I almost passed on Chris Batha's offering in the latest SSM, due to the innocuous name of it. But, I figured, why not? I've always enjoyed Batha's writing, and have found him to be knowledgeable in the nuts and bolts of shooting. Nowhere has this been more true than his article on shotgun grips and their effect on shooting.
I won't go into great detail, preferring to let everyone read for themselves his article, but will say that his insight as to why O/U guns are more naturally shootable was very enlightening to me. I have found, over hundreds of thousands of rounds, that I shoot O/U guns better than S x Ss. Not that I WANT to, just that I do. Most of the shotgunning world is realizing the same thing, it appears. His reason for this, as pertaining to grip, is spot on. The way we grip the forend with our leading hand is the issue. S x Ss cause the palm of out hand to be up, O/Us cause it to be more vertical. When we have one hand in a different plane from the other, we are doing something a bit unnatural, as we swing the gun.
Try this, as I did, with no gun. Extend your forend hand, hold the other back about where the grip would be, in the vertical position, just as it would hold the grip. With the palm of the front hand up and the palm of the rear hand vertical, swing, as swinging on a bird. Then immediately try it with the front hand vertical, about like it would be gripping an O/U.
I can tell the difference in the way it feels. Much more natural, and "together", with the palms bot relatively vertical. Very interesting. I think Chris is onto something here.
SRH
