Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game what shotgun for quail?

Hey I have one of those gray rat Model 11, sportsman version to be exact. Mine is modified, my dads is IC and we are hillbillies just not from KY.

Any shotgun that fits you well and one that has instilled confidence in you. I like the old Remington Model 11 Sportsman versions too. I even like a slick pump like the Model 31 Remington or the Ithaca Model 37. I can't tell any difference in the quickness of accurate repeat shots.

My first inclination is toward a Benelli, but I'd need to know more ......

Are you shooting quail sitting tight over a pointing dog? Or sometimes wildly flushing skittish birds?

What load I shot might influence my choice of gun.

8's? or 7 1/2's? 3/4oz - 7/8oz - or 1 ounce ..... ?

MV no more than 1200fps, possibly as light as 1100fps.

Another old schooler...My latest is a bit different from my norm..I bought an old Savage mod. 440 over/under 20 ga. on 24 Hr. campfire, it is a deluxe version and I had never seen one, the wood is really pretty and the gun was in very good condition. I was going to sell it and make a buck..After thumping a number of Pheasant and quail with it, I took it off the market..It has double triggers and I like that best, and it has extractors and I also like that, it fits me and all my friends swoon over it, not to shabby for a middle of the road gun in its day..

+1 Ray!



Recently I bought a synthetic Youth Combo M870 in 20ga, with a 20" fully rifled slug bbl and 21" VR Remchoke bbl. Picked up a 26" VR Remchoke bbl on eBay when that was still possible. Also replaced youth stock with an adult Speedfeed. All well and good?

If this thread had started "What's a good quail gun?" or "What's a good UPLAND BIRD gun?" I'd also recommend an OVER/UNDER!

Despite the workhorse M870-20 I added to my arsenal, the CZ Redhead (silver finish) and Canvasback (black finish and slightly less money) - while both inexpensive O/U's, - compared to a Beretta or Browning O/U are light weight guns in a twenty gauge (six to 6 1/2 pounds), and can be bought for less than a Benelli M1, M2, or Montefeltro.

Just sayin' ......

I have one of the Model 11's that was my grandaddy's. He was a primo quail hunter. 20ga, IC, 26" barrel, solid rib. It is a quail getter.

A real quail hunter never uses anything larger than 20ga on birds, and today would only consider a double gun.

Plus 1 on what AJD said. Nothing like a fine double 28 or 20 with a pair of triggers. The double gun for me would be a side-by-side with 26 inch barrles and open chokes.

One not to look at; I bought a 28 g Franchi 48 (semi auto), and it fits, is a good weight, swings easily, etc, but to unload live shells is a real pain. You have to hold this button down, while you press that lever, while you hold this prong while you... Safety should be easier.
Anyone want a barely used Franchi 28?
Mizwhitetail

You might wait a bit and take a look at the new Benelli Legacy 28, touted to be the world's lightest semi-auto shotgun. Handled one at SHOT. Damn near flew out of my hands. Weighs only five pounds. They don't hardly have any in the country quite yet, though... I think first shipments are due sometime in March.

+1 on the 20 double gun.

You mean like this?

Nope. Not enough scratches or dings to be a REAL bird gun.

Me and that gun have a love/hate relationship. I love to carry it and look at it. I love to shoot it too. Unfortunately, I shoot it just poorly enough at quail that I revert back to my 28 ga. SKB.

OH, it's a beauty alright. I go a little lower on the shotgun food chain for actual hunting, though, because I frequent some pretty nasty places here in CA and AZ for gambels, valley and mountain quail. The gun I tote most often (and shoot best) is a Beretta Silver Pigeon II in 20 gauge. I also have its twin in 12 gauge. I don't worry nearly as much about dings and scratches as a buddy who totes the Silver Pigeon V.

By the way, where in Western Ky? And do you actually have any decent hunting for bobwhites? I was actually born in Richmond and raised in the Bluegrass until age 12 or so. Never hunted there until I snuck in a whitetail hunt in northern KY while visiting relatives a few years ago.

Henderson, just at the confluence of the KY/IN/IL border. Quail hunting here was OK until the ice storm this past year. The last couple of years, I could find a covey every 2 hours or so. This year, I've been lucky to find one per day.

I grew up in Eastern KY (Paintsville) and graduated from UK.

Gawd, you must in Monster Whitetail Central.

Too bad about the quail, tho...

Yeah, the whitetail hunting is awfully good and there's always a 180-200" buck shot in this area every year. Its nearly as good as Iowa for consistently seeing nice bucks. Buck to doe here is near 40/60.

I know a lot of folks don't like it, but the one buck rule does help a bit.

Where about in CA are you?

Yep, KY is getting pretty famous for its trophy potential. I'd love to hunt western KY one of these days.

I'm in Ventura County, up out of the concrete jungle, in canyon/chaparral country. Have all sorts of wildlife out the back door, including a 40-bird covey of valley quail (but I can't play with them right here...) coyotes, mule deer, rabbits, mountain lions slinking through occasionally and the odd black bear showing up. Still, I do most of my big game hunting -- except hogs -- out of state.