It wasn't until too late that I noticed I was trying to shoot a bic lighter.
Okay That brings back memories right there! Wasn't using a double that day but a Beretta 391 and by accident loaded a Bic lighter in the tube. Took me a couple minutes to figure out what had happened, why didn't my gun go bang? Luckily I was smart enough to check the bore. That Beretta loaded that Bic but pushed it down to the forcing cone. LOL Could have been exciting if I just thought it was a miss feed. Yeah buddy!
I started off my hunting in Maine with a 870 12 gauge chasing snowshoe hares, Ruff's and woodcock. Killed a lot of game with that gun. Then my baseball coach offered me a opportunity to use his Franchi O/U one afternoon. I was converted. We went though some nice cover and a pair of ruff's busted in front of red dog and I instinctively swung on the one to the left, BANG, down went that one and immediately swung on the bird going right, BANG, that one went down. At the time I was 16 or 17 years old. By the time I was 24 I had owned a Holland & Holland O/U, Browning BSS, & Beretta 626. After that a Vernadelli, Browning Citori's, Winchester 21's and a handful of Beretta O/U's & SS.
Today I use O/U for targets and SS for hunting birds. With a short time using that Beretta 391. A fellow bird hunter convinced me that opening the action after shots I would miss more birds than having a pump or auto. Well I just shot more shells with less birds to show for it so I went back to my beloved doubles.
Chokes, Loads, & barrel length has changed since moving to the west. But when I was hunting tight cover back east I used a 12 with Skeet Chokes, 7-1/2 1-1/8 oz hand loads, and 26" tubes. Never anything tighter the I/C.
Out here I use a 12 gauge 28" tubed Centaure Liege Royal Crown Grade made in Belgium, Skeet 1 & Skeet 2 custom cut fixed chokes & forcing cones. Loads are 7-1/2 1 ounce to 5's tin plated 1 ounce depending on what I'm hunting. And most times carry both loads. In the same day I can get into, Pheasant, Cali Quail, Hun Partridge, & Chukkar. Hit the mountains and you'll find Ruff's, Blue Grouse & Spruce Grouse.
