Wynnwood,

When was it legal to hunt buff with a 45/70 where you hunted with a 45/70? My sugestion was re minimum rifle and the 45/70 doesn't make it and hasn't since minimums were adopted very long ago. I never questioned the legality of your buff bow hunts, just the motivation.

Obviously your comfort zone re range overlaps others when hunting DG. The difference comes up when it includes inadequate weapons, particularly illegal inadequate weapons. You put unecessary D in DG hunting for yourself but also for many more than yourself, thus you need to rely on others rather than be one others may rely on.

I consider it foolishness to hunt DG with an inadequate firearm, or a bow, but if you were alone, on the other hand, you would be relying on yourself and putting only yourself at risk, at least at that moment. Still seems to show a lack of respect for the quarry, in that the animal whether duck or deer or buff should be killed without undue delay and suffering and a lack of respect for the next sob that comes walking by the wounded buff that did you in or got away.

On the photo issue, thats the point. He may take offense but you're relying on yourself and your error won't get anyone else killed or injured, including some later passerby. You also make my point why a man ought to carry an adequate weapon. And you make the point that the man who doesn't needs to rely the one who does.

On the respect I have for the opinion of Woods or Selous or Baker or Boddington or Robertson or others, I don't think they're demigods, merely very accomplished journeymen. What makes me rely on their collective opinions is that each, through his own, unique experience, has come to a conclusion very similar to almost all other accomplished journeymen. Sure there are outliers, I recall reading that Harry Manners relied on the 375H&H his whole career for all DG, but it was legal of course. Still, the greater bulk of journeymen came to the opinion that a very good bit more weapon is needed, if the man using it is to rely on the weapon in HIS hands to kill DG and to keep himself and others safe.

Got to love the reverse snobbery. I guess all those PH's who either shoot or yearn for a big bore NE double are wannabe DuPonts eh? Couldn't have anything to do with performance or reliability. I'm sure the guy smoking Swisher Sweets, drinking hootch and shooting what passes for a factory rifle today could never prefer a good handrolled, single malt or custom bolt rifle or double, and surely couldn't recognize their atributes.

I'm unfamiliar with your reference to being a "Continental"; never heard the term used except to describe the origin of a person or thing. Not sure which traits or charecteristics are implied.

On the ducks and geese issue, I hunt them in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia and in Mexico and Argentina. I use an adequate gun with an adequate load. This varies with the quarry. I avoid using steel shot since it is a great cripler and better alternatives are available. I prefer Kent Cartridge Company's Tungsten Matrix in this country since it patterns well and kills well and can be shot in any shotgun with an apropriate chamber and proof, including any doubles. I like shot size 5 for ducks ( I buy it by the case or I'd go smaller for teal and woodducks early), and number 1's for geese. For the larger Canada races I don't think a 20ga is adeqaute even with so called magnum loads. Too many criples go on to die useless and lingering deaths.

I don't think posting the post you do across the various forums and getting the similar replies you do is what the forums are really for. More like boasting or seeking respect, awe or reafirmation to me. On go-on-safari.com you didn't push the same line near as hard as you did on AR or here, and you left out the ad hominem attacks too but Phil Lazzano made it clear that the 45/70 BS was just that. You pushed even harder on World Shooter where reafirmation was all but assured and you were free with implied nutless label for all who disagreed. You've gotten plenty of replies similar to mine though, and that ought to give you pause. Trolling?...Maybe not, but close

JPK