DMc, twelve years ago, I was wasting time at a Ft Worth gun show. I bought a minty model 42 modified choke. I bought a few boxes of ammo and patterned each. My most consistently impressive loads were 2.5" #8.5 clays loads. They patterned better and penetrated better than 3" HV loads in 7.5 shot. About that time, youngest daughter gave birth to a son. I had only patterned the 42, so I put it in storage for the grandson. Tragically, he died in an accident a few days before he was three. I never touched the 42 without tears welling up for several years.
They say time heals all wounds, but not really. Three years ago while packing the stuff for the dove opening, I bumped into the 42 and thought "why not?" I included it and a few boxes of #8.5 target loads along with a nice 20 for back-up. I did not quite limit out, but I have never had more fun at doves. It would have been perfect if a 9 yo grandson had been pulling the trigger. Did the same the following year. Percentage wise, I did about as well as with the twenty, but I don't think that I shot at anything over 25 yards. After the dove become more wary, a larger gauge is needed. I am seriously thinking of adding a 28 ga to my holdings.
Best,
Jack
JT, I can't imagine losing a grandchild. I have 5 and hate to even think of such a tragedy befalling any of them! We have to trust in God's plan and take solace in the fact that His intentions were to draw us closer to Him. God had a need and a plan for your grandchild that exceeds our understanding. Prayers for you and your children.
Many years ago I was fortunate to have been invited to dove hunt in Mexico with a group of Doctors that hunted the San Fernando Valley every year. We'd fly to Harlingen, where we rented 12 person vans and would caravan the 2-hours, to a (luxurious by Mexico standards) hunting lodge.
I used to skeet shoot with (at Alpine BTW) with 2 friends that were regulars on the Mexico trip and was the reason I was invited. We always shot .410's on the skeet field and since I was serious about good scores I shot an over/under as most serious skeet shooters do.
My first trip to Mexico was an awe inspiring experience. Doves were problematic in Mexico, as they were so numerous, they could devastate grain fields causing crop yields to be decimated. You would find yourself shooting a case or even two of shotgun shells within a 3-hour period, (Usually 7-10am before it slowed down, then starting again from about 3 to 6pm.)
On my first morning of shooting I had to urgently relieve the morning coffee that was threatening to explode my bladder. I propped my O/U 410 against a tree and took care of business. Once done, I picked up my shotgun by the barrels and seriously burned my hand. I had no idea my barrels were hot. Not only were they hot, they were scalding hot! Thank God I was with a group of Doctors!
This was my first introduction to pump action shotguns and the Winchester Model 42. Using an over/under limits you from scoring triples, quadruples, and thereon, which drives up the fun factor to addiction levels! No plugs required in Mexico.
These Mexico trips lasted about 10 years or until it was no longer safe to travel to Mexico. Our annual pilgrimage moved to Argentina, which has even greater numbers of dove and tens of thousands of ducks! At this point in my life I was busy making babies with my wife and the increased cost of international travel succumbed to home based priorities.
I never went back to O/U's. Even though I've continued to shoot skeet, the 42 is still a favorite, but I mostly shoot automatics now. The autos were just too unreliable to be stuck with outside of the United States. I've been through a gambit of 410's. The 870 is too whippy to score well at clay target games but the 42 (and Model 12) is one of the best designed shotguns ever made! (IMHO)
DMc : )
PS: I'd gladly take an 870 on any "jump shooting" outings! Didn't mean to belittle the 870.
