5 things you’ll love about the FABARM Autumn SxS shotgun …

FABARM Autumn SxS shotgun
FABARM Autumn SxS shotgun

We’re back. Stitch and I just returned from a few weeks of grouse and woodcock hunting up in Maine. We had a great time and we found a lot of birds.

While the 12g I had with me did the job, here’s a SxS I wish I had had with me:

The FABARM Autumn SxS

Last spring Caeser Guerini sent me one of these shotguns in 20 gauge to look over and bang some rounds through. It was a great gun and a blast to shoot. Here’s what impressed me most about it:

5 things to love about the FABARM Autumn SxS:

20g FABARM Autumn SxS shotgun
20g FABARM Autumn SxS shotgun

1. IT’S EASY ON THE EYES

20g FABARM Autumn SxS
20g FABARM Autumn SxS

My FABARM Autumn was a great double to admire with a rounded, color-case hardened action, some interesting scroll engraving, and nicely figured, oil-finished wood, While it had a vintage vibe to it, its clean, pinless action gave it a sleek, modern look.

2. IT’S BUILT TO SHOOT TONS OF ROUNDS AND KEEP GOING

Unusual lumps on the 20g FABARM Autumn SXS, part of its unique locking system
What the?!? Unique quad lumps on the FABARM Autumn SXS, part of its extra durable locking system

On the outside, the FABARM Autumn looks like an old-school, Anson & Deeley style boxlock shotgun. But it’s not.

Instead, the gun mounts the lockwork on its triggerplate and uses sliding rods to cock the hammers.

Hybrid boxlock / triggerplate cocking and firing system on the 20g FABARM Autumn SXS
Hybrid boxlock / triggerplate cocking and firing system on the 20g FABARM Autumn SXS

Then there’s the real interesting part of the FABARM Autumn: its quad-lug system.

Another look at the unique split hinge pin, quad-lump locking system on the 20g FABARM Autumn SXS
The unique quad-lump locking system on the FABARM Autumn SXS

These 4 lumps  are designed to increase the longevity of the barrel/action connection and help you deliver quicker, more accurate second shots. How?

Even though we worship SxSs like Parkers and Purdeys, those guns, and others like them, have their weaknesses. One’s the way the barrels mount on the action.

These shotguns connect to the action with two lumps. The front lump has the hook. This catches the hingepin. The rear lump has a bite. This receives a sliding bolt that comes in from the back to lock down the barrels (most British and European SxSs also have a bite on the front lump, but it doesn’t always do much to secure the bbls).

Hook on a set of Purdey shotgun barrels
Hook and bites on a set of Purdey SXS shotgun barrels, from Hallowellco.com

When you fire a SxS, the barrels twist horizontally and flex vertically, trying to pivot on the hinge pin. Even though the bolt, bites and action secure the barrels and resist this twisting and flexing, these forces pulls you off your target. And over time, they cause wear which can lead to a SxS’s barrels going off face and become loose on the action.

(For a nerdy dive into what this mean, read this article by Delbert Whitman Jr.).

Unique split hingepin, quad-lump locking system on the 20g FABARM Autumn SXS
Another look at the unique split hinge pin, quad-lump locking system on the 20g FABARM Autumn SXS

The FABARM Autumn quad-lump design displaces this twisting and flexing over more surface area. This helps cut down on wear and increases the longevity of the barrel/action connection.

The quad-lug system also stabilizes the barrels and cuts down on horizontal flexing. This is an idea borrowed from competitive pigeon shooting and the thinking is that it helps you deliver a quicker, more accurate shot with the left barrel.

3. IT FEELS GREAT

A few years ago I shot a 12g Purdey Trigger Plate OU. It was big gun that came in at just over 8 lbs, but it had a lively feel that belied its weight and encouraged me to shoot it all day.

A few months later I was I hunting with a new 20g Italian OU. It was a field gun, and even though it weighed 6 3/4 lbs, it felt heavy and dead, like a target gun. I wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible.

