Much of northern Idaho is home to wild chukars, but you'll need to walk along the highest canyon rims to find them.

Had we stayed on the highway, Dad and I would have ended up in Death Valley. But our goal was a gravel spur that led into what seemed to me, at age thirteen, the middle of nowhere. I was sure that's where the chukars would be. And on that important day, I shot my first red-legged partridge. I was ruined. I was, at least for some time, addicted.

You see, chukar hunting is to wingshooters what sheep hunting is to big-game hunters--with the exception of a whole lot of money. Well, that statement might be a bit of a stretch. It is true, though, that chukars live in some of the most remote and lonely ground found on Earth. In this country, out West, given a few basic necessities, chukars thrive just about anywhere you can find terrain so jagged and steep your bones ache just at the thought of climbing it. And climb you must.

Like sheep hunters and their rifles, serious chukar hunters understand the need for a lightweight shotgun, and it must be rugged to the core. When I was young and careless, I beat up some mighty fine shotguns climbing the lava ridges in the Southern California desert in my quest for a limit of chukars. I tried all the gauges and all the action types, and I don't believe I ever experienced limit shooting, but I did develop some ideas regarding chukar guns.

Along with being light and rugged, a chukar gun has got to be a 20-gauge autoloader for a couple of reasons. First, I just hate to scratch up a fine double gun, and dings, dents and scrapes are just part of life in good chukar country. Second, I'm not a great shot, and considering that chukars are hard to come by most years where I hunt them, I want all the advantages. I want to be able to shoot a lot, and I want to be able to reach out. An ounce of 6s through a modified choke helps me do that.

There are several good autoloaders on the market today, including Weatherby's new SA-08 Upland, which weighs in at about 51⁄2 pounds in 20-gauge trim.

Autoloaders are not new for Weatherby, but this one represents a slight twist for the company in that it's manufactured in Turkey. If it seems as though Turkish guns seem to be a trend these days, it's because they are. Many an American firearms firm has turned to Turkey for a variety of quality shotguns that can be sold to American consumers at reasonable prices. This new Weatherby is no exception. With a list price of $669, the SA-08 is a lot of shotgun for little cost.

Like most of the Weatherby autoloaders that have been sold over the years, the SA-08 is fine looking but not overly appointed. You can take pride in its fit-and-finish but not be afraid to use it afield. Its receiver is machined of aircraft-grade aluminum, which keeps the weight down. This in itself is not an uncommon feature, nor is the magazine cut-off lever, a chrome-lined barrel, interchangeable choke tubes or the SA-08's chrome-plated bolt. A matte-black metal finish and oiled walnut stock complete the pleasing exterior.