Mite

Soilarch, I know which post you are referring too. Before you start disclaiming everything I say, read the articles below. I'm not sporting clay expert. Never claimed to be. But I use to shoot alot of skeet when I was younger and circumstances forced me to abandon goals to shoot competively. During that time I got alot instructions from local experts (one friend was an shooting instructor). Now, I go to the local trap club but don't shoot nearly enough. But, the discussion below concerns skeet shooting. Trap shooting I've yet to get a good handle on.

The dominate eye does plays an important part in shooting sports. Check out website on general shooting and a little on eye dominace : http://www.shotgunreport.com/TechTech/TechnicalTracts/Tor(mentor).html

There are people born with left eye dominace but right handed or vise versa. Many learn to shoot with the opposite hand or learn to overcome it. Try this. Take your gun and fit it to your shoulder and point it at the ceiling with your right eye closed if your right handed. Imagine shooting a high flying duck. Open both eyes and thats is where you're actually shooting.

SxS are more difficult to pattern correctly. Never wanted to deal with it so to be honest, I ignored this part completely. But SxS are used in the field because they handle real well and birds fly much slower than clay targets so the compensation isn't a issue but in skeet shooting it is. The person I use to shoot with shot a SxS. He matched or out-shot me in the field but shot lousy at skeet. Below are some experts opinions:

"Without a physics discussion, it is true that getting two barrels affixed side by side to shoot to the same point of aim is a labor intensive and so expensive procedure."
from: http://www.myoan.net/shootingart/shotgunfor.html

"Side by side shotguns are more widely used for game shooting, although the `pointability` is not as good as an over and under shotgun"
http://www.richardfaulds.com/html%5F%5F%5F%5F%5F/faqs/

For an O/U, the clay target is travelling much faster horizontally than dropping vertically so the difference isn't as pronounced. (The sport where clay targets shoot from the ground directly up, which I've haven't tried, would theorically be much more suited to SxS).

Not an expert and will happily eat my words if anyone is willing to correct me on this. Just make sure you're able to back your statements up with expert opinions or examples. As for this tread, SxS vs. O/U, I would go with O/U for target AND field only because I feel comfortable with an O/U. As I said in another thread, if you can shoot better with SxS in both situations, you are much better than me and should stick with it.

for patterning how-to:
http://www.ospschool.com/know14.html

Another link for patterning:
http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/.../2000/08/2.htm

RemMod1100

Good post, Mite. I only tried a SxS at skeet once. Didn't have a problem with the high house (I'm right handed by the way), but couldn't hit the broad side of the barn from the low house on 3, 4, and 5. Seemed to me the wide side by side barrels blocked my field of vision....or it was an excuse .

TeeJay

I have a old Ruger red label. I love the gun use it for everything from trap to turkeys. It is the only one i will ever shoot when it is wore out i will replace it with the same exact thing

Soilarch

Mite I'm glad you brought some of those details to my attention. When I talked about having to compensate for whichever barrel is being fired I assumed that it would be read with regards to a properly made gun. THERE ARE double guns that certainly don't pattern well with themselves. I am also sorry if you thought I was trying to downplay the importance of eye dominance, I should've been clearer on that. However, I still believe a person will have very little (if any) more difficulty with this issue on a SxS than an O/U or auto. No one I know personally but I've read other people on other boards having claimed they think the broader "runway" help keep their eye. You are certainly correct that a SxS lends itself to Trap much more than skeet.

As for a guns "pointabilty" I still believe the fit has sovereignty here with balance being a close second...and "balanced" gun is often a matter of taste. Barrel orientation being a non-issue.

Not an expert either, and don't ever want to come across "guns-a-blazing" I'm glad you put forth more than a "I hate SxS" or "O/U or the best...duh!" or "Everybody shoots O/U in comp. shooting"

And don't worry...I'll do bad at the range regardless of the gun in my hands I simply do no worse with a SxS and enjoy it a whole lot more.

Mite

Soilarch, thanks for replying. The ideas or concepts have to do with shooting but I suspect much of it doesn't really apply as much unless you shoot competitely and start missing. SxS are certainly nice guns for skeet or trap because they handle well and would be enough for us.

As you say, as long as you know your limits of your gun and shot and are comfortable with it, you will certainly hit more targets than a gun which you are not comfortable with.

If you want to start target shooting, get a qualified instructor. They will help out emminsely.

