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[Bobitis]

I can't recall ever shooting a shotgun. Both of my brothers have one though.

This is one of my brothers rifles. He also has one in .338 WinMag. Him and his buddy designed and built these rifles from an M-1 Garand frame.
They've been to Africa twice. As they are both 1st editions, I've no idea what they're worth. I also don't know how many were made.

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2015/07/06/oood-mccann-industries-458-win-mag-garand/

[pmillen]

I started shooting skeet when I was 15, went professional in my 20's for about 5 years. It just got too expensive to compete after awhile. New baby and life stepped in. Practice would require at minimum 500 rounds per gauge per week (yes, I reloaded my own). I quit using a 12 gauge and used my 20 in the 12 gauge events because I shot the smaller gauges better. Went from a D class shooter in 12 to A within a short time. The contests were expensive as well, and to even get into the shoot off matches you had to shoot a 100/100. Shooting a 100/100 was not that hard but the shoot offs at stations 3, 4, 5 doubles, all would take there toll after a while (sometimes 40 to 50 rounds before one stood out). I loved the 410 and 28 gauges they were my favorite, was rated a AA shooter in both of those. You could only make any real money though if you shot 400/400 and then won the shoot offs. The closest I ever came to that was a 398/400. Dropped 2 birds in 12 gauge.. I never really enjoyed trap, Sporting clays were just starting up when I stopped. I still enjoy a good dove hunt. I miss quail hunting but can't walk anymore and I quit raising bird dogs years ago.

Thank you for bringing back some great memories.
MK

That's some good shooting.  It pleases me that someone who shoots that well shares my opinion of trap.

[pmillen]

I quit raising bird dogs years ago.

And replaced them with an overweight cat as I recall.  That's a major change.   

[Mikro]

I quit raising bird dogs years ago.

And replaced them with an overweight cat as I recall.  That's a major change.   

Yes I did, as well as me becoming overweight as well. The miles i walked behind those dogs were very good for my health back then. Now I'm like the cat, I sit on my rear end. LOL!!!

mk
mk

[MustangBob]

Shoot with both eyes open and your gun will follow your eyes to the target.  Seems to work for me but I do not have a 25 yet.

I grew up shooting shotguns at doves on the wing, as well as waterfowl, and quail.  I always kept both eyes open when shooting and kept the gun moving through the target for correct follow through, but 'both eyes open' can be a 'disadvantage' if your eyes are cross-dominant from your handedness.
Dad and I did all our own reloading. We used 12 gauge pumps (Winchester Model 12) and 3-inch 20 gauge magnums (Remington Model 1100, semi-auto).  Lots of fun, lots of family memories!  We cleaned, cooked and ate all our game.

About age 30, I started shooting skeet at registered NSSA competitions using #9 shot.  I was doing well, scored a 25/25 once, and earned a monogrammed patch to sew on my shooting vest.  But the more I shot, the more evident it became that I had a built-in 'disadvantage.'  I'm right handed and shoot guns right handed.  But my left eye is my 'dominant' eye!  I was coached by instructors to switch to left handed shooting for better vision alignment.

I did not make that transition to left hand shooting successfully after many years of shooting right handed.  The only other solution is to close my left eye when shooting right handed, which of course limits my peripheral vision on crossing targets, both in the field and on the skeet range. 

Most really good shooters have a dominant eye that matches their right- or left-handedness.  It's easy to determine which eye is your dominant eye to see if you might have this issue or not.

[LowSlowJoe]

I was never very good...  I think I first went hunting with my father and my brothers when I was like 14.   My brothers were 16, and 18 at that time, and had already started to get into things that weren't as 'wholesome' as hunting.   I remember one of my first and only trips where all four of us went out together hunting 'partridge'  ( ruffled grouse ),   at some place in northern Michigan.   My dad had a decent dog named Sandy,  ( wonderful dog actually , kind of a labrador , but I'm not sure it was pure bread, certainly didn't have any papers ).     Sandy was more than a hunting dog, she was the best darn family dog a family could ever want. Fiercely protective us us kids, and gentle as could be...  Sandy could catch small balloons in her mouth without breaking them, if you tossed them toward her.

