Speaking of Second Amendment

I'm fortunate that Idlike2bnTX started the "Second Amendment" category: it affords me the opportunity to discuss three of my favorite things...my 2001 Franchi 3" 12-gauge, my 1971 Franchi 20-gauge & my compound bow.


Yeah, before you ask, darn right I'm a hunter! Human beings are omnivores & that includes meat. I love my veggies, but nothing wrong with a nice, juicy deer steak to go with them. It seems hypocritical to me for people to argue hunting is morally wrong when that's EXACTLY the means of survival that got us to be the dominant species on this planet.


Anyway, back to the "meat" of this post - pardon the pun. My prize is the Franchi 12-gauge. It takes up to a 3" shell, has a recoil-reducing spring & comes up smooth. I'd put that gun out there with any other one I've ever fired. Dad's used it as well & said it's a really accurate weapon. It weighs right around 6 lbs & is easy to maintain. Included in the $675 price are four chokes: Cylinder, Improved, Modified & Full.


The Franchi 20-gauge was given to me by Dad. It's a fixed-choke barrel (Improved) & excellent for birds. The only limitation of this gun - as expected - is the range. You can offset that a little with 4-shot when you go for "larger" upland birds like pheasant. Still, there's no better gun out there for bobwhite & it's the definition of precision on doves (well, not in Iowa...don't get me started on that). The unique aspect of this shotgun is the "reciprocating" action. It ejects a shell by kicking the barrel back & pushing it out of the chamber. It's kind of like a tank - & VERY cool!


My bow is an old Hoyt set @ 60 lbs. I could probably go a bit higher (62.5 to 65) but it's a comfortable pull for me. My accuracy - when I was in practice - allowed me to put a group (six arrows) inside 6" at 30+ yards. OK, that's not William Tell-like accuracy but it's not shabby, either. I wouldn't chance anything outside 35 yards, so there's not much point in testing farther. Hunting is all about being responsible & knowing your capabilities.