Stan is exactly right that the O/U is the ruler of the day in shooting games. I have O/U guns and semi autos and the vast majority of them just sit and gather dust. I shoot the guns I shoot because I want to shoot them not because of any other reason. I can afford any gun that I want. I have learned it is the shooter, not the ammo, or the gun which causes all my misses. I like archaic guns for lack of a better term.

I killed several ducks this year with a 190 year old percussion smallbore double. I shot multiple limits of Dove with a Winchester 42, a Crescent .410, a Ruger 28, a Ithaca 37 in 28 and a collection of other pump guns and side by sides. Everything could have been killed with a Benelli and a couple flats of store bought ammo. But where in the heck would there be any fun in that? I shoot very few clay targets these days but when I do I use a pump or side by side. Most of my archaic guns are used in the field. So the Benellis, 1100, 11-87, K80's, 3200's of my world sit in the gun room and the others get a chance to go hunting.

I have more guns, in my gun room, than I will ever get a chance to take hunting and I still am buying more. I just bought a Union Firearms 20 gauge pump gun and have finished getting it ready for use. If I am alive this September, it will get used on Dove. And I bet that I will be the first person to take a limit of Dove with that gun.

My three sons are going to come home for a Dove shoot in September and we are all going to be using Winchester 42's to shoot Dove. I'll have one for each of them to borrow and shoot. I want them to understand it is not the bag that counts but the memories that do. And what they don't know is that I am going to give each of them the 42 they will be using that day, to take home.