Marks thread (which I did not want to hijack) got me to thinking about what I would like to have engraved on the sideplates of shotgun in the unlikely event I could ever afford a new custom.
As a dedicated waterfowler, I'd love to have a goldeneye or 2 pitching into the decoys with a view of the West Swanton bridge in the background.
For those of you who are not Lake Champlain hunters, the West Swanton bridge is in the middle of what I believe to be the prime whistler hunting area on Champlain.
What about you guys, got any fantasy engraving scenes you'd like to share?
Mergus
Check out Winslow Homer's "Right and Left" In National Art Gallery, Washington. Priceless for whistler gunners.
I chose the French Lascaux Cave painting for my highwall target rifle. Thinking about a Pleistocene scene from a 1920s painting if I ever do another.
Fond Crux, composition woodcock:
But, the standard V19 pattern is nice, as well:
Best,
Ted
I’d rather have a perfectly done bird or birds in a nice oval on each side than full coverage. And I hate the dots Italians call engraving. So three teal in flight over a small decoy or a nice male wigeon or a bull Sprig. Of course to be honest about the teal I’d have the trailer falling from formation. Many days I can pick out the third teal in line while pretending to be after the leader of the pack.
Pick him out? I know exactly what you mean. You were pulling on the front bird and killed the third because of too little lead. Been there, done that. Got that T-shirt.
SRH
When I was about 14, using Dad's gifted to me M12 20 gauge (with plug installed) and Peters paper no. 6 field loads, I sat in the front of a canoe on Horseshoe lake, early Oct. Sat. am-- duck season. 4 bluewings came barreling across the point, over the mallard decoys (herter's for sure) bobbing on their tethers- I swung way ahead of the lead teal, and the third one in line (beak to butt) dropped with a nice splash- hooked me one duck hunting forever-- RWTF
RWTF the problem is learning to shoot that way you were forced to call in groups of teal in number of three or greater. If you ever have a person tell you he often shot in front of teal you either have a person who never shot teal much or is just mistaken.
Back in the bad old days of lead shot, I killed Black Ducks with shots of 50 plus yards, because they were so weary that you just could not get them to come closer. After four or five very long range passes, you got to the point that you know it is long range or nothing. You do it often enough with a tightly choked double and you can get pretty good at it. Funny thing is you can do it, but never can explain how much lead or hold over you must use to do it. It is so fluid, not something you can pin down. But with today's Steel shot I would never risk such a long shot. Still nothing is as beautiful as a long range shot, that you connect on. I suspect that is a large part of the reason I like to shoot Dove so much with a .410. You can setup you hide so you get a large number of those very long range shots. And 30 yards, with a .410, is a long range shot but one which you can learn.
No duck calls used that day, KY Jon- just pass shooting, like later on for divers (layout boats). Because I seem to blow duck calls like the late Jack Benny squeaked his way through "Love in Bloom" on his fiddle, my calling is Nicht Ser Gut__ so I am a pass shooter, and always take the lead bird in a flock-RWTF
I don't have pictures handy at the moment, but may be able to get some posted later. In the meantime, this is an engraving that I really like because its creator was thinking outside the box. Something along these lines might appear on my next 1885, currently under construction.
Beautiful. I sure miss the Pleistocene.