I thought about those guns the first time I shot the 20g FABARM Autumn. How would it feel — dead or alive?

FABARM Autumn SxS shotgun
FABARM Autumn SxS shotgun

My gun had 28″ barrels and weighed 6 lbs, 6 oz. — a good weight for an all-around bird gun. But it also pistol grip stock and a beavertail forend. Those said “target” to me — and had me worried.

After a lot of clays and a flat of 2 3/4″, 7/8 oz loads (which were a PITA to find), I had my answer: alive and very lively.

Like that big Purdey OU, the FABARM Autumn snapped to my shoulder and and picked up the clays with little effort. The more I shot it, the more I wanted to shoot it. I think its lightweight barrels were a big reason for this, but not the only one.

I liked the pistol-grip, beavertail forend setup, too. They gave me a lot to hold onto and more control over the gun more. This made the gun easier to mount and move to target.

The selective single trigger was crisp and with just a of whisker play in it on second shots. And even though I pulled it as fast as I could and tried to make it fail, it fired round after round without a problem.

4. IT’S ALL YOU NEED FOR UPLAND HUNTING

With choke tubes, 3" chambers and steel-approved barrels, the 20g FABARM Autumn can do it all in the uplands
With choke tubes, 3″ chambers and steel-approved barrels, the 20g FABARM Autumn can do it all in the uplands

With  3″ chambers, choke tubes and barrels/choke tubes that are steel-shot safe, the 20g FABARM Autumn I had could handle all the bird hunting I did (or hoped to do).

If you’re an upland hunter, it could do the same for you.

5. IT’S BACKED BY A 5-YEAR WARRANTY

I’ve had old guns, older guns, and really old guns. They can be a PITA to maintain and repair. So I appreciate new, trouble-free new SxSs and OUs.

But of course, things do break. When they do, it’s good to know the gun is backed by a warranty, especially one with repair centers in the US.

The FABARM Autumn’s 5-year warranty gives you this kind of protection and peace of mind.

Of course, while I loved the gun, I thought it could use some tweaks:

  • The fences could use a bit of styling, especially on ahead of the toplever.
  • The pistol grip needs some refinement. I would like to see it look more like round-knob
  • They need to add an automatic safety. It’s a must have on a bird gun. I’ve owned guns without them, and it’s too easy to forget to slide it to “safe” after opening and closing the gun.

Ready to buy? Here are a few dealers on Gunsinternational.com who can help you out now:

Fabarm Autumn Pistol Grip Side by Side Shotgun | 20ga 30″ | For Sale at Cole Guns

Fabarm Autumn 20ga For Sale at Gordy and Sons Outfitters

Fabarm Autumn 20 gauge Side by Side 30″ For Sale at Pacific Sporting Arms East

Fabarm Autumn 20ga 28″ English Stock For Sale at Silver Creek Outfitters

Fabarm Autumn 20ga 28” barrels English Etock SST For Sale at the Iron Cowboy Gun Shop

See this week’s 5 doubles you don’t want to miss …

Pedro Arrizabalaga SLE SxS 20 gauge:
Pedro Arrizabalaga SLE SxS 20 gauge:

Pedro Arrizabalaga SLE SxS 20 gauge: Floor plate, trigger guard, and fences fully engraved.  28 inch barrels 2 3/4 inch chambers flat rib, bores bright with 0 rust pits or dings. Right choke 0.006 Left is 0.012 weight 6 pounds. Double triggers auto safety and ejectors. Straight grip stock nicely figured and finished stock with custom leather covered pad. Splinter forearm with A&D push button latch. LOP 14 1/2 in DAC 1 1/2 in DAH 2 1/4 cast off 1/8. Excellent condition with light use.
Made Eibar Spain circa 1956. Price: $4850

