doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Super nice guns for hunting, good or bad idea?

The older I get, the less inclined I am to take the nice ones hunting. A couple of reasons, but the main one is I do rough hunting and the older I get, the more I find myself tripping and falling, placing the gun in harms way. When I fall I�ve found myself even using my gun to help myself to get up. Not conducive or helpful to a fine gun. So, I�ve delegated myself to pretty much using my old Browning superposed 20 ga that I�ve shot for at least 30 years. It�s like it�s a part of me anyway, so I�m at no disadvantage in terms of shooting, since it�s a killer. Anyone else getting older and finding themselves in the same sort of boat, leaving the real good game guns at home?

It isn't just an old age thing. My wife won't let me take her Cadillac hunting either. It's only common sense to limit the use of fine and valuable shotguns to less risky situations. Often the gun's value is in condition and originality, so a broken stock from a fall can get very expensive...Geo

A gun too fine to hunt, at least in some circumstances, is too fine for me.
A Superposed 20 gauge is an upscale gun to many. My friend's Superposed Diana 20 goes hunting.
My AyA No.2, my most costly double, goes hunting on dry days.

Agree 100%- My Winchesters are of an older time, well worn, and I am not afraid to use them afield or in the blind. I once won a "fancy-schmancy" 12 bore autoloader at a PF Banquet- sold it to a gent sitting at our table, never regretted it- have no idea if he ever took it hunting or kept it as a "Safe Queen".. RWTF

Mine is a Grade I, and has seen years of grouse and other rough hunting. It�s a very nice gun, but checkering is worn smooth, lots of scratches and dents, and little bluing left on the receiver. I value it at maybe $1500 as beat up as it is, which I wouldn�t consider terribly expensive. Nevertheless, it�s a great old gun, but I don�t worry too much about it, even though I love the gun. Like I said, it�s a part of me, but it�s replaceable.

A Superposed 20 is one of the greatest guns for upland hunting ever built.
Grade 1 shoots as well as a highly engraved gun.
Wood can be refinished and bluing redone if the finish wear ever gets you down.
I am more of a serial shotgun buyer than a collector. It would be a strange day if there weren't 8 or 10 upland guns in the gun room.
Our upland hunting circle is 69 to 82 with some age related slowing down too.

I use them all but the nice ones are used gently. The nice ones don't go grouse hunting in the mountains or to the duck marsh.

I would not own it if I would not take afield.

I have used 100% of my guns in the field at least a couple times. Only having too many on hand for too few hunting days prevents some from going out very often.

Ultimately, I find that two guns of more than a dozen get the most use. They are two of my best and dollar wise most valuable.

I hunt my H&H in all but the worst weather. It is not in high original condition and that helps. I have a few British rifles that are too nice to hunt in all but the gentlest of environments and they rarely go afield but all except my newest acquisition have been hunted and that is simply because the right situation has not arisen as of yet. They do sell gun insurance to help ease the mind.

I use a Winchester 42 pigeon grade for early doves or a 42 High Grade if rain is expected. Difference is the a more modern Japanese version and I can easily find another. But all my guns are there to be shot. Reasonable care is expected in their use but use they will get. I have no room for safe queens anymore. But what a person does with their guns is their call.