Shotguns are an important tool for resolute hunters. They come in single shot, bolt actions, pumps, and over under. My brother has a 3-barreled shotgun. Every Montanan has held, and shot, a shotgun at some point.
Shotguns are the perfect one-gun choice. You can change the ammunition to address whatever your target will be. For home protection, double 00 buckshot loads will do the job. You do not need to aim at a spot, just an area. Each pellet was the size of a 45-caliber round.
In WW1, shotguns were called “Trench Sweepers”. Our Marines carried Remington pump shotguns to clear out German defensive trenches. They were able to kill the enemy in groups. The Germans protested to the Geneva Convention that shotguns gave the Americans an unfair advantage.
Shotguns today are also a great sporting tool. Skeet, trap, and sporting clays allow fast swinging shotguns to break clay targets. It’s like golf but with a shotgun,
I bought my first shotgun for $67. My Dad went with me to Ponento’s Gunshop in Baltimore, Maryland. My heart was set on the Ithaca Model 37, pump 12 gauge. It needed to have a vented rib and would accept other barrels. There were no invector chokes back in the day. To change your pattern, you needed to change your barrel. Longer barrels were full choke and what we used for waterfowl and turkeys. The Modified, shorter barrel was for shooting slugs when deer hunting, and turkeys. I also used it when Trap shooting.
The improved Cylinder barrel was for upland game and was the shortest in length. The shorter barrel was faster to mount and swing at pheasants, quail, and birds. All the barrels were chambered for 2 3/4-inch shotshells. The Ithaca ejected empty shells directly at your feet so that we could gather them up and reload them.
From the first time I mounted this Ithaca shotgun, it fit me perfectly. I just needed to look at the target and the gun was on point. Shotguns deliver a pattern of BB’s not a single shot. Hand and eye control are essential.
Over a lifetime of hunting, my Ithaca has served me well. I know that the pump will slow many hunters down, but I have competed against automatic shotguns and never lost. With practice, the shots pump out perfectly. The slight hesitation to pump gives the shooter time to re-establish their target.
By the time I had bought my Ithaca 37, in the seventies, over one million had been made. The Featherlight model was produced in 1968. It now comes in a 20 gauge as well. Since then, more than 2 million more Model 37’s have been made. The Ithaca Model 37 is the only pre–World War 2 shotgun still in production.
The Itaca Model 37 is still made in America. It comes in the Featherweight version and is chambered for up to 3 ½ inch shells. I still feed my Ithaca 2 3/4-inch shells with no problem. My shotgun is well over 55 years old and has shot tens of thousands of rounds.
Everyone has their “Fits Just Right” shotgun. The comb, length, and size are just right. When you look down the barrel, you only see the front sight and not the rib or top of the barrel. Where you point is where the pattern goes. You do not need to think about taking aim, you look at the target and shoot. Repetition will help with muscle memory and practice will give the confidence that you need.
When I remember the many hunts, with my reliable Ithaca, I can recall the bucks, ducks, geese, and upland bird triples over the years. The old Ithaca still pumps smoothly. There are dings in the wood and metal, but these scars just reflect memories. At some point, I was hunting with a guy that supported the A-10 Warthog attack planes. They used durable paint, which reflected radar, to protect these warplanes. He had painted all his shotguns with this expensive special paint. Mine is also coated in this military grade coating.
When I stop hunting, the old Ithaca will be given to my grandkids. I am sure that they will continue with the shooting heritage.
Chutem!
Montana Grant
