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I've carried this gun since I was 9 years old. Going on 16 years, It's harvested it's share of spring gobblers, and it's never missed. I'm the one that has missed; not this gun.
Faith is something you can't put a price tag on. The feel of something that feels like its part of your own body. I've bought other guns and I sell them. I'll take them a few times and they just don't feel right to me. I love how this old 1300 NWTF handles, how it shoulders, I know the trigger, I know how it shoots, what it's effective range is, and I have faith in it.
It harvested that Big Virginia bird on the wall as well. A very special hunt to me that I shared with my Father when I was about 16. We worked him over two hours and he only gobbled once. Didn't take us long to realize we needed to work this bird with as little calling as possible. He didn't have a hen and I don't think there was a hen around for a mile. That's one of the reasons I was thinking in my this is a long spur. No hens to compete with and he still didn't want to budge. want the hen to come to him. to his safe spot. Old wise bastard. Man of the Mountains.
He spit and drummed on his bench the whole time strutting back and forth. I never called because I knew better by how the bird was acting. I was the shooter and I didn't want to give up my position. The plan was for my Dad to slip away from me slowly to make it seem as if the hen was leaving to pull him into range without him knowing I'm even there or even in the world.
This tactic is effective with two people because the bird comes in looking for a hen farther away than where the shooter in sitting. Birds are eyes are honed in behind you and their not looking right through you. If you'd called to him he'd never showed himself. He'd stayed on his bench and if you'd called a lot to him he would have just slowly went the other way like a old wise man. The only call Dad made was not a turkey call. It was simply scratching the leaves for over a hour and dad crawled away from me like the hen was leaving him. When I pulled the trigger Dad was almost a hundred yards behind me.
Knowing what each other was thinking "killed" this bird. And we didn't have to communicate to know what each other was thinking. We just know. He was 21 3/4 lbs. One of the few birds I've ever weighed probably because I got him mounted and the taxidermist weighed him when I dropped him off that day. He had 2 beards. One 11.5" and the other 4". Spurs were 1 1/2" and 1 5/8". Shot him at 22 steps with at the time was my favorite load federal lead flite control #6's 3" 2oz and a Undertaker non ported choke. It worked out perfect to mount him because the only thing showing was his head above a log when I shot him which didnt mess any of his feathers up.
We killed him on the tip top of a mountain at roughly 3,100 ft elevation by Google Earth. This was one of my many mornings happily late for school. Even tho Dad doesn't have a social media nor does he care for social media but I want to thank him for raising me Turkey hunting in the spring and chasing Bucks in the fall. He went out of his way to make sure I killed a buck every year before he did his hunting and he always made sure I killed a gobbler. Love you Pops, Thanks for all the lessons and the 1300.
AWESOME pics & story Devin ! Good luck killing many more gobblers with it ! :icon_thumright:
vaturkey :newmascot:
Gotta love the nastalgia in turkey hunting and equipment. Great story. I have two friends that have that gun with the turkey choke that came in that gun. Both guns went from decent patterning guns to incredible patterning guns with Win LB's.
They Love the Long Beard XR'S and Hevi Shot with IC choke and flite control loads in non ported undertaker choke.
Beautiful gun, Beautiful bird, Awesome story but the best part was you got to share it with your DAD. This hunt will forever be etched in your mind long after the two of you can't hunt with each other. It's Wonderful to share our life experiences with the ONES we LOVE! Congratulations to you and your Dad.
GREAT story!!! Thanks for sharing... :gobble:
Nothing like having a gun you can count on!
Devin my dad and I used the same gun when I was younger ....it was stolen in a breakin at our hous ... I still miss that gun
Man that sucks man. Dad and I both have one. He got one and couple years later found me one I wasnt even big enough to shoot a 12 ga yet. Their damn good guns.
MEMORIES THAT ARE IMBEDDED IN ARE MINDS FOR EVER , :cross2:
I have a Win 1300 NWTF that my granddad got in 1984.
It has killed 200+ birds and is my favorite turkey gun I have ever used.
I hope to kill many more birds with mine, and hope you do with yours!
Cool! I've noticed from pictures that Scott Ellis also carries one.
beautiful shotgun and great story