Arrieta - SLE - 20ga - 27" IC / M -1987- Nice Gun - Reasonable Price

Arrieta – SLE – 20ga – 27″ IC / M -1987- Nice Gun – Reasonable PriceArrieta – SLE – 20ga – 27″ IC / M -1987- Nice Gun – Reasonable Price: Sidelock Ejector – 20ga, 2-3/4″, 27″ IC / M (.007 / .014), Double Triggers – Front Articulated, English Stock, Splinter Forearm, LOP 14-7/8″, Drop 1-3/8″ to 2-1/2″, Cast Off for Right Hand Shooter, Weight 5 lbs. 14 oz. Gun shows some carry wear, but still tight. Barrels ring perfectly. Bores original and perfect. I think the wood might have been refinished. LOP is 13-3/4″ at edge of wood. Set up perfectly for quail. This is a pretty basic Arrieta SLE shotgun, but the quality and handling characteristics are still there. Price: $3950

Browning Superposed 20 Gauge Over/Under 1958
Browning Superposed 20 Gauge Over/Under 1958

Browning Superposed 20 Gauge Over/Under 1958: Serial Number: 14034 Chambers: 2-3/4 in & 3 in Ejectors: Yes Condition: Pre-owned Barrels: 28 in Barrel Type: O/U Action: Box Lock Triggers: Single Selective Gauge: 20ga Stock: Round knob Prince of Wales grip Stock Comb: Drop at Comb: 1-1/2 in Stock Heel: Drop at Heel: 2-3/16 in Fore End: Rounded Butt Pad: Rubber LOP: 14-1/4 Inch Rib: Vented Weight: 6 lbs 12 oz Sights: Silver front bead Manufacture Date: 1958 Chokes: Fixed: Top: Full Bottom: Modified Case: Box Price: $2,999.99

Beautiful high original condition Parker 12ga Trojan - Rare gun with nearly all original finishes remaining!
Beautiful high original condition Parker 12ga Trojan – Rare gun with nearly all original finishes remaining!

Beautiful high original condition Parker 12ga Trojan – Rare gun with nearly all original finishes remaining: Rare in this condition- Made on a #2 frame with 30″ barrels.  Has nearly all original finishes on barrels, more than 90% bold original case color on frame and more than 95% original stock finish with minor handling marks.  Bores are brilliant and shiny.  Mechanics are crisp.  A beautiful and only very very lightly used gun. Serial Number: 225,308 Barrel Length: 30” Chambers: 2-5/8” Ejectors: Extractors Condition: Excellent/Near Mint Metal Condition: Excellent/Near Mint Wood Condition: Excellent and all original Bore Condition: Brilliant and shiny Barrels: Trojan Steel Triggers: Double Triggers Stock Comb: 1-3/4” Stock Heel: 2-7/8” Fore End: Splinter Butt Pad: Original BP LOP: 14-1/8” Weight: 7lbs 7oz Choke Left: .038 (Full) Choke Right: .026 (Mod) Price: $2500

Beretta 10g. 3.5" proofed double ~ Ducks, Geese, and Turkey's beware
Beretta 10g. 3.5″ proofed double ~ Ducks, Geese, and Turkey’s beware

Beretta 10g. 3.5″ proofed double ~ Ducks, Geese, and Turkey’s beware: Boxlock – Articulated front trigger on this behemoth! Tight and sound and ready for salt spray and mud. Serial Number: 22853 Ejectors: No Barrels: 31.5″ Barrel Type: Steel Action: Boxlock Gauge: 10 gauge Stock Comb: 1 7/16″ Stock Heel: 2 3/16″ Stock Cast: 1/16″ LOP: 14 3/4″ Weight: 10 lbs. 3 oz. Choke Left: .042″ A tighter full Choke Right: .032″ full Proof:Nitro: 3 1/2″ Minimum Wall Thickness Left: .055″ Minimum Wall Thickness Right: .055″ Price: $1,600

Online auction alert: A 16g Fox Sterlingworth to stare at …

A. H. Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga SxS Shotgun
A. H. Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga SxS Shotgun

If I had a $1 for every time someone said to me “I would like find a nice, original Fox Sterlingworth”, I’d have enough money to buy nice, original 16g Sterlie you see here.

