O/U question

[PAess]

Just recently bought my first O/U. It came w/ a case where the gun needs to be taken appart to put in the case. Should I be taking it appart between each use and using the case? Also the manuel it comes w/ says I should decock the gun after using it. I'm not really sure how to do that or if it is needed.

[PAess]

also what are the best chokes to use on a O/U for pheasant hunting. I have always just used a mod.
thanks

[bhairhoger]

Should I be taking it appart between each use and using the case?

I take mine apart after each hunt to clean the gun so taking it apart will not hurt anything. I would not store it in the case because the case can trap moisture and cause it to rust. If you do not have a gun safe I would store it in a closet. Lean it in the corner so you can’t knock it over.

also what are the best chokes to use on a O/U for pheasant hunting

I have a pointing dog and most of my shots are close. I shoot IC in the 1st and Mod in the second. If you want, you can use Mod in both barrels you will just have to buy another choke. If I was going to hunt over a flushing dog, I would use Mod and Imp Mod so you can take the longer second shot.

[Elroy's Bandit]

I would never store a gun in the case for a number of reasons, mainly moisure related. I do however like to use the "silicone sleeves" for my long guns as it prevents moisure as long as you don't sleeve the gun wet/damp. Even in the climate controlled enviroment of my safe, older well used guns have a sometimes have tendency to show signs of spotting even though they were cleaned, dry, and oiled, so the sleeve prevents this.
I am somewhat anal about cleaning my guns, so they are broke down after every use for the most part, so taking it apart will not harm the gun and actually some O/U's have a tendandcy to be a bit tight on the break, so this will only help the matter.
I shoot top then bottom (preference) so I go IC then Mod for the second longer range shot. This is for the typical closer range pheasant hunt with pointers.
If I am hunting a little longer range, I prefer an IM to allow a longer range 2nd shot. This is also dependent on the dog you are hunting with. A flusher that bumps birds 20-30 yds out in front, you need to be think longer range. JMO Good Luck.

[schultz's honor]

To decock, I use snap caps.
They can be purchased at mosting sporting goods stores.
The are basically a dummy shotgun shell with a spring on the inside.
Load one in each barrel and pull the trigger. It will relieve the tension on the firing pin.

[RayGubernat]

PAess -

I guess I am not as fastidious as some about cleaning my shotguns. I will break it down, and wipe down all the metal parts with an oily rag if it has been exposed to moisture and then let it air dry. I may or may not scrub out the bore each time. If it has not been exposed to moisture then a quick wipe with the oily rag on the exterior parts to eliminate figerprints, blood spaters and such...and let it air dry. A gun that is brought in from the cold to a warm house will sweat a bit, so it is iomportant to let the gun acclimate to the inside temp and then wipe it down.

I do put in the snap caps and decock in between uses. In the cocked position, the firing pin compresses a spring which provides the force to drive the pin into the primer and detonate the round. A spring that is in a constant state of compression will eventually lose some of its
"springiness". Eventually that will reslt in misfires.

RayG

[gar-dog]

Another way to decock is when it is disassembled, put a coin against the firing pin and pull the trigger.

[nj gsp]

If you put away any gun damp it will rust. I was caught out in the rain this summer while training, and despite breaking down the gun, drying it, and wiping it down thoroughly with oil, there was still some spots of rust on it by the time I got home a few hours later.

I have left some of my doubles in breakdown cases for weeks at a time, provided the case is dry, and the gun is dry & well oiled. When bringing a gun inside after being out in the cold, I leave it in the case so it can warm up slowly to prevent the formation of condensation. Same goes for expensive guitars...

The exception is when the gun or case gets wet, in which case it is disassembled as much as possible, dried, oiled and the allowed to air dry.

Also, be careful with leaving snap caps in a gun for a long period of time - do NOT handle them with your bare fingers and drop them in the chambers and leave them there. Wipe them down with an oily cloth to remove all fingerprints. A friend of mine told me that the chamber in his 1100 rust so bad it pitted and wouldn't eject shells after a snap cap with finger grease on it was left in for a few months. He couldn't polish the pitting out and had to buy a new barrel.

Maybe that's not the whole story, but I wouldn't leave fingerprints on the outside of my gun either.

[Ayres]

Breaking it down time after time won't hurt it at all. It will actually get you more familiar with the way the gun works, and should help to loosen up a tight break-action for quicker reloads with less effort. As mentioned, though, don't store it in the case for extended periods if you can help it. If you have to store it in the case, take it out from time to time and wipe down with a silicon impregnated cloth (gun and reel cloth).

