Gun Types for Bird Hunting

by Upland Water Adventures Fishing and Hunting Tours

As a hunter, you always want to pay attention to your choice of weapons. One of the biggest secrets to successful hunting is making sure that you match your gun type to the particular species of bird you are hunting. In other words, it might not be the best idea to use the same exact type of gun for hunting doves that you are using for hunting pheasant. Different types of birds are different sizes, they have different abilities, and some just have more of a survival instinct and toughness than others. By all means, consider your particular target and then match the gun to that species.

Guns For Hunting Doves:

Despite the fact that doves are small and lightweight birds, this does not always mean that a small, lighter gun will be the perfect weapon. Most dove hunters like to sit in a chair and simply wait and watch, meaning that the distance to the target can vary considerably. The perfect dove hunting gun should be a trim and soft-kicking 20-gauge gas semi-automatic. It should be a decent weight, but not too heavy so that it does not compromise your ability to keep up with the birds' evasive maneuvers. You will also want to have the option of using choke tubes or just the improved cylinder.

There are some great guns that actually come pretty close to this ideal; The Remington 20-gauge 1100 with a 2 ¾ inch chamber or the 3 inch 20-gauge 1187. Both of these will allow you to reach 30 to 35 yards with the standard load of 7/8th ounce 8s.

Guns for Hunting Ducks:

Any good waterfowl hunter will be quick to tell you that reliability is the most important and desirable trait in a gun. In light of this, consider the Remington Model 870 for your duck hunting needs. This is perhaps the most popular shotgun ever made, having sold somewhere north of 10 million units. It offers hunters a very simple pump action design that is also easily among the most reliable ever made. Of course, there are now tons of varieties of this model like 3 ½ inch chambers, waterfowl-themed patterns, matte finishes, and more. These are all excellent variations that appeal to successful duck hunters, plus this model is also very affordable...a perfect combination.

Guns for Hunting Pheasant:

The pheasant is a tough bird. This is true especially later in the year, when they have had the chance to gobble up corn for almost the entire season. These birds tend to pack on mass, feathers, and fat like nobody's business. This means that you need a good strong gun to bring them down, especially since your target consists mainly of tail and back. A good pheasant gun would be a 6 ½ pound, 28 inch Browning Cynergy Field 20-gauge O/U.

Guns for Hunting Perdiz:

The perdiz is a bird most commonly found in Uruguay and Argentina living among the abundant grassland areas. This will involve classic upland shooting, normally over pointing dogs and is a challenging alternative to other type of game hunting. Additionally, these birds end up walking a lot more than they fly, which gives them the most tender and delicious breast meat of any game bird. A great gun for this would be the Remington Model 1187 20-gauge autoloader. Use choke if you like, or just stick with the Improved Cylinder.

Following these guidelines and matching your gun to the game bird will give you hours of enjoyable hunting. There are many gun types for bird hunting, so don't be afraid to do your own experimenting from time to time as well.