A. H. Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga SxS Shotgun
A. H. Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga SxS Shotgun

It’s on Gunbroker.com now and the online auction ends 2/21/2021 @ 8:33 PM.

While Fox Sterlingworths are far from rare (more than 150,000 were built), ones in solid, original condition are hard to find, especially in 16 gauge.

A. H. Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga SxS Shotgun
A. H. Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga SxS Shotgun

A. H. Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga SxS Shotgun: This is a A.H. Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga and this gun is a jewel. Weighing in at 6 lbs (feels like a lot less) the LOP is 14 1/“ DOC 2” and DAH is “3 this little gun comes up like a dream! It has on little tiny chip on the edge of the forearm but other than that this is a super ALL ORIGINAL gun. The case color is 95% and the wood 85+ Only bc of the chip. The barrels are 28” imp modified/ Full.

A. H. Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga SxS Shotgun
A. H. Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga SxS Shotgun
A. H. Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga SxS Shotgun
A. H. Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga SxS Shotgun
A. H. Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga SxS Shotgun
A. H. Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga SxS Shotgun
A. H. Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga SxS Shotgun

Good gun alert: 20g Orvis/Arrieta Uplander SxS….

Orvis "Uplander" by Arrieta in 20 Gauge
Orvis “Uplander” by Arrieta in 20 Gauge
Nice grouse gun, nice price. That’s what I thought of when I saw this 20g Orvis Arrieta Uplander. New England Custom Gun in Claremont, NH, has it, and this true sidelock shotgun looks fairly priced at $2,795.

I remember seeing these shotguns in Orvis’s catalogs years ago. Their no-frills looks just feels right for upland hunting in New England. They’re basically 557’s with a plain, blacked finish, which I prefer over the engraving and color-case hardening Arrieta applies to their other guns.

Orvis "Uplander" by Arrieta in 20 Gauge
Orvis “Uplander” by Arrieta in 20 Gauge

Orvis “Uplander” by Arrieta in 20 Gauge: 27″ barrels choked .005″ & .005″. 14 1/2″ Length of Pull. Has some character marks but a great grouse gun. Price: $2,795

Orvis "Uplander" by Arrieta in 20 Gauge
Orvis “Uplander” by Arrieta in 20 Gauge

Happening today: A great gun, a great cause: Custom Tall Timbers Beretta SL3 …

Here your chance to get one and help a great cause: Bid on the Tall Timbers Gun Volume III: Beretta Custom SL3 Field Gun today, 9/27, starting at 4pm
Bid on the Tall Timbers Gun Volume III: Beretta Custom SL3 Field Gun today, 9/27, starting at 4pm

Here your chance to get one and help a great cause: Bid on the Tall Timbers Gun Volume III: Beretta Custom SL3 Field Gun today, 9/27, starting at 4pm

I was at Beretta’s factory in 2018 when they launched the SL3. It’s an impressive gun, and one I would be proud to own. (You can read my story about it in Shooting Sportsman mag here)

Here’s more about this Custom Tall Timbers Beretta SL3 OU from the folks at Tall Timbers:

Happening today: A great gun, a great cause: Custom Tall Timbers Beretta SL3 ...
Happening today: A great gun, a great cause: Custom Tall Timbers Beretta SL3 …

“A Quail Gun with a Cause”. Tall Timbers Gun III, Custom Stocked Hand-Engraved Beretta SL3

Tallahassee, Fla. August 26, 2020 ― Number Three in the Tall Timbers Gun series is, appropriately, the SL3, the newest offering from Beretta’s famed Premium Division in Gardone, Italy. The SL3 was introduced in 2018, first as a 12-gauge capable of withstanding high-volume punishment from driven-game shooters in Britain. Beretta designed it to be agile and responsive in the hands, yet capable of enduring hundreds of thousands of rounds, including hard-to-digest steel- and other hard non-toxic shot — in other words, a 21st Century version of a best game gun. Last year, the world’s oldest gunmaker unveiled its sleeker, lighter sibling in 20-gauge, perfect for American upland hunters, and ideal for those who pursue bobwhites behind bird dogs.

