Al Hansen
Well-known member
It was exactly 6:44AM, opening time when four gadwalls came flying into my spread. I stood up, aimed my Nova at the first one, squeezed the trigger, then pumped and to my surprise watched flames leap out of the gun where I put the shell in. Thank God and my guardian angel, because had the flames shot out of that shell towards my right eye, I wonder then what would have happened----that is but inches away.
Well, I watched the ducks fly away and I sat there in total amazement. Nothing like this has happened to me before----EVER! I have shot approximately 5,500 rounds at ducks with this Benelli Nova in the last eight years. Who knows maybe it was the shell, which was a 2 3/4 inch Fiocchi 7 shot steel dove load. Hell, I thought my day was over because I couldn't get this out of the gun.
My next shell, which was a Federal 3 inch 6 shot was now jammed in there, also. Just at that time I remembered that I had put some tools in my Kawasaki Mule for "just in case". I opened up the trunk and found a screwdriver and pliers. With my head lamp helping I was able to move the 3 inch shell into the chamber and then extract the spent Fiocchi casing with my pliers. I then removed the three inch shell and checked the barrel. Thank goodness I did that because that plastic "wad?" was in the barrel about half way. Right in front of me, I had a perfect willow branch. I used that to poke back down this piece of plastic. I then checked out the gun with another shell to make sure it would fire properly. It worked, however, it was the first time I fired from the hip out towards the river with my eyes closed and my head turned.
All I can say is that it was one frightening moment.
While I sat there working on my gun I had a lone GWT land in the decoys----damn!
Right after that things warmed up and duck hunting became fun again. Three mallards came in and I haven't done this in a long time. As I put the bead in front of the lone greenhead, I closed my eyes when I squeezed the trigger. Chili dashed out and retrieved one of the two hens in that group.
Next in came came two ducks---a drake gadwall and a drake widgeon. I dumped them and watched Chili do something she has never done before.
"I'M REALLY, REALLY, REALLY SMART" she seemed to be telling me. She grabbed the duck, then swam to the shore and began running towards me. As she got to the small boat, that I always put my ducks in when we leave to go home, she dropped the gaddie in the boat then came swaggering over to me. I was about another 30 feet away in my blind. I couldn't believe my eyes. I then sent her after the drake widgeon.
About a half hour later a lone drake mallard was flying upstream and I was able to coax him back to the spread for another look.
I hope I never have to experience something like I did at first light. That was frightening.
Al
Well, I watched the ducks fly away and I sat there in total amazement. Nothing like this has happened to me before----EVER! I have shot approximately 5,500 rounds at ducks with this Benelli Nova in the last eight years. Who knows maybe it was the shell, which was a 2 3/4 inch Fiocchi 7 shot steel dove load. Hell, I thought my day was over because I couldn't get this out of the gun.
My next shell, which was a Federal 3 inch 6 shot was now jammed in there, also. Just at that time I remembered that I had put some tools in my Kawasaki Mule for "just in case". I opened up the trunk and found a screwdriver and pliers. With my head lamp helping I was able to move the 3 inch shell into the chamber and then extract the spent Fiocchi casing with my pliers. I then removed the three inch shell and checked the barrel. Thank goodness I did that because that plastic "wad?" was in the barrel about half way. Right in front of me, I had a perfect willow branch. I used that to poke back down this piece of plastic. I then checked out the gun with another shell to make sure it would fire properly. It worked, however, it was the first time I fired from the hip out towards the river with my eyes closed and my head turned.
All I can say is that it was one frightening moment.
While I sat there working on my gun I had a lone GWT land in the decoys----damn!
Right after that things warmed up and duck hunting became fun again. Three mallards came in and I haven't done this in a long time. As I put the bead in front of the lone greenhead, I closed my eyes when I squeezed the trigger. Chili dashed out and retrieved one of the two hens in that group.
Next in came came two ducks---a drake gadwall and a drake widgeon. I dumped them and watched Chili do something she has never done before.
"I'M REALLY, REALLY, REALLY SMART" she seemed to be telling me. She grabbed the duck, then swam to the shore and began running towards me. As she got to the small boat, that I always put my ducks in when we leave to go home, she dropped the gaddie in the boat then came swaggering over to me. I was about another 30 feet away in my blind. I couldn't believe my eyes. I then sent her after the drake widgeon.
About a half hour later a lone drake mallard was flying upstream and I was able to coax him back to the spread for another look.
I hope I never have to experience something like I did at first light. That was frightening.
Al
