Franchi Affinity
This company doesn’t make a bad gun to my knowledge and experience. Everytime I’ve shot one I’ve found it responsive, nimble, and always reliable. I don't think you'll find the brand-new Affinity to be any different. Replacing the model I-12, the Affinity sports a very trim receiver profile and fore-arm lines. It nearly screams “Point me at a goose!” And if it screams that, then I say “Pull the trigger!” This soft-shooting semi-auto won’t hurt a bit, thanks to the Inertia Driven System that produces seamless, recoil-reducing operation across the spectrum of shells ranging from 1 1/8-ounce target loads to full-boat 3-inch magnums. The gun’s optional and unique recoil pad, with TSA—Twin Shock Absorber—gel inserts, also takes a bite out of hard-knocking magnum loads. You can take this gun home in a matte black synthetic, but for February geese, I’d choose it in either the Max-4 or APG HD camo patterns. The gun comes with a shim kit to adjust length of pull, and extended choke tubes are available in eight constrictions, including one called “Decoy.”
Dead Down Wind Face Paint
Make no mistake. Large fowl in the late season, heading back north from their Mexican vacations, are educated. They’ve seen all the decoys, heard all the calls, and evaded their share of shot. They will absolutely see you before you see them, so if you want the edge, every last bit of you needs to be concealed. This includes your sun-shiny face, so dab on a smidge there and a smudge there of the four colors in the camo face paint wheel from Dead Down Wind (www.deaddownwind.com). Hypoallergenic, so it won’t irritate, it’s also odorless.
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