Chukar Guns

The world of shotguns and bird hunting is far too expansive to encompass in a short article, but if we focus on a single bird we can have a substantive conversation. The humble Chukar is the game bird du jour of northern Nevada. If you are a bird hunter in Elko, Winnemucca, or Battle Mountain then you are a defacto Chukar hunter. Also known as the red-legged devil bird for their strong inclination to run up mountains and laugh at you while your heart rattles like a belt-fed machine gun. What shotgun is appropriate for such critters?

To choose your weapon, you must first know thy enemy. The Chukar partridge hails from the rugged mountains of the Middle East, places like Pakistan and Afghanistan. Chukar were first introduced into Nevada in the mid-1930s and bred to huntable populations in every county by the late 70s. These birds are known for living in the most rugged, steep, and rocky territory around. It's not unheard of to find them on a nice flat, but generally, when you are taking a shot at a Chukar, it is standing on one foot teetering over the edge of a boulder-strewn 45-degree slope that will spell certain death, were you to fall down it. When I scout for new Chukar areas, they must include three things for me to take a look: rocks, significant elevation gain, and water. Chukar usually water twice a day, around 10 am and 2 pm. Chukar are commonly hunted with pointing dogs, German shorthaired and wirehaired being the most popular breeds. Chukar can be hunted effectively on foot without a dog. This is how I hunt Chukar. Chukar are known to hold tight, and if you are hunting them without a dog, just know that you are certainly walking right past a bird or two.

The Benelli 828u doing good work on a snowy morning.

The Doubles

Let's start with my favorite, the double guns. Are double guns ideal for hunting Chukar? No, they are not. Using a double gun is more about the hunter than the hunted, but if properly chosen, a double gun can have some distinct advantages in the Chukar hills. Plain and simple, I just shoot double guns better. Having two barrels, whether it's an over-under or a side-by-side helps with the shooter’s swing, and for me at least, helps me bring home more birds. Hunting Chukar requires quick shooting and short barrels. I recommend 28” and under. Another advantage double guns have is that normally the barrels will have different chokes. If you can find a double gun with a single selective trigger or, better yet, two triggers, then the shot pattern can be chosen on the fly. That’s good for when those Chukar decide to get up at 50 yards rather than 10. I struggle with the single selective trigger and rarely use it, but the double trigger setup is much more intuitive. I have many double guns and they all have their perks, but the one I take the most is the Benelli 828u. It’s quite light for a double gun and very innovative. Benelli doesn't get the credit they deserve for designing that gun. Mine has 26” barrels. I take it most of the time because I shoot it better than my other shotguns. The reason for that can be attributed to the adjustable buttstock, allowing for the shotgun to be fit to the user. My only complaint about the gun is that it has shell ejectors that take their jobs way too seriously. I like to pick up my empty hulls after shooting and the Benelli ejects them with such gusto that many times I can't find them, or they have been ejected over a 50-foot cliff. Benelli makes a model with just extractors, but somehow they get an extra thousand bucks for that model! 

CZ Bobwhite 28 gauge showing off with a Hungarian (Grey) partridge.

A double gun that deserves an honorable mention is the CZ Bobwhite. This gun punches way above its weight in the cost vs quality category. Mine is 28 gauge, weighs very little, even with 28” barrels, and has extractors rather than ejectors. It shoots well, and the finish on the barrels is very rugged, a great feature when you are carrying it on hills that will inevitably put you on your butt.

A pair of Benelli semi-autos, showing the vast differences that are available. The 28 gauge on top weighs a scant 5 pounds.

Semi-Autos

When we talk about bird hunting most practical hunters first gravitate toward semi-autos. I have never been a fan. They are too heavy for Chukar and have too much to clean and maintain. I currently only own one semi-auto shotgun, a ravaged old hand-me-down Browning Auto 5. Every time I buy one it ends up getting traded off for some classic over-under. The exception to the weight and maintenance problem is the Benelli Inertia action and all the clones that exist. The Inertia action is available in every semi-auto that Benelli makes. My personal favorites for Chukar are the Montafeltro and the Ultralight line. The Inertia action is amazing. It functions flawlessly and has very few parts, making the gun extremely easy to maintain and keep clean. I’m such a fan of it that there are few other semi-auto designs that I would even look at for a workhorse hunting gun. For Chukar, the Montafeltro takes the nod only because it holds more shells, and that's always handy when you get that one last Chukar who didn't get the memo and decides to fly after all the others have gotten up. If you want the Benelli action but don't want the cost or the risk of beating up such a fine gun, there are many Inertia action copies on the market, hailing from places like Turkey and Pakistan that can be purchased for pennies compared to Benelli. They are certainly not as refined as the Benelli, but they function, and you won't shed tears when you slip, fall, and ride it like a sled down a scree slope.

