doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Game guns and target guns

Up until shortly after the turn-of-the-century Live Bird and Inanimate Target guns were limited to 8#

The Baker Gun Quarterly, Volume 5, No. 3, May 1900 had an article on the weight of Trap/Pigeon guns used by Capt. A.W. Money (8 pounds - Money used a Greener, Smith, and Parker), C.W. Budd (7 pounds 14 ounce Parker), H.D. Bates (Winner of the 1900 GAH at Live Birds; 7 pounds 13 ounce Parker), R.O. Heikes (7 pounds 15 ounce Parker but after the GAH at Live Birds he went back to his Remington hammerless and won the 1st GAH at Targets), J.S. Fanning (7 pounds 15 ounce Smith), W.R. Crosby (7 pounds 12 ounce Baker), and Col. A.G. Courtney (7 pounds 14 ounce Remington CEO).

And most of these fellas were using 1 1/4 oz. 3 1/4 Dr.Eq. loads

7- 7 3/4 pounds regulated for 1 1/4 oz. 45 ( 3 1/4 Dram) to 48 ( 3 1/2 Dram) grains "Schultze"



With damascus barrels ?!? What were they thinking ?!?

Why would you ask me that knowing I already stated I dislike the game and find it boring AF and I already said I don’t shoot for scores?? Dense much or you just trying to let everyone here know you’re a great trap shooter not to be reckoned with?? I’ll save you the trouble and pat you on the back!😂
You think I’d plunk down money, to shoot with 300 other shooters on a game I dislike? No, I didn’t think so. I’d be more likely to plunk down money on a game of lawn darts before I would for a round of trap.

With all that said, I’m glad you enjoy shooting your preferred discipline and that you’re good at. Super excited that you’re happy. To each their own.

Fifteen years ago, I was probably better at upland shooting than now (better vision, better reflexes, less wear & tear on everything) and likely less-susceptible to accumulated recoil. Now, when I shoot my 557 Arrieta with the Vintagers, that constant 12-bore pounding with a 6 3/4 lb gun is noticeable at the end of the day. For me, the clay games are a pleasant distraction & a good excuse to get out and shoot. I don't keep score either (I'm just not that consistent) and I'd like to think they make me a better shot on game. If I had a decent vintage gun right now that I was using on targets, I'd likely be concerned about the accumulated recoil of the target-specific ammo being used. I don't sweat that with my 10 1/2lb SKB, & I don't seem to notice the recoil as much either. I absolutely love SXS guns and the older the better. On game they are still my go-to option. I also still enjoy using a classic pumper (the guns of my youth!) but I can now see the appeal of the stackbarrels. I just couldn't before, largely because of an eye-dominance issue, but also because of the perceived cost and machine-made nature (& modernity) of them. A pragmatic concession on my part, I suppose.

Since I only own SxS's, that's what I use for target shooting as well as hunting. For the comfort of my old shoulders, I've dropped down from 1 oz. loads to the 7/8 oz. ones in 12 ga. Much more comfortable and they work great. My 12 ga. guns range from 5 lb. 12 oz. to 6 1/2 shooting sporting clays and the occasional SxS meets.
Karl

Enjoyed this thread.

Interesting to see W.C. Scott in 1893 charging £8.5.0d extra for Whitworth fluid steel barrels when in 1895 Edwinson Green charged 3 guineas extra on the £35 price for them on my BLE with chopper lump Whitworth barrels.

Talk of gun weights prompts me ( when she’s not looking) to use my wife’s best scales to compare the weights of my SKB 500 over and under with my more modern B. Rizzini Premier Sporting. Both are 12 bore with 28 inch barrels.

The latter has a much more chunky Sporting Clays stock so I would guess it will be about a pound heavier.

The gun I shot at Mike's is a 1892 Monte Carlo B nice guns really well made

Lloyd
There’s a reason that all Olympic shooters use O/U guns while competing, don’t you think?
It’s kind of like fly fishing with cane vs graphite. If I’m deadly serious about catching a particular trout, I’d choose a graphite rod. If I’m just out to have fun, I’ll fish cane. I too just happen to like the aesthetics of a vintage SxS. If excelling at a particular game, I’d choose an O/U. Thankfully I no longer compete except against myself.

Courtesy of Stephen Helsley

Trying to shoot sporting clays or skeet with a light bird gun can be a challenge, but doable if you start gun off the shoulder, swing through and trust your instinct. This becomes more difficult when the targets are farther out, requiring more lead than a normal swing through provides. Using maintained lead or pull away technique with a 6 1/2 lb bird gun is much different than a longer barreled heavy O/U. Accept the limitations and enjoy the experience.