America's best sporting outfitters have had a long tradition of branding quality shotguns by partnering with great manufacturers.  You don't have to look long before you come across some high-quality doubles from iconic companies like Orvis, Abercrombie & Fitch, LL Bean, and others.  Some of these great companies didn't stand the test of time, some have moved away from offering their own branded shotgun models but one continues to partner with exceptional manufacturers and offer top quality shotguns proudly wearing the company name.  

Today I spend some time talking to Greg Carpiniello, Gun Department Manager for The Orvis Company.  Greg will offer an anthology of the near 50 years of Orvis Custom Shotguns plus a look at what Orvis is currently offering from Fabarms, Chapuis and Caesar Guerini.

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We are talking about vintage double barrel shotguns today and my guest is Greg Elliott.  Greg started dogsanddoubles.com, you've read his articles in many of your favorite shotgun magazines and he has been a guest on many of my favorite podcasts...  Three decades of buying shotguns have given Greg a wealth of knowledge about how to buy, where to buy and what to look for in vintage double shotguns.

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My Guest today is Kelly Field - among other things, she manages the wood department at Cole Gunsmithing.  I’m sure you’ve heard of Rich Cole and Cole Gunsmithing, they are a full-service Beretta service department and dealer.  In addition to selling and servicing Berettas - they sell finished Beretta wood sets for the 680 series… a quick visit to their site and you can browse page after page of stocks ready to be fit to your gun. Today I am talking to Kelly about the over 1,000 stock set options that you can find at colegun.com

Make sure that you listen to the end for a discount code that you can use on your first or next Cole finished stock set for Beretta shotguns!

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Who doesn’t want to take part in a traditional British shoot. Whether it be mile high driven pheasants at Warter Priory or feathered missiles on a grouse moor in Scotland on the 'glorious twelfth'….  It makes no difference to me - either sits at the top of my bucket list… If you aren't familiar with this style of shooting, let me just summarize by saying it's steeped in tradition and will challenge even the most accomplished gun. Traditional shooting attire as the standard. And of course the guns are encouraged to be doubles.  As a much more affordable option. There are some US hunt clubs that are conducting European style shoots. Many would argue that none do it better than shoot captain, Keith Coyle and the Green Acre Sportsman's club in central Illinois.

A few weeks ago I got to spend some time with Keith on the phone discussing his background and journey to the US.  In this second part of our conversation we are going to take a closer look at the simulated British shoots offered at Green Acres.  Whether your targets are clay birds or feathered - I think that you will agree that it’s their attention to the details that make the day. 

(This is the second in a two part interview with Keith.  Don't miss part one where we discuss his shooting background and experiences.)

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Silvio Calabi has served as the editor in chief of both Shooting Sportsman and Fly Rod & Reel magazines.  He has also written extensively on fine guns and shooting, hunting, fly-fishing, and sporting travel.  While we could easily build a podcast around most of his writing - one piece in particular really stands out to me.  Silvio co-authored the book, “Hemingway’s Guns” in 2010.  This book takes a detailed look at many of the rifles, shotguns, and pistols that Ernest Hemingway is known to have owned throughout his life.  While much of Hemingway’s life was complex and contradictory - his affinity for hunting and appreciation of the guns used was constant throughout his life.  

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If you live near or are passing through Nashville, Tennessee - or just looking for an excuse to visit a great city - you owe it to yourself not to miss a stop at Double Guns of Nashville.  Today I sit down with Barry Rich, co-founder of Double Guns of Nashville on the heels of a tour of his impressive store.  From the walk-in vault room (with custom walnut cabinetry and gun racks from the renowned Julian & Sons of Arkansas) filled with eye-popping doubles to the huge selection sporting accessories, leather goods, and clothing - this store visit was one I won't forget.

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My guest today is internationally known shooting instructor Keith Coyle. Keith is the last living direct coaching descendant of Britain's great Robert Churchill and as instructed both royalty and internationally successful shooters. If this doesn’t mean anything to you - let me just say that it is a BIG DEAL.  Robert Churchill is known as the father of instinctive shooting.  Keith describes The Churchill Method as being about economy of movement and elegant efficient gun mounting. Based on our natural ability to point, the Churchill Method requires perfect gun fit and when executed properly is devastating on your target.

Keith has spent the last 25 plus years as a course designer, shoot captain and shooting coach. He was formally recognized by some of the most prestigious gun makers of Europe, the UK, and the United States including Krieghoff, Caesar Guerini, Fausti and Grulla. Keith also currently supervises the green acres British shooting school and serves as their shoot captain for their British style shooting events. It was my pleasure to chat with him about his journey to becoming a modern day legend in his own right. 

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