Ready for your custom stock dimensions: Happening today: A great gun, a great cause: Custom Tall Timbers Beretta SL3 ...
Ready for your custom stock dimensions: Happening today: A great gun, a great cause: Custom Tall Timbers Beretta SL3 …

The SL3 is a symbiosis between Beretta’s centuries-old craft heritage and its state-of-the-art command of modern metallurgy and manufacturing capabilities. Shotguns produced by the latter method, often designed by engineers, can be handsome and affordable and are usually relentlessly reliable, but can lack the grace and beauty and subtle handling attributes of those made by a skilled craftsman’s hands and eyes. But with handiwork in increasingly short supply worldwide, it is ever more expensive — a traditional handcrafted best gun will cost as much as a Porsche 911, and often much, much more.

At the range with Beretta's new SL3 OU
Me at the range in Italy with Beretta’s new SL3 OU back in 2018

The SL3 was purpose-made to bridge the gulf between man and machine. Ferdinando Belleri —the traditionally-trained master gunmaker who captains the Beretta custom shop — designed it with other elite old-school craftsmen, but its components are machined with exacting precision in the larger factory. These return to the custom shop — Beretta Due, as it’s called — and under Belleri’s eagle-eyed supervision every SL3 is assembled, hand-fit and finished to the standards which Beretta premium guns are known for. The result is a hybrid — with the beauty of Beretta’s sidelock SO10, and the durability of its Olympic medal-winning DT11 competition guns, and far less expensive than the former.

Bid on the Tall Timbers Gun Volume III: Beretta Custom SL3 Field Gun today, 9/27, starting at 4pm

As with the first two Tall Timbers guns—the first by bespoke Italian maker Luciano Bosis, the second by Scotland’s renowned David McKay Brown — this year’s gun is an international collaboration headed by Tall Timbers CEO William Palmer, assisted by Shooting Sportsman Senior Editor Vic Venters. For the second time, noted American artist C.D. Clarke was enlisted to provide artwork — of flushing bobwhite against a backdrop of the famous fire research grounds at Tall Timbers — to serve as a template for the SL3’s hand-engraved game scene on the base of the action. Standard SL3s come either with a plain highly polished action, or with English-style rose & scroll, or full game scenes, or deep floral scroll, engraved to superb standards by Beretta’s five-axis laser technology. The Tall Timbers Beretta combines the deep floral scroll with the hand-engraved bobwhite scene to distinguish it from all others. Premium Beretta dealer Rich Cole, of Cole Fine Guns & Gunsmithing — often dubbed “Mister Beretta” for his expertise on the line — was instrumental in recruiting Beretta for the third Tall Timbers gun. Cole, headquartered in Naples, Florida, and one of America’s pre-eminent dealers of fine Italian shotguns, traveled to Gardone to hand-select the highly figured walnut blank and to coordinate the custom engraving with Beretta. The gun has been headed up, but the stock left unfinished so that it can be custom fit by Cole to the purchaser’s bespoke stock dimensions. It will then be made-to-measure, hand-checkered and finished out in his workshop.

Action on the Beretta's new SL3 OU
Action on the Beretta’s new SL3 OU

So equipped, the lucky new owner should never miss another bobwhite, but should it happen, it will be for a good cause — wild quail conservation.

Bid on the Tall Timbers Gun Volume III: Beretta Custom SL3 Field Gun today, 9/27, starting at 4pm

Warning: You will be jealous. Watch All Wild, quail hunting in AZ …

Patrick Flanaganm Border to Border Outfitters, is a wanderer, a dog lover, and a bird hunter. Living-the-dream he chases wild birds from Minnesota and South Dakota to Arizona. The guys at Project Upland caught up with him and some clients on a wild quail hunt. Check out this great film to join them: All Wild – An Arizona Quail Hunting Film

Hunting Mearns, Scaled, and Gambel's Quail in Arizona - All Wild - A Project Upland Original Film
Hunting Mearns, Scaled, and Gambel’s Quail in Arizona – All Wild – A Project Upland Original Film

Temperate, expansive and beautiful — bird hunting in Arizona proves the Grand Canyon State offers so much more.

