog for the flush. The covey was about 10 birds and they all broke my way. I waited for Toby to fire and finally decided to try the trailing grouse in the group. I fired and knocked two birds down. 7 birds, 6 shots. One of them ran and flushed, disappearing over the moor. I think the bird I hit collided with the 2nd bird knocking it down too. I picked up my 7th on the next flush (2 shots).
The last covey of the afternoon, Toby got his first grouse with a single well placed shot. By then the weather which had been stunning all day began to close in and rain. We decided that 4 brace of grouse was more than enough for our first outing and packed it in.
Turner stock close-up
Roy decided that my odd Turner was worth owning and offered to buy it on the spot. Roy said that was the kind of 50th present he was thinking of for himself. I declined to sell my gun, but Toby offered to help Roy locate one.
There is a "keeping the boss happy" part of this story. My wife Patti was offered "spending parity" at the AGA store in Edinburgh to accessorize her AGA cooker. As the grouse were falling (and bill rising), she cheered me on with "Every bird is a new pot for me!!" I bought a lot of pots.
Joe
