First blood with a new gun

Cody Williams

Cody Williams

Well-known member
Earlier this fall I picked up a new gun-a Weatherby SA-08 20 gauge. I got it mainly with an eye to it being a gun for my wife and kids to shoot, it's nice and lightweight, and has very little recoil. I was curious on how it would work as a duck gun so I took it out to the marsh last night-to be honest I'm kind of afraid of how much I like this thing! I don't plan on replacing my 870 anytime soon but that little gun was such a pleasure to shoot that I can definitely see how a guy could be tempted to hunt with one full time.
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This was the first bird of what ended up being a limit-we had a storm roll through yesterday that ended up bringing some birds with it. I shot 4 drake gaddies that were all big, beautiful birds-love seeing them! I'm so grateful for such a great day!
 
Great looking gun and a good looking duck. Their subtle colors make for one handsome duck. Few people other than duck hunters get to appreciate the true beauty of birds like gadwalls and black ducks. That little 20 ga would make a fine early season gun for teal and wood ducks, good luck with it.
 
It looks like it works. :)

When I was gun shopping I ran into one of them. It was very tempting, it would carry like a dream in the upland that's for sure.
I felt it was one of the best gas auto in that price range. There are some Mossberg sa-20''s out there that are the same gun.

Tim
 
Thanks you guys, it was fun to mix things up with a new gun! I think it will make a great grouse and pheasant gun too.
 
Carl beat me to it. What a gorgeous drake. A very nice way to break in a good looking shotgun like that 20 gauge.
Al
 
Thank you Al-I've never had a bird mounted but I seriously considered it with a few of those drakes. They were huge, mallard-sized, with big puffy heads and prime plumage everywhere else. They all still ended up in the fridge, but man were they beauties.

That runs me off on a deeper philosophical tangent-I've shot several birds over the years that were mounter-quality but I've never done it, because to me one of the lessons of duck hunting is that everything, even supreme example of natural beauty like a prime migrating duck, is fleeting and temporary. Trying to preserve that beauty past death is understandable but in the end just as ephemeral and fleeting, and part of the burden of killing wildlife is being willing to take a small piece of that beauty out of the world. This is what runs through my head when I spend too much time out alone in the marsh.....but it's a lesson that I don't mind pondering again and again.
 
,,[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] and part of the burden of killing wildlife is being willing to take a small piece of that beauty out of the world. This is what runs through my head when I spend too much time out alone in the marsh.....but it's a lesson that I don't mind pondering again and again.[/font]
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I too, sometimes think upon that. While I admire a nice bit of taxidermy, I think if I ever give up my gun, it will be be for a camera full time.
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In the future, if I had to chose between taxidermy and getting a species specific decoy carved to commemorate a bird or hunt, I would go with decoy.
A nice carved decoys can be used, displayed, handled and inherited. And cost about the same.
 
I've been hunting with that same gun for the past 7 or 8 years. A few years ago I had to replace the large spring in the stock that I had neglected as the gun was beginning to not cycle all that well. I still have some issues with it cycling when it is really cold, but other than that it has been a great all around gun. I forget now but I think it was less than $400 and you would never know it by looking at it. I remember when I bought the gun someone told me you couldn't duck hunt with a 20 gauge. The first morning I took it out I had a huge white domestic goose mixed with some canada geese come by me. I shot the thing stone dead on a passing shot and thought to myself, "I think this is gun is gonna work just fine". Haven't used my benelli 12 gauge since.
 
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