[JPShelton]

Springer gets the nod for me. I need something that can bounce around in the back of the Jeep. I need something that can withstand the dust of the desert country that I most often shoot in. I need something light that isn't a burden to carry. I need something dynamic handling like my 20-bore Parker-Hale side-by-side shotgun. I need something that will shot well over broad temperature extremes -from freezing temps during the gray light of the early dawn to 80F by noon. I need something that isn't affected by changes in altitude that might range as much as 2,000 feet during a single morning hunt, or as much as 4,000 during a weekend shoot. I also need something self contained, as I might be more than 125 miles from the nearest diver supply specialist and don't want to carry a pump along when backpacking into a roadless wilderness. That kind of puts PCP's down for the count.

Do PCP's have advanatges over springers? They undoubtedly do. Will I ever actually own one? Perhaps, but unless the nature of my shooting drastically changes, I'll most likely be packing a springer in the field.

-JP