Hunting Mearns, Scaled, and Gambel's Quail in Arizona - All Wild - A Project Upland Original Film
Hunting Mearns, Scaled, and Gambel’s Quail in Arizona, from All Wild – A Project Upland Original Film

Flushing awesome: Wild Quail Hunting In Texas

I’m pretty sure I posted this video from the Quail Coalition before. But it’s such a great look into a type of hunting I would love to experience that I figured why not check it out again.

This video shows as sorts of wild Texas quail doing what every hunter wants them to see them do: busting out in crazy flushes. And notice they hunters not using cockers or flushing-whips to get the birds in the air. That’s because these quail are the real deal.

Flushing awesome: Wild Quail Hunting In Texas from the Quail Coalition ...
Flushing awesome: Wild Quail Hunting In Texas from the Quail Coalition …

Fighting Back – A Bobwhite Quail Film from Project Upland…

Fighting Back – A Bobwhite Quail Film by Project Upland

Bobwhite quail are not one of a America’s conservation success stories. Over the last 30-40 years, their populations have collapsed throughout the south and across the southwest. Fortunately, some people, and some state agencies and working hard to try and these birds back. I hope they’re successful.

“For many, the bobwhite quail is a symbol of their youth in the South. Small game is often where many cut their teeth in the hunting world. Adam Keith, wildlife consultant, ventures back into his past to take a journey into the public lands of Missouri with state biologist Frank L. Loncarich and Kyle Hedges.” WatchFighting Back – A Bobwhite Quail Film by Project Upland now.

Fighting Back – A Bobwhite Quail Film from Project Upland...
Fighting Back – A Bobwhite Quail Film from Project Upland…

Good gun alert: 28g Gamba Principessa SxS …

Renato Gamba ~ Principessa ~ 28 Gauge SxS Boxlock
Renato Gamba ~ Principessa ~ 28 Gauge SxS Boxlock

Here’s what I call a can’t-go-wrong double. It’s a Renato Gamba Principessa 28 gauge built on a rugged Anson & Deeley action. It weighs six pounds and it looks pretty much new. Price — a very reasonable $1599.

Renato Gamba ~ Principessa ~ 28 Gauge SxS Boxlock
Renato Gamba ~ Principessa ~ 28 Gauge SxS Boxlock

Renato Gamba is Italian maker better known in the US for their Daytona OU target guns than their SxS game guns. I’ve seen a few of their boxlock SxSs. Each one has been a nice double, and I’m sure this one would be a great upland gun.

Renato Gamba ~ Principessa ~ 28 Gauge SxS Boxlock
Renato Gamba ~ Principessa ~ 28 Gauge SxS Boxlock

Renato Gamba ~ Principessa ~ 28 Gauge SxS BoxlockExcellent condition overall. Price: $1,599.99 
Manufacturer: Circa: 1981
Caliber: 28 Gauge
Chambers: 2 3/4″
Metal Condition: Excellent
Wood Condition: Excellent
Bore Condition: Excellent
Barrels: 26″ Blued Steel with Tapered Rib
Triggers: Single Non-Selective Trigger
Stock: Checkered Deluxe Walnut Straight Grip Butt Stock
Stock Dimensions:
DAC: 1 1/2″, DAH: 1 3/4″, Cast off: 3/8″, LOP: 13 1/4
Fore End: Checkered Walnut Semi-Splinter Fore Arm
Butt Pad: Leather Covered Butt Pad
Weight: 6 lbs.
Sights: Single Bead
Chokes: Fixed: Modified & Improved Cylinder

I don’t care about no stinkin’ ribbons. Until I think we might win one…

Northern NH Bird Dog Club 2018 Annual Trial, Stark, NH
Northern NH Bird Dog Club 2018 Annual Trial, Stark, NH

Only one thing sucks more than planted quail: cold, wet, planted quail.

