#330 | Vintage Doubles with Kirby Hoyt & Travis Shivel

Birdshot Podcast

Nick Larson

Sports, Wilderness, Hobbies, Nature, Science, Leisure

4.6 • 936 Ratings

🗓️ 29 August 2025

⏱️ 84 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of The Birdshot Podcast, host Nick Larson welcomes Kirby Hoyt and Travis Shivel from Vintage Doubles to explore the world of vintage shotguns, bird hunting, and the craftsmanship behind classic double-barrel guns. Kirby and Travis discuss their passion for restoring and selling English shotguns, particularly side-by-sides, and discuss the nuances of gun fit, barrel thickness, and gun provenance. They also share insights into the business of vintage gun restoration and how the company came to specialize in the fine art of vintage double guns. Whether you're an avid collector, a bird hunter, or just a lover of fine craftsmanship, this episode will give you a greater appreciation for these beautiful works of art. Kirby Hoyt is the owner and founder of Vintage Doubles, a company specializing in the sale and restoration of fine vintage English double-barrel shotguns. Kirby’s expertise spans over decades, working with a variety of gun makers, and he has a deep passion for sourcing, restoring, and finding new homes for these historic firearms.Travis Shivel, a partner at Vintage Doubles, supports the business by handling the tech side of things, including photography, website management, and more. Travis’s background in hunting and his connection to Kirby through their shared love of bird dogs make him a perfect fit for the team. Expect to Learn The story behind Vintage Doubles, from Kirby’s first introduction to bird hunting to building a successful business around vintage shotguns. The difference between side-by-side and box lock shotguns, and which one might be a better fit for various types of hunters. How to evaluate vintage guns for purchase, including understanding gun fit, barrel thickness, and stock dimensions. The history behind sleeved barrels, and why some vintage guns have them. The importance of proofing and barrel thickness in determining whether a vintage gun is safe to shoot and its overall value. The unique challenges and rewards of buying and selling vintage firearms in today’s market. Episode Breakdown with Timestamps [00:00:00] - Introduction [00:02:04] - Kirby’s Journey into Bird Hunting and Vintage Guns [00:05:33] - Introduction to Travis [00:21:03] - Loads of Side-by-Side and no Over and Under [00:27:02] - Field Ready Usable Guns at Vintage Doubles [00:48:51] - Side Lock VS Box Lock [00:58:38] - Which is more expensive?.[01:00:21] - Sleeved Barrels: What Are They and Should You Buy a Gun with Them? [01:10:45] - Which Gun are you grabbing when hunting? [01:18:38] - Closing thoughts and Vintage Doubles Follow the Guests Website: https://www.vintagedoubles.com/ https://www.vintagedoubles.com/subscribe/ https://www.rstshells.com/ Follow Host Nick: Instagram: @birdshot.podcast Website: www.birdshotpodcast.com Listening Links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/17EVUDJPwR2iJggzhLYil7 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/birdshot-podcast/id1288308609 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@birdshot.podcast SUPPORT | http://www.patreon.com/birdshotUse Promo Code | BSP20 to save 20% on https://www.onxmaps.com/hunt/app Use Promo Code | BS10 to save 10% on https://trulockchokes.com/ The Birdshot Podcast is Presented By: https://www.onxmaps.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	One of my favorite things about hunting sharp-tailed grouse is hunting the topography. And one of the best ways I have found to do that more effectively and efficiently is with Onyx Hunt's 3D map view. The next time you're scouting from your living room, the roadside, or when you're in the field hunting it, fire up the Onyx Hunt app and turn on the 3D map view to get an up close and in detail look at the topography of any piece of property.
0:22.8	Whether it's a gentle, rolling piece of terrain or a truly elevated and mountainous landscape,
0:27.4	you can use the exaggeration slider to fine-tune your view and highlight the topographical features you're looking for.
0:33.5	From benches to bowls to draws and drainagees, get a clear picture and develop a strategy for you and your bird dog to work the terrain and hunt the topography with on X hunt
0:42.4	Use the promo code BSP20 to save 20% on your next subscription
0:47.0	Download the hunt app today and know where you stand with on X hunt
0:52.8	When it comes to shotguns, it seems every upland bird hunter has a slightly different vision
0:57.4	of what their ideal wing shooting shotgun is, which is exactly the kind of thinking we welcome
1:01.9	and encourage at Upland Gun Company.
1:04.1	Every Upland-G company gun is handcrafted and finished by RFM in Italy.
1:08.7	With quality components and expert craftsmanship, your Upland-Gun Company shotgun is built to your standard, both functionally and aesthetically. From choosing the barrel length, grip style, trigger setup, engraving options, and even selecting the piece of wood used on your shotgun, you truly are limited only by your imagination. And with included custom stock dimensions, you can be sure your Upland Gun Company shotgun will shoot just as well as it looks and feels.
1:30.7	Head over to Uplandguncom and try out our web and 3D gun builders
1:34.6	to begin crafting your ideal Upland shotgun today.
1:38.2	I try to encourage people keep their mind open to any time period
1:42.2	because it really is on a gun-to-gun basis. I have personal
1:45.8	prejudices for the guns built before World War I. You'll hear a loosely used term best gun,
1:51.3	an English best gun. And there is no true definition of that. That definition is really, in my
1:56.7	opinion, a bunch of baloney. If I'm looking at vintage doubles, I'm going to see lots and lots of side by sides, not so much over unders. Why do we see so many side by sides and not so many over unders? The British preferred the side by sides rather than over and unders. As we did in America, it wasn't until really Brownings in the 1930s. There is the romance of the whole thing, which I'm totally myself, a hopeless romantic, of shooting a side by side.
2:18.6	If you're going hunting tomorrow, which gun are you grabbing? And why? Typically, if I'm going out and I go to my go-to gun, it's willing for a box lock, someone tells me that it's been feed up and used a lot. I'm like, well, that's just character. It's ready for the field. It's seen it a lot. That's ready to go again. What should buyers know about proof and then barrel thickness, minimum wall thickness?
2:36.6	What should folks know about proof and then barrel thickness, minimum wall thickness?
2:36.6	What should folks know about that if they're buying a vintage gun?
2:39.9	That's a good question.
	...

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