As mentioned, snap caps are an excellent way of decocking the firing pin. An easy way to make a set of snap caps is to take a couple spent hulls, trim them down, pop out the primers and replace with pencil erasers. Pop them in, pull the trigger (twice), and you're set.

[nj gsp]

An easy way to make a set of snap caps is to take a couple spent hulls, trim them down, pop out the primers and replace with pencil erasers. Pop them in, pull the trigger (twice), and you're set.

That's brilliant!

[Ayres]

An easy way to make a set of snap caps is to take a couple spent hulls, trim them down, pop out the primers and replace with pencil erasers. Pop them in, pull the trigger (twice), and you're set.

That's brilliant!

Don't credit me, I read that somewhere. (Just can't remember where)

[nj gsp]

An easy way to make a set of snap caps is to take a couple spent hulls, trim them down, pop out the primers and replace with pencil erasers. Pop them in, pull the trigger (twice), and you're set.

That's brilliant!

Don't credit me, I read that somewhere. (Just can't remember where)

It's still brilliant - thanks for sharing!

[Dennmor]

An easy way to make a set of snap caps is to take a couple spent hulls, trim them down, pop out the primers and replace with pencil erasers. Pop them in, pull the trigger (twice), and you're set.

That's brilliant!

Don't credit me, I read that somewhere. (Just can't remember where)

That is brilliant! I'm getting ready to pop out the primers on a couple of mine.
As far as I'm concerned you deserve all the credit.
I have something to say about humidity and guns and cleaning too, but first I gotta pop a couple of those spent primers.

dennmor

[Wildweeds]

Hey that eraser trick sounds like a jim dandy to me,I don't care if you dreamed it up or not,heck take the credit for it.I've never read a manual for any of the o/u's I've got.I have a Browning superposed from 1962 that probably never was decocked in it's life and it still goes boom.Never the less I'm going to make up four sets for the 4 guages I have because it sounds like a very sound theory to me. THANKS

As for choke selection I'm with the others here as well,I hunt over pointy ones and I prefer the under barrell first because the gunshop owner(who is a REALLY good shooter of scatterguns,rifles and pistoles) explained to me that the underbarrell first causes slightly more muzzlejump than the over barrell via trigonometry and thus creates being able to get on the target easier should one miss.I shoot a 20 at pheasants with an I/C bottom and Mod top,2 3/4 6 shot,later in the season the top hole will get a 4.

Lately I've been packing the CZ woodcock 410 and have been 100% in 2 outings,two birds stoned dead with 2 shots at a tune of $ 2.40 per shot.That hevishot is some wicked stuff,I highly reccomend it for non toxic alternative to steel.

[Dennmor]

I live in Colorado, humidity is genrally low and I've never had a problem keeping guns in a "soft sided" case.
A hard sided one would tend to trap moisture and I can see where that might be a problem if you put a gun that had moisture on/in it away and left it for a considerable time.
Though you probably can't give your gun too much attention, O/U's don't seem to require much.
Having said all of that, I beak mine down and wipe it with Remoil each time before I put it up.
dennmor

[vikings269]

with reguards to choke, personal prefence here but always IC, modified is ok but i know too many that have full choke who cant hit anything and are spreading tiny shot, my preference if i had one shot is #4 in improved cylinder, ya thats a large shot but ya can tak down pheasants at 100 yards with it, i use #6 as my first shell and i dont care what anyone else uses nor do i think its wrong. just saying what works for me, heck if all i hunted was upland i miight use a 20 guage but id still use improved cylinder and heavier shot then most

[ezzy333]

I use a 20 guage with IC and Mod and prefer %'s in the first barrel and 4's in the second. When using the 20 guage pump I use the same shells and also the same size in the 12 guage pump or auto. With the modern shells thay all shoot tighter than the old ones did and in the upland field I just don't see a need for anything over the Mod choke. Other wise you can be restricing your shot rather than tightning it much more. Thats why you can't shoot steel out of a tighter choke.

Ezzy

[Sorno]

also what are the best chokes to use on a O/U for pheasant hunting

I have a pointing dog and most of my shots are close. I shoot IC in the 1st and Mod in the second. If you want, you can use Mod in both barrels you will just have to buy another choke. If I was going to hunt over a flushing dog, I would use Mod and Imp Mod so you can take the longer second shot.

I do the same thing with my GSP's maybe later in the seaon in a highly hunted spot I will put both modifieds in and then use a 3" shell in the bottom.