In the best conditions, planted quail prefer running to flushing. When these birds are cold and wet, they’re as likely to fly as a frog or groundhog.

And cold, wet planted quail, plus a handful of well-trained bird dogs, is what Lexi and I faced off against at the Northern NH Bird Dog Club 2018 Annual Trial.

This trial ran from April 27-29. We were in Sunday’s Amateur Shooting Dog stake. It was a cold, cloudy day. Rain shifted back-and-forth from drizzling to pouring.

 

Lexi was in the third brace (there were only 4 in the entire stake). She had a great run, stayed in the pocket the whole time, handled perfectly, and, as you can see in the videos, the didn’t let those lousy quail throw her off her game (or make her break point). By the time we finished the course, I thought for sure we would be taking home a yellow ribbon.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. While I was disappointed, Lexi didn’t mind. She just had fun chasing birds.

A furious flush of wild quail…

A Hifive Kennels success story: Thornapple Cody, Runner-up CH 2017 ABHA North Country Walking Shooting Dog Championship
Hifive’s RU-CH Thornapple Cody

I love videos of pointing dogs and wild quail.

This is another from Hifive Kennels, and it features a setter named Ginny.

If you hang around the coverdog field trial circuit at all, you probably know Hifive. Located in Beulah, MI, they’ve been breeding, training, and trialing dogs for 20+ years, and they’ve produced a long list of great dogs.

You’ve got to see these wild quail flush…

Hifive Kennels, CH Titanium's Jacksin. Pic from hifivekennels.com
Hifive Kennels, CH Titanium’s Jacksin. Pic from hifivekennels.com

I’ve always wanted to hunt wild bobwhites. Watch this video to see on reason why.

Check out hard these birds bust cover and how high and fast they fly. Notice the handler doesn’t need a flushing whip or a Cocker spaniel to get them up and going.

That great-looking pointer is Hifive Kennels’ Champion Titanium’s Jacksin. Hifive is well-known kennel out of Beulah, MI. They’ve been breeding, training, and trialing dogs for 20+ years, and they’ve produced a long list of great dogs.

The State of Quail: A video by Texas Parks & Wildlife …

The State of Quail: A video by Texas Parks & Wildlife ...
The State of Quail: A video by Texas Parks & Wildlife …

Everyone knows quail populations are falling across the U.S.

Texas is trying to reverse this trend. In this video you can learn a bit about what they’re doing to help these little gamebirds.

Check it out. There’s lot of great footage of all types of quail plus prairie chickens and other game.

Video: Hunting Arizona Mearns’ Quail with Randy Newberg …

 

Video: Hunting Arizona Mearns' Quail with Randy Newberg ...
Video: Hunting Arizona Mearns’ Quail with Randy Newberg …

As it says on his website, “Randy Newberg is a hunter” and “…the voice of the public land hunter in America.” It looks like he also a bit of a TV star and a popular podcaster.

In this video, you can go along with him as he and his buddies do some quail hunting in AZ. As one commenter said “The cussin in these videos makes it so funny. So real. I love it.” I agree. It’s well done, and worth checking out.

Wow – what a quail gun: 28 gauge Joseph Manton / Purdey SXS …

Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28" barrels
Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28″ barrels

Joseph Manton was one of the finest gunmakers of the 19th century and one of the most influential gunmakers in British history. His work set the standard and the course for the 180+ years of Best quality gunmaking that came after him.

A handful of men who worked for Manton– including James Purdey, Thomas Boss and William Greener–followed his standards and founded some of the most important makers in the British gun trade.

Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28" barrels
Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28″ barrels

Joseph Manton work was so good that  Colonel Peter Hawker, the 19th century sportsman and writer, is said to have called Manton ‘The greatest artist in firearms that ever the world produced.”

Unfortunately, other than its name and the traditions it carries on, the double you see here has no connection Joseph Manton or to the Manton family. Instead, it was made in the 1980s by a team of British craftsmen, one of whom owned the rights to the name Joseph Manton.

Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28" barrels
Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28″ barrels

Regardless, it’s not the name on the gun that matters, but rather skill that went into building it. And from what I can see, a tremendous amount of skill went into building this side-by-side.

