doublegunshop.com - home Forums Thread Like Summary - Duck hunting with your classic side by side?

I imagine most on here hunt upland with their classic American, English or European doubles, but I was wondering how many of you are avid duck hunters like me. For years I hunted upland and ducks with a 1907 DS grade Lefever. My gunsmith said it was a hell for stout gun so I shot 1 1/4 oz high base bismuth game loads out of it without thinking about it.

Problem was I was an inconsistent shot with it compared to my over-under. It turns out, after having the gun checked by a stock maker and pattering the gun, I shot way left with it. I went to the trouble and expense of having the stock bent, but when it still shot left after its return I sold it and moved on.

This year I decided to get back into old classic dude by sides. Before the season I found a nice field grade 12 ga. L.C. Smith feather weight with 28� barrels that weighs 6.6 pounds. I hit well with it, but it�s a little light for waterfowl, perfect pheasant gun though. So now I�m looking at a nice Fox AE, 30� full and full, reasonable stock dimensions 7#_6oz. I�m thinking that would be a nice waterfowl gun. It would get hunted 20-30 times a year. I plan on using 1-1/8 to 1-1/4 oz RST bismuth out of it. What do you think? Is that pushing it too hard?

My hunting buddy has used a Suhl side by side from the 30s that is probably a stronger gun, but he shoots regukar 2-2/3� steel shot out of it no problem. The seller of the Fox thought the stock would be the weak link in this equation, he thinks the action and barrels are no problem.

And Merry Christmas everybody.

Reminds me of a diver hunt on Spiritwood Lake when my partner's A5 got so covered with ice that it became inoperable. But i could still break open my Nitro Special and keep shooting.

My Marine uncle told me that the practice during winter campaigns in Korea was to urinate on frozen Garands and BARs when they were too frozen to fire. Would probably work on an A5 as well.
One more reason to clean guns after the hunt.

Last year with my 1880 damascus Husky 16 and 2.5" bismuth loads. This was before I re-worked the stock and had the barrels re-browned. I bought it primarily for upland, but its 30' im/im barrels make it a good decoy duck gun too.

Duck hunting with classic SxS you say.....

This was from late November on Lake St Clair at the Mud Creek Club. From the left there is a Lindner Daly Diamond Quality, a Fox HE SuperFox, a Magnum Browning Superposed (we have more work to do on getting Wally thinking straight Haha!) and a Custom Fox B grade with 32" barrels.

The Fox B grade was the subject of a thread over at DoubleGun about 10 years ago as it was being rebuilt and is the most beautiful gun I have ever seen. And it works well in the hands of it's creator. He scored a true double on a pair of greenheads that day. Two birds buzzed the decoys, one shot rings out, two birds fall, stone dead.