I was born and raised a Farmer. I have been a firearms enthusiast from my first gun (a SxS dart gun and a wind-up rabbit) at age three. I was assigned pest control duties at age 7 to keep the rat, pigeon, starling and sparrow numbers at a minimum in the out-buildings. I started hunting on my own at age 9 with a .22lr. At age 11 I was given my first shotgun, a 12ga, 2-3/4", Coast-to-Coast pumpgun. I took every type of legal game with that gun. By my 16th year the short stock was making every shot taken a pain as my thumb would bust me in the nose. I bought my first gun that year, 1976. It was a Savage/Valmet 20ga, O/U. It was my only shotgun for the following ten years.
Where this is leading? I have never bought into the magnum mentality. If you can not hit your target; more shot, more velocity, and thus more recoil will not improve your condition. I have fired less than one box of three inch shells in my lifetime. I don't own a rifle labeled "Magnum".
Disclaimer: I have never been a habitual Waterfowl Hunter. Had I been, a 12ga would have come sooner.