The Ithaca Model 37 English Ultralight Deluxe, seen in its natural habitat, the Chukar Hills.

Pumps

Lastly, the humble pump-action, the hunter’s best friend. Since the dawn of recreational hunting, the pump action has been a constant companion for many, and there are numerous fine choices when selecting a gun. The pump action has many distinct advantages for Chukar hunting. The first is weight. Most of them are not too heavy, they often carry five or more shells, and most can be fitted with extended magazines for even more ammo. They are very economical. A used pump shotgun can be purchased at a pawn shop for less than $200. Now that's a gun you won't mind putting a scratch or two in. The day before I wrote this, I picked up a Westernfield (Mossberg) pump in 410 from a pawnshop for 120 bucks! Now that's a deal! In all functional aspects, it is nearly identical to my skeet model Winchester 42, an excellent gun but running somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 times that value (not an option for Chukar except in the most accommodating terrain). Yes, there are many fine choices for a pump-action shotgun, and I would be doing a disservice not to mention good guns like the Remington 870, the Mossberg 500, or the venerable Winchester model 12. Between them, millions are roaming around this country, but in my eyes, the undisputed champion of pump shotguns is the Ithaca Model 37. The Ithaca Model 37 has never garnered as much attention as the other pumps previously mentioned, but it deserves a place with the big boys. The Model 37 has distinct features that lend itself to the upland game hunter. You have heard me mention it several times, and I will again, weight is one of the first things people look at when choosing a shotgun for Chukar. The Ithaca 37 is made with an action that is sized to fit the cartridge, meaning if you buy a 20 gauge it's going to be significantly smaller and lighter than a 12. Also, while the Model 37 is traditionally an all-steel gun, they did make a version that is more commonly seen called the featherweight, it has an aluminum receiver, which reduces the weight. Another notable feature of the Ithaca is the distinct lack of an ejection port. All shells come and go through the loading port on the underside of the gun. This is one of my favorite features of the gun. Hunting necessitates being out in foul weather, and the Ithaca is much better about keeping snow, rain, dust, or mud out of the action without that extra hole in the side. As I mentioned before, I like to pick up my shells as much as possible when out hunting, it's better for the environment plus I don't like people knowing where I have been hunting. With the ejection port on the bottom, all of your hulls are placed neatly at your feet rather than being shucked out into the nearest bush, making it easy to shoot your shots, bend over, and retrieve your shells. The best part of the Ithaca is that they can be had on the used market for very little money, most of mine over the years have been purchased from pawn shops, often for less than 300 bucks. Some special models will run up to higher prices, one of them being my particular favorite and the gun I refer to as the ultimate Chukar gun, the Ithaca Model 37 English Ultralight Deluxe.

While I have had a steady rotating stable of Ithaca 37s over the years, the single model that will never leave is the English Ultralight Deluxe. It is a featherweight model that has undergone extra weight trimming and comes in just a shade under 5 pounds, it has an English-style straight stock rather than the traditional pistol grip, and a 25-inch improved-cylinder vent-rib barrel. Mine is in 20 gauge, although I hear it could be had in other gauges and barrel lengths. Still, I have never seen anything other than 20 gauge. It is a svelt shotgun that is a dream to carry and snaps to target like a laser beam, perfectly tailored for the Chukar hills. It is a challenge to shoot though, as is any shotgun with such a short barrel and minimal weight. 

All upland game hunters are drawn toward high-quality shotguns, myself more than most. Machines of functional beauty inspire wistful thoughts of pointers weaving through the fog and tall grass, wool-clad hunters with senses pegged following dutifully behind. The silence only broken by the occasional pheasant cackle or the blast of a finely engraved side-by-side. This is not Chukar hunting. Chukar hunting is an 8oz bighorn sheep hunt, with rocky scree-strewn hills, lungs that are about to burst, and dogs that are wound tighter than a Swiss clock. It is not uncommon to come home from a good Chukar hunt dehydrated, bleeding, and with a ruined pair of boots, the guns have to match, only the most rugged and functional specimens need apply.