2021 pheasant hunting gun

[Kyle S.]

This was my 'new' gun that I used last year for pheasant season. Its a Diamond Arms 16 gauge that i picked up for $50 at a gun show.. I don't remember the exact number but I believe I got 6 or 7 for the season. I think the only shotshells available for 16 gauge are 6 shot and up nowadays. Its heavier than my Benelli Nova but makes up for it in character. What are you guys using this pheasant season.

 

[e rex]

I like your shotgun! My 16 is a 1954 Remington Wingmaster. My favorite pheasant gun is a 1970s Ithaca 37 12 gauge.

 

[.308 Norma]

I'll be using my old Browning A-5 "Light" 12 gauge. It was a gift from my brother-in-law.
He contracted macular degeneration about 15 years back, and gave my wife and me all of his guns. We've passed the rest of them (there was only 4 total) to other family members and good friends now, but I'll hang on to that A-5 for as long as I'm around.
It had a cracked stock when my brother-in-law gave it to me, and I replaced it with a synthetic stock. I've never used a better handling, quicker pointing shotgun. And it's reliable - period.

 

[22250Rem]

Back before the 20 ga, took over the sub-12 ga. market the 16 ga. was considered the ideal pheasant round. When I was growing up in the 50's & 60's many old timers still swore by the 16 ga. with the 12 ga. often being labeled as more power than what was needed. My dad's first shotgun circa 1940 was a 16 ga. single shot Iver Johnson Champion purchased for pheasant hunting. He enjoyed it immensely and today it's in my safe. That Diamond Arms shotgun reminds me a lot of an Iver Johnson Champion. Could that have been a store brand gun built by Iver Johnson? They made a lot of guns for others under various names.

 

[Kyle S.]

Back before the 20 ga, took over the sub-12 ga. market the 16 ga. was considered the ideal pheasant round. When I was growing up in the 50's & 60's many old timers still swore by the 16 ga. with the 12 ga. often being labeled as more power than what was needed. My dad's first shotgun circa 1940 was a 16 ga. single shot Iver Johnson Champion purchased for pheasant hunting. He enjoyed it immensely and today it's in my safe. That Diamond Arms shotgun reminds me a lot of an Iver Johnson Champion. Could that have been a store brand gun built by Iver Johnson? They made a lot of guns for others under various names.

Here's a quote I saw on another forum about the Diamond Arms name.

"They were made by either Stevens Arms Company, Iver Johnson Arms & Cycle Works, or Harrington & Richardson, and were sold by the Shapleigh Hardware Company of St. Louis, MO."

 

[OlKrom]

My favorite to take out kicking up birds is my 16ga Ithaca 37

 

[birdshot8's]

another fan of the 16. here is mine an early Wingmaster with skeet choke. On the place in the photo, I have to use steel shot, #2 shot seems to be the right load.

 

[Chuck R.]

99% of the time I carry my 12GA Browning 325 (European model Citori) O/U with 27" barrels, SKII choke lower and IMP Mod upper choke.

This year I'm probably going to change it up, at least for the opener and go with my 20Ga SKB O/U, same chokes.

I used to own a REM 11-58 in 16GA and still do own a Parker 16 SxS, but it never gets out.

 

[Armored farmer]

Wild birds over dogs, its my 20ga sxs mod and full.
Driven birds its my 1100 12ga full

 

[Armored farmer]

T

another fan of the 16. here is mine an early Wingmaster with skeet choke. On the place in the photo, I have to use steel shot, #2 shot seems to be the right load.
View attachment 1033580

That fore end looks like 1950s 870.

 

[Kingcreek]

Wild birds over flushing retriever? My beretta 390 or browning BSS 12g with fiochi golden pheasant nickel plated 5s or 6s.
Pen raised over close pointers? My 1973 Ithaca 20g featherweight delux or my 20g BSS and #6 shot.

 

[Chuck R.]

Wild birds over flushing retriever? My beretta 390 or browning BSS 12g with fiochi golden pheasant nickel plated 5s or 6s.
Pen raised over close pointers? My 1973 Ithaca 20g featherweight delux or my 20g BSS and #6 shot.

Good point....probably should add the conditions. I've seen days when they're holding tight for pointers, and the smaller gauges/open chokes work great, then the later season when they're running and flushing a ways out there.

My standard shell combo is 6's lower barrel and 5s or 4s upper barrel.

My pen raised over pointers gun, AH Fox 20Ga, refinished and upgraded by Doug Turnbull:




I'm a flushing dog guy:

 

[Kingcreek]

Beautiful shotgun and retriever. I was raised with hunting goldens from Brit stock. Later got into labs but the best dog I ever shot over was a male golden retriever named Buckskin or Buck for short. He retrieved 88 birds in 4 states during his first season as a 1.5 year old.

 

[John McLaughlin]

1961 Browning Superposed 12 gauge F/M, Fiocchi Golden Pheasant 1 3/8 oz. nickel plated #5 shot. JM

 

[Kingcreek]

Browning BSS and Buck with a littermate and bro in law and some wild Iowa ringnecks circa 1982