Rooster Man

This may sound dumb but i've wanted to hunt South Dakota for 50 years and never had the chance, this fall I'm going. My 32 year old son and i no longer have a dog. Could someone recommend a good mom and pop 2-3 hundred acre farm where they could provide a good 3 day experience? Nothing fancy, just a good flushing dog. I don't like "driven" pheasant hunts. Any names you can give me? thanks Rooster Man DJ Dan Flint MI (I'm in fairly good shape and like a mix of covers also should in hunt in October or wait till December for lower crowds?

I'm a 60 year old avid pheasant hunter for 50 years from Michigan. I agree with a previous post. The choke and shot size must work together; example: 7 1/2's and Cylinder or Improved; 6's are best with modified, 5's too; 4's seem to be tailor made for full choke. It's ALL about the range YOU ARE COMFORTABLE with and ACTUALLY DUMP the bird. I've used everything from 1 ounce 7 1/2's and cylinder bore for the 25 yard pen raised preserve birds to full choke 3 inch copper or nickel plated Fiochi magnums for 55 yard late season spooky wild flushing birds. There IS no ideal choke & shot for pheasants. It's the ACTUAL range you feel comfortable taking them or actually do drop them. In 1981 while hunting in Caro Mi. I had 7 1/2's copper Federals and Cylinder choke when a giant trophy rooster flushed at 50 yards. I wisely never raised my gun while my buddy Rob had full choke & 3 inch copper 4's and dropped the rooster with 6 pellets in the vitals stone dead at a paced off 57 yards. Hope this is helpful. DJ Dan Rooster Man, Flint (in other words, leave the 3 inch mag 5's and full choke home at the Hunt Club on Released birds and don't dream of taking an Improved Cylinder gun with 7 1/2's to Dakota in December in the blizzards.

Correction & apology to all: Previously i complained my year old 20 guage Monty wouldn't eject cheapo Walmart Winchester 7/8 ounce loads. Other site contributors correctly advised a bit more lube on the bolt/recoil spring/etc. I used "Gunzilla", made here in Michigan. No problems now. Caution to new Monty 20 owners: you MUST either break the gun in with 200-300 rounds of 1 ounce 2/ 3/4 dram loads AND or make sure ENTIRE recoil/bolt/recoil spring mechanism lubed completely with SUPER high quality LASTING oil or very light grease. Thanks DJ Dan Rooster Man Flint:)

I should have added i used e mail the customer contact on the website not telephone....good luck! DJ Dan Rooster Man

Hogwild: a few weeks ago i'd have agreed customer service was spotty. But after a few hiccups getting ahold of them they couldn't have been better. Through no fault of my Montefeltro's design the bolt chargin handle on my 20 came out in tight brush a month back while rabbit hunting in briars. Benelli sent one free under warranty UPS. Still i agree there should be someone there or good voice mail. DJ Dan Rooster Man, Flint

Can someone tell me why a quality gun like Benelli doesn't have a stock of common critical parts? I lost the bolt handle on my 20 guage Monty while rabbit hunting. Benelli said try Brownell's Gun Parts and they told me their isn't ONE bolt handle for the gun anywhere in the U.S. and it's "back ordered" 6 months. Dissapointing; sorta like buying a Lexus and being told "we don't carry wiper blades for that" at the dealership. If any other Montefeltro 20 owner loses the bolt handle i'm having one built and being shipped by Angle Porting of Batesville ARK; they're an American company specializing in custom parts for Beretta and Benelli. Not complaining, just dissapointed. And thanks to the shooters who replied about my Monty jamming on cheapo loads. You were right, when i switched to Remington from the Wally World Winchester promo loads it cycled them ok.

Nobody loves the Benelli more than this 60 year old shooter. Have owned over a dozen Benelli, Baretta and Franchi shotguns in the past 20 years. Just a word of warning to other owners of the sweet shooting Montefeltro Light 20: On the positive side it's the WORLD'S sweetest pointing best balanced and most durable semi auto. I shoot very well with it and once owned 20 guns, now own JUST the Monty Light 20. That being said, WARNING to hunters: Regardless of what owners manual says, the gun will NOT reliably or consistently cycle & chamber the 7/8 ounce load. Hunting rabbits in southeast Michigan yesterday i jumped a 5 pound wall hanging trophy cottontail, got so flustered i muffed the first shot. Put the bead on him at 20 yards, pulled trigger, nothing, saw in periphery the yellow fired hull sticking straight out from receiver, one trophy rabbit gone. Although i've shot skeet with this gun and it OFTEN cycles the low brass promo loads it WON'T do it consistently, nor will any other auto, and anybody who tells you different has a better Monty than mine. For $1000 it should cycle ANYTHING. Not griping, just letting others know, don't hunt with anything except 1 ounce 2 3/4 dram shells. DJ Dan the Rooster Man, Flint Mi. Anyone else with a similar experience?