Last few years I have been hunting with a 20 ga 11-87. It has performed great even though I changed chokes like underwear from year to year. Last year I was unhappy with my sights as well so I was renovating the sight and yes the choke. I picked up a Holosun red dot as I am the type that worries about things that I should not even think twice about when it come to turkey hunting, one of my better qualities really. The Holosun has a solar thing on top so makes me worry less about the batteries. USMC0331 had one of those fancy rib mounts for his dot. I shouldered it and really liked it so so decided to do the same thing. Got it ordered and put on.
Decided I wanted to get a IC 562 as a buddy of mine let me borrow one and I was impressed by the consistency and how even the pattern was. Got a few shells loaded up and went to shoot last Saturday after some scouting. Shot a pattern and was happy but dot need tuning. Adjusted according to dot manual and shot again. Happy with that pattern but my reading comprehension is bad or the manual was as wrong as I am when in an argument with my wife, not sure which it was. Made a small change and shot, BINGO there it is perfect. I am grinning like a mule eating briars.
Decide I am going to shoot one more shell to see what it does with no bore snake between shots. Just a second fired barrel. Slide shell in chamber and hit the bolt release and nothing. The dang slide had come loose and pulled away from the piston causing a bind. Took a moment to myself so that the gun did not end up around a tree as an ornament and then tried seeing what I could do to get it working. That was a waste of time. After a hissy fit for a moment, or 15 minutes or so, I calmed down and said well I have my 500 until I can get it to the gun shop and get it fixed.
Get home put the 11-87 up and pull out the 500 to make sure she is ready for Sunday afternoon after church. After church at my mom’s we are waiting on the food to arrive I decide to step out to get the new dot on my 500 set, then I was going to clean it and shoot a couple patterns. Go out and get set up, lightly squeeze the trigger and it does not do anything. Another moment or 15 to settle myself and remember I put the pistol grip back on it and had the same trouble the first time I put the pistol grip on it. Got take it apart after trying to find the tools needed. Got it apart, slipped a couple washers on bolt and tightened it back down and she is firing like a champ.
Get back out there and squeeze off a round. Low and just a tad right. Make the adjustments and shoot but low and tad right again. Well I am not the sharpest tool in the shed but after three to four shots my measly mind is pretty sure this brand new dot is not tracking when adjusted as the poi never changed. At this point it was just acceptance I would never be able to turkey hunt again.
I share all this to show you my new turkey gun, a Mossberg SA-20. I purchased a Carlson .568 to shoot in it and going to move my Holosun from the 11-87 as it tracked when I needed it. Hopefully this weekends shooting session with go more smoothly and be a little bit cheaper than the last.
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