(BTW: Since this gun was made, the name Joseph Manton name passed to other owners. You can find out more about the guns they’re building here.)

Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28″ barrels: 2-3/4″ chambers, auto-ejectors, choked tight improved cylinder and modified (.009/.016).  London proof 1986.  Narrow tapered raised game rib.  Built on a finely scaled Purdey-type self-opening action.  Extensively engraved with a bold foliate scroll and vibrant case color hardened finish.  Single trigger, auto-safe.  Straight hand stock of classic French walnut with contrasting grain and black and gold fiddleback measures 14-1/8″ to a checkered butt, splinter forend.  The diminutive size is reflected as this little gun tips the scale at a mere 5 lbs, 3 oz.  The 28″ barrels give this gun a forward bias and truly lively feel in the hand! Simply outstanding!  Cased in lightweight leather trunk case. Price: $57,000

Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28" barrels
Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28″ barrels
Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28" barrels
Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28″ barrels
Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28" barrels
Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28″ barrels
Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28" barrels
Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28″ barrels
Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28" barrels
Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28″ barrels
Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28" barrels
Joseph Manton London 28 gauge, Sidelock, Shotgun, Purdey Action, 28″ barrels

Power duo: Quail hunting with a Pointer and a Cocker …

Here’s something I’ve always wanted to try. From what I’v read, this is how folks hunt quail on a lot of the plantations down south.

This video just shows a great looking Pointer doing what these dogs do so well.

Great dog work: Caladen’s DaVinci owns a covey of quail …

Running birds can really frazzle some bird dogs. But not this one. Caladen’s DaVinci handles this can’t-stay-still covey of quail like a real pro — not bad for a long hair.

It’s nice to see a handler that lets the dog work, too. There’s no screaming of commands, just confidence and total faith in his four-legged partner.

Congrats to Miller’s Dialing In: The 2015 National Champion…

Miller's Dialing In. 2015 National Champion. Owned and handled by Gary Lester. Photo by Jamie Evans.
Miller’s Dialing In. 2015 National Champion. Owned and handled by Gary Lester. Photo by Jamie Evans.

The 116th running of the granddaddy of all field trial — the National Championship – started last month on Monday, February 9, 2015, at the Ames Plantation in Grand Junction, TN. Forty eight dogs were nominated to run this year — seven setters and forty one pointers, and when the trial was over, one rose to the top: Miller’s Dialing In.

The National Championship for Bird Dogs was first run in 1869, and it has been held at the Ames Plantation since 1915.

See videos from the 2015 National Championship here.

See pics and videos of the 2015 National Champion Miller’s Dialing In here.

In this video you can see a beautiful double point with Touch’s Adams County and handler, Randy Anderson (R) and Raelyn’s Skyy backing as handler Andy Daugherty looks on. Watch those quail fly.

Touch's Adams County and handler, Randy Anderson (R) and Raelyn's Skyy backing as handler Andy Daugherty looks on
Touch’s Adams County and handler, Randy Anderson (R) and Raelyn’s Skyy backing as handler Andy Daugherty looks on

 

In this video, you can see Audubon Americus on his first find with handler, Rich Robertson. I think you can hear another handler “singing” to his dog in the background.

Audubon Americus on his first find with handler, Rich Robertson
Audubon Americus on his first find with handler, Rich Robertson

 

This one shows Caladen’s Rail Hawk on his second find with handler, Dr. Fred Corder. Again, watch those birds bust out of there.

Caladen's Rail Hawk on his second find with handler, Dr. Fred Corder
Caladen’s Rail Hawk on his second find with handler, Dr. Fred Corder

 

In this last one, you can see 2015 National Champion Dialing In on his second find in the Horseshoe. A big, healthy covey flushes above Dialing In and Gary.

Dialing In on his second find in the Horseshoe. A big, healthy covey flushes above Dialing In and Gary.
Dialing In on his second find in the Horseshoe. A big, healthy covey flushes above Dialing In and Gary.