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What is a "Pigeon Gun"

5K views 14 replies 10 participants last post by  jnoemanh 
#1 ·
What is a

I lost the first entry to this thread. What is a "Pigeon Grade" gun, and second, what is the origin of the term? Live bird shooting? Thanks, John
 
#10 ·
What is a

Live pigeon shooting is the predecessor to our game of "Trap". Many of the terms used today are reminiscent of the old live bird game. Up until a few years ago the ATA had a 25 Straight "flyers" pin award for anyone killing a 25. (I would imagine they did not have to give away to many pins as 25's are rare.)

Trap -- the box with the spring lid to house the live birds before being released and shot at.

Pull -- what the "pullers" used to do with the string attached to the trap to release the live bird.

White Flyer -- the kind of birds (pigeons) shooters liked.(Dark birds are hard to see and a real bugger to hit if they come from the corner boxes!)

Pigeon Gun -- generally a 29 - 30 inch double gun with single triggers and full and extra full chokes designed to knock down and kill a pigeon before it flew out of a 15 meter "ring".

Handicap -- Originally in live bird shooting the better shooters were handicapped by moving them back a few yards from the traps.

Pigeon shooting is still being done in certain US States and a number of foreign countries. For the obvious reasons the PETA and Animal Rights groups get their panties in a BIG wad over live bird shooting so it has declined rather dramaticly over the last 25 years. The purses at the big shoots are still very impressive but the game is not for the average working guy. A $3000 tab for a tree day shoot is about normal...plus your ammo, guns and living expenses!

If you want to play, ask around the trap shoots and you'll find where the live bird shoots are held. If you get an invite, bring your A game and a pocketful of cash.


Bob Schultz
 
#12 ·
What is a

zarathrusta, I live in Fla. and we have places here that have live pigion shoots. It does cost alot more money than clay targets because the birds are caged raised and that costs more than a clay target. We also have open field shoots at raised birds as well, dove,quail and a few others as well. Starts at about 350 or so for a half day of that. so its legal in Fla. you may have to check out the state you want to shoot in. Its possible it varies from state to state.Have fun, break-all Jeff
 
#14 ·
What is a

smsnyder:

To compare your Kolar to a Fabbri is a joke, and if you knew anything about the milling tolerances and hand fitting of a Fabbri, you'd know that. Your Kolar will shoot loose after about 5000 rounds (I know, because I've owned a couple - if you aren't to that point, just wait). After about 100,000 pigeon loads, a Fabbri will "slop out" to roughly the tolerances of a new Kolar.
 
#15 ·
What is a

I remember reading an interview with Rudy Etchen. IIRC his Pigeon gun was a Purdey SxS, bored cyl and full, although at the live bird shoots I've attended (NOT participated in, that's for AA shooters with BIG bankroles), most of the guns were OU choked M/F or tighter.

It's been quite a few years, but at that time all the major shell mfrs made special live bird loads, usually 1-1/4 oz of #7. I do remember that the Winchester loads were called Super Pigeon.

The last one I attended Wayne Mayes killed 50x50 and took home all the money. Not too shabby for a *skeet* shooter, eh?
 
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