Can't vote because I never had a 23, but hunted upland in Vermont with a straight-gripped BSS 20/26" for one season. Found it kinda clubby and heavy for that work and traded it for a Fox Sterlingworth 16. Much better.

Among the cheaper Japanese doubles, I like the SKB/"Ithaca" 100. Ugly but it works and the ones I've shot were appropriate weights for their guages. Under-rated, IMO.