We walked around for a hour or two in the brush, me near my father and the dog, me with the .410 I was given.   First bird that flew up, seemed to come from 5 feet away from me, scared the bejesus out of me, my dad blasted it with his trusty 12 gauge.   Not sure exactly where my brothers were at that time, somewhere not to far away, but the brush so thick you it wasn't really possible to see them easily.

 We keep walking,  eventually somehow my dad actually saw one in a tree and shot it.   

 The day went on,  neither of us boys had even really got a shot off,  my dad pushes on through some of the heaviest brush we had come across ( a lot of dogwood ).   My brothers and I didn't even venture into that brush, they took the time to sneak a cigarette while my dad was occupied in the brush.  Not long after my dad went in the brush, we hear one, two, three, maybe more shots coming from where my dad and his trusty dog 'Sandy' was.    He comes out the other side of the brush with 3 more birds.   

  Probably my fondest memory of hunting, and I never really even got a shot off that day.   I never was great at shooting... but did go on to have at least a dozen more hunting trips out with my dad and at least one of my brothers  after that.

  My dad had got his gun, from a neighbor named Wayne Teachout.  Story I was told, was that Wayne had awards for shooting 500 or maybe even 1000 in a row without missing .   Not sure if that was skeet or trap.  All I know, is that old Winchester Model 12 that Wayne had left to my father ( after his death ), was the smoothest pump action gun I've ever known.   I think my brother who's 2 years older than me has inherited that old model 12 from my Dad when he passed away... 

My dad did eventually find me a 16 gauge Model 12.   It's not nearly as nice as Wayne's 12 gauge is... but  I did eventually get the Model 12 my dad had always promised me he'd get me, back on that first day I went out hunting partridge with him and my brothers.   I haven't even taken it out of the case in about 8 years.

[pmillen]

LSJ, that Model 12 may be a Winchester.  If it is, it's one of the finest shotguns ever mass produced.  My father bought one in about 1937.  He hunted with it.  I hunted with it.  My son hunted with it.  And now, my grandson will soon bunt with it.  You couldn't put all of the upland birds that gun has killed in the trunk of your car.  Probably not in a pickup bed.

[LowSlowJoe]

LSJ, that Model 12 may be a Winchester.  If it is, it's one of the finest shotguns ever mass produced.  My father bought one in about 1937.  He hunted with it.  I hunted with it.  My son hunted with it.  And now, my grandson will soon bunt with it.  You couldn't put all of the upland birds that gun has killed in the trunk of your car.  Probably not in a pickup bed.

Yes, you are correct, its a Winchester Model 12 .  I think the one I have, is one made in 1937.    I know it's old.  My dad got it from a guy who apparently had only used it a hand full of times.  When I got it , it was more or less pristine,  I haven't used it that much since, but I probably didn't take as good of care of it as I should have so , it might have some minor spots of rust on it. I really should get it out and go through it.  Mine is just a very basic model, the one my father got from our neighbor way back when, was a much nicer version of the Model 12.

I'm going to correct my previous post to correct my error in calling it a Remington

[pmillen]

Mine is just a very basic model, the one my father got from our neighbor way back when, was a much nicer version of the Model 12.

The basic one you refer to was called Field Grade.  It probably has rings cut into the wooden slide grip (forearm) rather than checkering.  Our heirloom Model 12 is like that.  They're highly regarded and desirable guns.

The forerunner was the Model 97.  It looks much like a Model 12 but it has a hammer.  They don't appraise as well.

BTW, Model 97...introduced in 1897.  Model 12...yep, introduced in 1912.

[CaptJerry]

Where's the black powder shooters? (And no I do not mean pyrodex or other abominations) Silly boys, this modern cartridge stuff will never catch on

[Kristin Meredith]

Where's the black powder shooters? (And no I do not mean pyrodex or other abominations) Silly boys, this modern cartridge stuff will never catch on

They are out guarding the Colonial air bases.