hot, sweaty, bruised and in love

I just got back from Metro Gun Club where I shot another two rounds of trap with Chilly. I shot the first round with my 20 ga that had been cut down and had the safety fixed but no recoil pad attached yet. Well at least the safety was predictable in the switch positioning thing(even if I wasn't always smart enough to make sure it was off). Also I think it partially engages when the gun fires, so I'm never quite sure if is off or on for the next shot. I just need to add fidgeting with it to my loading ritual. Anyhow, it was a touch short without the recoil pad. But I shot an 8, which is still a respectable score for a third round of trap ever.

Well there was this guy shooting with us, Charley, and after that round while the scorer was reloading the tower offered to let me shoot his shotgun for the next round while he went and paid for a few more, because he hated to see people fight their equipment. (and my shotgun looked especially sad with the tape around where it was cut off and no recoil pad installed yet) So with a few words of instruction about the use of his shotgun went off to the clubhouse. By the time he got back we hadn't started shooting yet, but we'd picked up another pair of shooters making us 5.

Charley said "Oh if you haven't started yet wait! I have another gun in storage here that you can shoot. I'll be back!" and trotted back down to the clubhouse. Back he comes, with another shotgun, which he hands to me and tells me has never been fired, besides the six proofing shots, and that I get to take it on it's first ride. A little examination shows that it's another Browning. Oh dear.. It feels SOOO nice. A bit stiffer than his which was broken in a bit. I confirm that he really does want me to shoot it. I borrow a box of shells from Chilly (cause I was shooting 20 ga and this gun was a 12 ga)

The round begins, and I miss the first clay out of the house. My ball cap was too far down and I couldn't see over the end of the longer barrel and out into the sky enough, so I reversed it, no sun protection but it'll keep the hair out of my eyes right? I feel a bit bad as I'm waiting my turn that such a fine shotgun got off to an inauspicious start. I'm up. I call for the bird, and powdered it. I grinned. Charley grinned back at me (I shoot left handed so I was facing him). I proceed to hit the next three at station 3, and 20 of the 25 total.

I thanked him profusely for letting me take the shotgun out for it's first round, and told him he was a bad bad man for leading me into wanting a much nicer shotgun. He pointed out that it was probably mostly fit, and that I should find something with a single visible barrel and 13.5" trigger pull. Well with the recoil pad in place the fit on my 20 ga is similar. Maybe I'll go get twin beads set in my rib, and try mine again.

But boy was that shotgun nice. Mine bruised up my shoulder pretty good again, I figure the recoil pad should fix that though. Want to see a picture? Here is the Browning page about the shotgun.

Those who worry about me and such things(this means you Mark).. No I'm not going to go drop $1200 on a shotgun. I'm not crazy. But apparently shotguns are like sewing machines; and Brownings are like Berninas.
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3:8/25
4:20/25
Average 11.5
46/100 lifetime