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Jim585 Offline OP
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Thanks for all the comments. Very helpful.
If I got an Ithaca 37 for upland hunting, what would be the best way to add weight in the stock & magazine when I shoot skeet & sporting clays? I hate recoil.

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I've been considering an Ithaca 37 in 20 gauge for awhile now. For upland hunting at my age, I want a gun that's on the lighter side.

The Ithaca 37 in 20 gauge weighs 6.8 lbs and the 12 gauge weighs 7.6 lbs ( Ithaca Model 37 Specs ). Which one are you considering ?

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Originally Posted by Mesa
I think that smithrjd got it all right. If you're mainly an upland hunter, you want the Ithaca (we used to say "legs kill grouse, not shotguns" and an extra pound can sure tire those legs out over a long day fighting snow and brambles). If you're an upland hunter who sometimes hunts ducks, still get the Ithaca. If you're mainly a waterfowl and/or turkey hunter, get the Browning.


This pretty much sums it up but to put a finer point on it, if you're mainly an upland hunter get an older Ithaca with a receiver that will accept only 2-3/4" shells and with a fixed choke. As has been stated, no harm in using steel shot up to a modified choke so you're covered for non-toxic-only upland areas or ducks in flooded timber or close over decoys. The Ithacas with receivers that will accept 3" shells are heavier than necessary for 2-3/4" upland shells but not heavy enough (for me) for shooting 3" loads. If you're mainly a waterfowler who shoots a lot of 3" shells, get the Browning. I don't think I am particularly recoil-sensitive, but I don't care to shoot 3' shells in my Ithacas. The even heavier Brownings are better suited to such loads.

As to getting a new choke-tubed barrel for an Ithaca; yes, that is definitely an option if you are still concerned about the use of steel shot or just want a little more versatility. But be aware that choke tube barrels are heavier than their fixed choke counterparts; a fixed choke barrel is much livelier. The gun will not handle the same with the new barrels.

The safety location is also something to be considered, although it is of secondary importance to most people. I like the tang safety on double guns, but my safety thumb is sensitive to cold. The Browning safety is a steel slide recessed into a steel receiver. When it's cold, I can't feel the safety. No such issue with the Ithaca. This issue is probably more acute for me, as my safety thumb is somewhat numb all the time due to some nerve damage.

Good luck with whichever one you choose.


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Originally Posted by Jim585
Thanks for all the comments. Very helpful.
If I got an Ithaca 37 for upland hunting, what would be the best way to add weight in the stock & magazine when I shoot skeet & sporting clays? I hate recoil.

I've never tried adding weight to a 37 although I have tried it with a couple other guns. I didn't like the results because it threw gun balance way off. I use a browning shooting vest with the recoil pad in the shoulder I find that is helpful. Briley makes some weights or Google shotgun weights. Good luck

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Originally Posted by TraderVic
I've been considering an Ithaca 37 in 20 gauge for awhile now. For upland hunting at my age, I want a gun that's on the lighter side.

The Ithaca 37 in 20 gauge weighs 6.8 lbs and the 12 gauge weighs 7.6 lbs ( Ithaca Model 37 Specs ). Which one are you considering ?


7.6 pounds is far from a LW upland shotgun and 6.8 pounds isn't much better...For LW and a 37 you should be looking at an older 16gauge aluminum receiver Featherlight which goes around 5 3/4 pounds.....The new Ohio Ithaca 28Gauge is the best of the bunch if you are willing to go 28gauge....



As far as adding weight here and there to make it into a skeet or sporting clays gun and the fact one hates recoil. ... you can add a little lead to the stock, a little in the magazine tube, a few strips of lead to the barrel.....It all is still a little to maintain some semblance of balance....and not enough to have any significant reduction of recoil.....Skeet and Sporting shotguns that don't recoil all that much are almost universally not pump guns and they tend to go 8pounds plus and make poor upland shotguns....way it is....

Last edited by battue; 04/12/20.

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Originally Posted by battue
Originally Posted by TraderVic
I've been considering an Ithaca 37 in 20 gauge for awhile now. For upland hunting at my age, I want a gun that's on the lighter side.

The Ithaca 37 in 20 gauge weighs 6.8 lbs and the 12 gauge weighs 7.6 lbs ( Ithaca Model 37 Specs ). Which one are you considering ?


7.6 pounds is far from a LW upland shotgun and 6.8 pounds isn't much better...For LW and a 37 you should be looking at an older 16gauge aluminum receiver Featherlight which goes around 5 3/4 pounds.....The new Ohio Ithaca 28Gauge is the best of the bunch if you are willing to go 28gauge....
..


I agree Battue, the main reason I haven't proceeded with the 20 ga. While I have been looking around for an older Model 37 16 gauge, I haven't come across any in my area so far. I must admit the Model 37 in 28 gauge has my attention for the grouse/woodcock woods. What a lovely, light pump shotgun !

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The 28 with TSS shot also gives up little on Pheasants....

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Last edited by battue; 04/12/20.

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I agree the TSS shot is going to make the smaller gauges more popular in the future.

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At 6 pounds....from a distance this one seems fine....


https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...featherlight-20-ga-.cfm?gun_id=101252563


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Jim585 Offline OP
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Originally Posted by TraderVic
I've been considering an Ithaca 37 in 20 gauge for awhile now. For upland hunting at my age, I want a gun that's on the lighter side.

The Ithaca 37 in 20 gauge weighs 6.8 lbs and the 12 gauge weighs 7.6 lbs ( Ithaca Model 37 Specs ). Which one are you considering ?



When my Dad got older, he went from 12ga to a 20ga Franchi 48AL, which he liked a lot.
I like the idea of a 20ga pump & like the weather protection design of the BPS & 37.

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I am LH and have a BPS in 12 G. its too heavy and the bottom feed is not natural to me growing up with Win model 12 love the side eject and visual of the open port for safety, fence crossing ect.


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I get the heavy and liking side eject vs bottom eject....
However as far as safety....on either....the pump is either forward and locked or back and out of battery....both are unable to fire with the pump visually in the rear position....if one doesn’t know the open-vs closed position of the pump....they shouldn’t be using one....with both, you move the pump to the rear and a shell is ejected....which is another safety visual....

Last edited by battue; 04/12/20.

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I have a 20 gauge BPS with 26" barrel. I also have a 12 gauge 37. They are both good guns that should last a hunter many years. The Ithaca and BPS have significantly different handling qualities and I shoot the BPS significantly better on winged game. I've carried it all day in the uplands and it doesn't seem too heavy to me.

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Just weighed some for reference.

Early 50s 37 28” 20 gauge 6#1oz including the 1” Decelerator
Early 50s 37 26” 16 gauge 6# 2oz
90s??? BPS 28” 20 gauge 7# on the nose

And for the fun of it, while I’ve got the safe open, grandpas late 50s Model 12 12 gauge, 28” , 7# 7 oz

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