


It has been a busy month for me – work, getting ready for the hunting season, walking Lexi, keeping the wife happy with non gun/dog related activities, writing, etc. All this has left me with little time for Dogs & Doubles. I’m trying to do better, though., and I’ll do all I can to be more consistent with my posts in the month to come.
Lexi and I headed down to Orvis’s Game Fair and Country Sports Weekend last Saturday. The event was at the Sandanona Shooting Grounds in Millbrook, NY — a very nice place north of New York City. It seemed to be well attended, with a mix of hunters, gun folks, outdoorsy types, and people curious to find out what it was all about.
There were a lot of guns on display, plus dog demos, shooting, and other events. Overall, it was a fun time, and I’m already looking forward to next year. This event does a great job of welcoming new people into shooting and exposing them to fine doubles. I hope Orvis continues it for years to come.
I saw a couple interesting doubles, some new, some old. The Merkel Paragon pictured here was one of them. It was absolutely stunning – a 20g sidelock with 32″ bbls, built on a Merkel 303 actioin. I know Merkel offered these guns in the late ’20s. I think they were the highest grade offered to the American market, This is the only one I’ve seen – or anyone else I know has seen. It was an absolutely spectacular shotgun.
Lexi and I are making the long drive over tomorrow to the Orvis Game Fair and Country Sports Weekend in Millbrook, NY. This event is held at the Sandnona Shooting Grounds – a very nice place – and it should be a lot of fun. There will be a lot going on, from shooting to displays by gun dealers, shooting preserves, and other vendors in the outdoor world.
I’ll be hanging around with the folks from Covey Rise. Lexi will be crazy pointer who wants to be friends with everyone. Please say hello if you see us.
Sorry for my lack of posts lately. My life has been crazy — shooting events, work, training for a race, plus a new house with a long list of honey-do’s to check off before my hunting season can get rolling.
On Saturday I made it down to Addieville, RI, to catch The Vintager’s annual event. The weather was great, and there were a hundred of nice guns there American, British, European. Check out the slideshow below to see a few.
The Fox Collectors and Lefever Collectors had a bunch of fabulous guns on display, and dealers like Steve Barnett and Griffin & Howe had some fabulous pieces on their tables. I hear the shooting was good, too.
Last week I drow 6+ hours and 400+ to check out the Orvis Game Fair in Millbrook, NY. I have to say, this event is turning into a great show. I number of gun dealers were on hand – Connecticut Shotgun, Griffin & Howe, Steve Barnett, etc – along with makers like Purdey and Williams & Son. It was much better attended than Vintagers, and it offered a lot more for everyone in the family. It was also free to get in.