One of Ann’s “solitary think tanks” on Joshua Creek Ranch.[/caption]I’m approaching one of those BIG milestone birthdays. You know, one of those that ends in a “0”, one where the total of your past years is a higher percentage than the total of your expected future years. One that makes you stop and think about your life: past, present, and future.
After 48 hours of bourbon tasting, we were more than ready to pick up the A-10 American shotgun and start powdering clays. Jim Beam marked the last distillery on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and now the Porsche Cayenne S headed due south on I-65 toward Nashville.
The Annual Hunter’s Convention held by Safari Club International is a magnet for power players in big game hunting, but this year marked a departure as leaders in upland shooting announced significant developments with far-reaching implications.
The itinerary was ambitious – eight days, seven posh sporting clays venues, 13 flats of shells and eight bourbon distilleries. Porsche had loaned us a 2011 Cayenne S SUV powered by a 400-horsepower V8 behemoth, while Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Co. supplied one of their marvelous A-10 American sidelock over/under shotguns. In Part I, we had visited Nemacolin. Part II took us to the Elk Creek Hunt Club. And now, in this third installment, we reach the distilleries for the ultimate experience in fine bourbon.
The Baserri Chronicles Part III: New shotgun companies are a rarity these days, and so when one comes along we’re eager to track its progress. That’s the idea behind our series, the Baserri Chronicles. In this third installment, we shoot the Baserri HR field shotgun.
OK, so you have $3,500 to spend on a new, break-open sporting gun. Now real quick, what are the first shotguns that come to mind?
The Browning Cynergy Classic Sporting. Beretta’s SV10 Prevail or 687 Silver Pigeon II. The Caesar Guerini Summit Sporting. We’ve even seen a number of new Zoli Kronos Sporting models hovering in cyberspace for about the $3,500. And the Baserri Mari Elite should soon be hitting the dealers’ shelves in larger quantities.
My wife has long maintained that my approach to vacation planning always revolves around an ulterior motive. I can’t imagine why she feels that way.
If any state in the union owns up to family sagas, it’s Texas.
And that’s where we met the Kerchevilles while shooting pheasant, chukar, quail and Hungarian Partridge at their Joshua Creek Ranch.
By sheer force of will and two generations of commitment to the land and its clientele, the Kercheville family has wrought their ranch into one of the crown jewels of Texas hunting. The architecture, cuisine and furnishings elevate the spirit of Texas Hill Country into a hunter’s gift.
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