Maskellrascal

Well I don't have much of an opinion, but like to have one. Who are some good companies that sell SxS shotguns at a reasonable price. I know where I can borrow a Over under, but am having difficulty finding a good Side by Side. I would prefer a 20 or 16 gauge. Not a 12 though. Any input would be appreciated.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting

Roost em 1st

www.dhshotguns.com

Maskerall-
I don't know why the addy won't light up as a link but it will get you to Dehaan shotguns. For more info from another source about Dehaan check out the Jan issue of Shooting Sportsman. They did a nice article about the 28 SXS.

Mite-
Very informative links. Seems like I recall reading something recently that threw out another reason why we Americans have leaned towards O/U, which I personally do not shoot. The jist was that o/u will shoulder much more like a rifle than a sxs which requires the shooter to really bring the gun to face. Maybe it was something Michael Macintosh wrote or maybe it wasn't. Could have been in the book review section of a recent periodical. I'll try and locate what I read to update this thread with some more info. I shoot a sxs with one eye closed, I'll be trying to open both eyes this year in the of season and see if I can improve my wingshooting statistics. I don't have any real intrest in competition shooting, have yet to see a good recipe for clay pieces though I hear soaked in vinegar thaey go as a substitute for bacon bits on salad
A lot of why I shoot sxs's is due to me. I have always been the one to try what I was told is not the norm or the harder way. It was an unproductive couple of years in the dove field switching from an 870 to the Ithaca 12 sxs and more than one person questioned my act of self imposed misery. [I was able to even take a few dove with the 870 from the hip at one point] Still I persisted and became a decent shot with the ole beast that is choked F/Fuller. When it connects it is deadly. I really came around when I picked up the 16 sxs and became lethal and the 28 I found last summer has proven most effective as well, although my recent trip to the quail field yielded a huge piece of humble pie. They were mostly in the woods that day and I'll go up against any gun who wants to wager on quail in the woods. They are extremely difficult. 5 shots one dead male. Not good %'s but better than not going.

Anyay didn't mean to get off track but this is an Upland forum, not a trap or skeet, and I believe that a sxs or an o/u properly fitted to the gunner is a deadly weapon. I prefer the sxs, maybe I'm just trying to be cool though.

RE: SHooting
I shoot the maintained/sustained method as your link points out. My eyes watch the bird as the gun gets moving and when it shoulders my subconcious pulls one of the triggers as the stock reaches my cheek. I see a dead bird before I pull the trigger. The Brits will perhaps say Bird, Beak, Butt, Bang or something like that. The idea being you see the beak and are ahead of it before the butt finds the little pocket in your shoulder and your face is on the stock which is when you squeeze the trigger.
I must tell you that I never stopped to wonder if this was different for a pump. sxs, or o/u. I see the same thing looking down any of them. The BB sight at the end of the barrell and the beak of the bird just behind it, although sometimes slightly below or above the BB depending on the flight pattern of the bird.
The best shot I've seen on Dove [and I shoot with many] is who got me started. We started with ducks. I said "how do you kill these da#@ things?" He replied "Look Down The Barrell and shoot em in the head" In a round about way he forced me to focus on the two things I still do today, The BB and the Beak.

farm hunter

I have an L.C Smith SxS.

To me it was what I always pictured for an upland gun - and I really like it. I wouldn't trade it for any gun.

Still I can shoot Grouse much better with my Old Ithaca Featherweight 37 Pump. For me - nothing comes up like that gun.

FH

Viking_hunter

I bought a Citori Lightning 12 gage with 26" barrels about ten years ago and haven't looked back. It is THE gun for me. I have yet to see a man with an auto down three birds while hunting. I have not seen many shoot doubles, for that matter. I have shot many doubles with my O/U. From what I can tell, most auto users spend more on shells. As far as SXS's go, they are nice. I passed on a Browning sxs 20 some years back and wish I had bought it now. I may still own one. I think there is room for both an O/U and a SXS to coexist in my gun cabinet.

zachsdad

I shot a12 ga Wingmaster for almost 30 years. In 2001 I bought a Gold Hunter and I love it. But, I also enjoy the nostalgia side a little ( for lack of a better term) and I am shopping for 16 ga sxs. Not high end, just a good solid shooter. My son shoots a Gold Hunter in 4-H competition, but is working on getting a Cynergy, which is a low profile o/u. He also like sxs's, well its safe to say, he likes all guns