doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com O/U versus SxS

I have had O/U shotguns for 35 years. A year ago, I bought a CSMC RBL in 20 ga. And Six weeks ago, I found a Merkel 147E in 16 ga.
I have shot the 20 at clays and doves and some game farm birds. The Merkel has only been shot at clays so far, but it will get some dove and pheasant shooting this fall.
I am not a top end shooter, but I am a pretty decent shot.
I seem to shoot both the SxS guns very well.
However, if I had to have one or the other, rhe O/U guns would win out.

Because one of your eyes is dominant, that cliche is irrelevant. I have used it as a joke myself, but never seriously. I have been a serious student of the shotgun for many decades now, having mostly given up both pistol and rifle competition. If there was an advantage to using a two trigger gun for serious sporting clays competition I would be shooting one. There isn't. In fact, there is a slight disadvantage. Not just because I say so, but because 99.9% of the winners say so. Would someone please explain to me the reason that you believe "instant choke selection" is an advantage (by having two triggers) in a sporting clays shoot, when you know before you ever say "pull" how much choke is needed? Show birds ensure that you know beforehand where the bird will be.

I cannot prove this, obviously, but I believe that most people who claim to favor "instant choke selection" don't shoot a shotgun enough to be able to choose, in a split second, which barrel/trigger to go to. That would take determined, rigid training to get ingrained into your shooting. I have shot two trigger guns since I was eight years old (I'm now 64), but not exclusively. I see two triggers as no disadvantage to high scores in sporting clays, but I do see the S x S, overall, as a disadvantage, as much as I enjoy them.

I would really like to look over the list of competitors and the scores at that shoot you mention, salopian. Could you provide a link to it? Certainly a "large clayshooting competition" would have the scores posted somewhere on the 'net.

SRH

Yes, I read some of the same article. I shoot with a group of guys who regulary shoot vintage guns. One gentleman shoot a 1878 Purdey hammer gun.
I myself shoot my side by sides and just recently purchased a Garbi 101 heavy twelve with 29 1/2" barrels and had Briley chokes installed. I plan on shooting it at clays and winter doves this year.
I also prefer the double trigger option to be able to select chokes for that long clay or dove.
I have three Perazzi's and have not shot the twelve's in over a year.

I like my Rizzini 12 O/U, but not for clays per se. I grew up with pigeons-both the barn version, and seeing my Grandfather shoot them out of traps for serious money across the river in Kentucky in the 1950's-- I just can't get as aggressive on orange clays discs as I can a barn pigeon in a good crosswind looking like Chuck Yeager in his P-51 Mustang doing a barrel roll-But I shoot my older 12 gauge Model 12's and L.C. Smiths about as well, day-in, day-out, as the Rizzini, which has choke tubes.

I think that SxS's with straight stocks, splinter forends and double triggers are beautiful, whereas under and overs are to my eye clunky appearing.
The main reason that I prefer SxS's to under and overs is because my eye is drawn to the slab side of the gun and I don't shoot them very well.
To further my non-conforming opinion, I shoot a 16 Ga. for all upland game and only shoot targets a few weeks before the bird seasons start.
That said, shoot what you want to shoot and enjoy.
I and friends hunt South Dakota each year and their choice of guns are interesting. Three of these guys are very good trap and skeet shooters and each have won many events, including state championships.
Two guy prefer under and overs for targets and 16 Ga. SxS's for birds another guy shoots his 12 G. SA trap gun with extended chokes for both trap and upland hunting.

Stan, I could not agree more. As primarily a hunter who gets in maybe 5-10 visits to the range annually, and someone who hunts with DT SxS, I am almost never selecting the trigger. I don't have time, most of the time. However, I am using barrels with different chokes and I want them different. Because I am thinking of the odds of the likely shot. IMHO, when one is hunting for a specific quarry (Pheasant, Sharpies, Ruffs, jump shooting ducks or ducks over decoys) it's not hard to know what the likely shot/required choke will be, first and second.

Top competitors want to win and most if not all shoot the Over and Under.

Look how many Perazzi shooters won medals at the last Olympics and next in line were the Beretta shooters all shooting over and unders. Sponsorship with its money and manufacturer's support have little to do with it because if that shooter wanted a side by side they would build him one.

When I bought my first double trigger gun, I spent time learning to select the desired trigger and after a while trigger selection was imbedded in my sub conscience.
After using the front trigger and rear trigger for a few shots, I set up two traps. One was close and the other further away. With help from my wife and a friend, clays were launched randomly and I attempted to make the correct trigger selection. It didn't take me very long to get it right.
A few weeks before the bird season, I repeat the trigger selection drill and even though using the rear trigger first (Mod barrel) happens no more than 5 or 6 times a season, I'm pleased to have acquired the skill.

I didn't come into SxS's until my mid 30's and I struggled mightily with them. Now 20 years and 20 SxS's (actual count!) later I've gotten a lot better with them, but I'm never quite as good or consistent as I am with an OU. That said, I'm off the SxS merry go round and have one 16 ga. SxS birdgun that likes me (older Silver Hawk), and a BSS for the range. My other bird guns are OU's set up as game guns.

Nothing beats the looks and handling of a side by side for hunting. Bobby