Over Under or Side by Side?
 

What are the pros and cons of each? I want a gun to hunt pheasant and other small game with. I already have a Remington 1100 12 gauge and a 12 gauge benelli nova now I want either an over under or a side by side barrel shotgun but I dont know what is better?

RE: Over Under or Side by Side?
 

It is personal prefferance .
The O/U gives you the same sight picture as your other shotguns
The SxS can give you a flater gun or more trim
I shoot O/Us
Go to a large gunshop and pick up several .Depending what you are going to use it for , 26" barrels are fast and easy in heavy cover but can lead to poor follow throughs
28" probley the all around faviret
30 " best for follow through but still only as long over all as a 26" pump gun but heavyer
I shoot a 26" 28 gau SxS , a 26" 20 gau O/U and a 30" 12 gau O/U

RE: Over Under or Side by Side?
 

I persoanlly like both so it just depends on what you want, go to a gun shop and just see what feels right

RE: Over Under or Side by Side?
 

over under for me
s/s is a lil to get use to

RE: Over Under or Side by Side?
 

It is like Johnch wrote, your sight picture will be better with an O/U. I like the choice of chokes. I can set up a more open choke in the bottom barrel for close shots out of my pointing brittany, and tighter long-range choke in the top. This can be done in a sxs also. I have found that most O/U's are designed to shoot botton first, top last. I have seen guns break down quick if you reverse this constantly.

RE: Over Under or Side by Side?
 

I prefer a double trigger SxS for flushing game like pheasants & grouse. For bird hunting which might involve longer crossing shots (like waterfowl) or sporting clays type shooting I do much better with a O/U.

RE: Over Under or Side by Side?
 

the only sxs that i have ever owned was a custom spanish made bobwhite gun the I loved hunting grouse and woodcock with. the left barrel was a modified and the right was an improved cyl. It was a double triggered dream gun. Many ruffed grouse, woodcock and hare passed away in front of that brass bead. Best 20gauage that i ever owned.


Rob

RE: Over Under or Side by Side?
 

Make sure you try some SxS before you rule them out. Ilove em. A straight stock double trigger is the perfect upland gun. easy to carry, instant choke selection and just feels right...and the sight plane doesn't take much at all to get used to.

Side note: SxS tend to shoot much flatter than other guns (something else i like)

RE: Over Under or Side by Side?
 

What is the advantage of the double trigger? I have been considering a S x S but I always thought a single trigger would be better.

RE: Over Under or Side by Side?
 

For the most part, double triggers gives you the instantaneous choice of chokes. Lets say you are running a dog and a pheasant/quail/grouse flushes wild at 35 yds, you can immediately choose to shoot your tighter choke without going through a previous, "looser" pattern as you would have to if the barrels are set to fire in a particular order. Besides this and maybe the nostalgic factor, I can't see much more reason unless someone else offers some info.