"Shotgun Selection"
by Sr. Field Advisor Bob Aronsohn

If you like to shoot crows it will help immensely if you have a fast handling firearm for the job. You will get more opportunities to score on doubles and even triples with a fast handling shotgun! If you have your eye on a new crow gun for the upcoming season be sure and get used to it before you take on the crows! If you live down south or in the Mid West go ahead and try it on Doves. If you want to get a good fast handling shotgun try not to buy one that is under 7 1/4 pounds. The reason being is that you don't want to be beaten to death from the recoil! This is especially true if you shoot a pump gun, side by side or an over & under.

You want to look for a shotgun that balances well in your hands! You also want it to fit you correctly. Whole chapters have been written on shotgun fitting so we will only touch on the most important here. The length of pull is the distance between the Butt and the Trigger on your firearm. If the length of pull is to long for you, you will be catching the Butt on your clothes! The stock should be shouldered without catching on your clothes. At the same time your face (cheek) should instantly hit the proper place on the comb of your shotgun. This is why I tend to favor a straight stock with no drop at the comb. This is similar to a Trap Stock in appearance. If you will notice the Sporting Clay shotguns are coming out with straight stocked shotguns during the past few years. There is a very good reason for this and that is the way the butt stock "fits you." With a straight stock your face will always be in the right place on the comb no matter how much clothing you have on at the time! I don't want to get to technical here but "pitch" is also a factor in the way the firearm will respond in your hands. Pitch is the angle at which the butt or recoil pad is set in relation to the line of sight and it's measured at the muzzle. If you own a shotgun that has a tendency to want to slip down under your armpit when you shoulder it you can be sure that the butt has too little pitch to it! Hasty shots tend to be thrown high in this type of situation. If the butt stock wants to slip upward when you shoulder your weapon you can bet that the pitch is too great, in other words it has to much pitch and hasty shots will be thrown low at the intended target.

Examples of Straight Stock (bottom) and stock with larger Drop at Comb (top)

Here are a few pointers to watch out for when selecting your next crow gun. First, does the shotgun feel sluggish in your hands? If it does then you have a firearm that is either to muzzle heavy or the shotgun is just too heavy over all. If the firearm feels to light and you are over-controlling it you will have a strong tendency to pull ahead of the target and stop your swing or coast to a stop! In this case you would be better served with a shotgun with just a little more heft to it.

To sum up I would suggest you shoot the shotgun type you want to buy before you buy it! Try a friend’s model and see if you like the way it smokes live birds or clay birds. If you’re looking at a pump or auto I'd choose a barrel length of no longer than 28 inches! Remember, the fella who has a well balanced shotgun that is very responsive in his or her hands will usually have the birds down before you swing into action! So make sure your the guy with the edge!!