Update--Should I Trade In My Semi-Auto For a Side-by-Side

[crouchgc]

CZ Bobwhite 20ga SxS

 

[Ben Lamb]

I have at various times been smitten at the prospect of a SxS. Even to the point of seriously shopping for one. BUT,,, at the end of the day, for me, my Beretta 686 points better for me. I'm immune to their siren song now, I'll never buy a SxS.

If SxS's were easy to point,, they'd get more use in the various clay target games.

The O/U is a relatively recent invention in terms of mass production. The first ones were made-to-order jobs from the finest houses in Britain & Germany. The SxS has been putting game on the table for kings & peasants since they figured out how to regulate barrels. I'd say more clays & live birds have dropped due to those horizontal barrels than the vertical. A well fitted SxS is an extension of your eye and perhaps the finest form of sporting weapon made. Americans favored sxs from the beginning of the country until Winchester perfected the pump. Even then, the American houses of LC Smith, Fox, Parker, Iver Johnson, etc all made doubles well into the 1970's in some form or fashion.

You love that Baretta because it fits properly, and I fully support that, because we all need more guns in our lives, but I swear to Hubertus, if you malign the sxs again, Imma go full keyboard commando and type a response in all caps.

YMMV.

 

[406dn]

The O/U is a relatively recent invention in terms of mass production. The first ones were made-to-order jobs from the finest houses in Britain & Germany. The SxS has been putting game on the table for kings & peasants since they figured out how to regulate barrels. I'd say more clays & live birds have dropped due to those horizontal barrels than the vertical. A well fitted SxS is an extension of your eye and perhaps the finest form of sporting weapon made. Americans favored sxs from the beginning of the country until Winchester perfected the pump. Even then, the American houses of LC Smith, Fox, Parker, Iver Johnson, etc all made doubles well into the 1970's in some form or fashion.

You love that Baretta because it fits properly, and I fully support that, because we all need more guns in our lives, but I swear to Hubertus, if you malign the sxs again, Imma go full keyboard commando and type a response in all caps.

YMMV.

I can tell you still hear the Siren. Just be careful, she'll lead you astray, perhaps onto the rocks.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I can tell you still hear the Siren. Just be careful, she'll lead you astray, perhaps onto the rocks.

Currently refinishing my Winchester 101 Waterfowl. It'll be my clays gun.

 

[shrapnel]

Hard to believe in this day of turd shaped cars and no designing qualities in them, but the headlights of the 1965 GTO were inspired by David North at GM to replicate the good looks of the over/under shotgun barrels vs the SXS that previously appeared on earlier cars and specifically the 1964 GTO...

 

[Tradewind]

. It will help to ease the snooty aspect of hunting if you wear enough camo...

View attachment 172641

hmmph

 

[howl]

Figured I would update this thread.
I purchased the Weatherby Element Waterfowler 12Ga and used it all through duck season.

I cannot attest to reliability as I only fired ~150 shells. A mixture of heavy and lighter loads.

I did end of selling it a couple weeks ago. I couldn't hardly hit a dang thing with it, which I found odd as the 20ga Element is the complete opposite.

I have decided I am going to ditch semi-autos and get a O/U. Since hardly anything is in stock I'll have time to save for something slightly better than a Stoeger or Tristar.

Right now I'm leaning heavily towards a Weatherby Orion with the CZ Swamp Magnum a close second

Nay to a 7# O/U for a dove shoot. 8#, maybe but then it's a fast paced workout with the doves are pouring in.

If your Winchester pump fits you, then try a Beretta A300. They fit similarly and the Beretta fine tunes with stock shims. Put a Trulock SK2 in it and get to it.

 

[WestKyHunt]

Well, I didnt end up with a sxs

I've been lucky enough to stumble into several good side jobs this year and ended up having enough money to buy any shotgun under $3g's.

After many many trips to gun shops, reading online, and asking questions on HT, I narrowed down to

Benelli M2
or
Beretta A400 Xtreme

Turns out M2's are impossible to get in my area and the Beretta shoulders extremely well, so my mind was made for me.
Ordered it 2 weeks ago and it arrived 8 days later.
Comes with a nice case and 5 extended chokes. Also has different plug lengths, spacers and shims
Shot several clay pigeons yesterday with a 98% hit rate.

It goes Wednesday to get some cerakote put on.

Duck season can't get here soon enough!

 

[Ben Lamb]

Well, I didnt end up with a sxs

I've been lucky enough to stumble into several good side jobs this year and ended up having enough money to buy any shotgun under $3g's.

After many many trips to gun shops, reading online, and asking questions on HT, I narrowed down to

Benelli M2
or
Beretta A400 Xtreme

Turns out M2's are impossible to get in my area and the Beretta shoulders extremely well, so my mind was made for me.
Ordered it 2 weeks ago and it arrived 8 days later.
Comes with a nice case and 5 extended chokes. Also has different plug lengths, spacers and shims
Shot several clay pigeons yesterday with a 98% hit rate.

It goes Wednesday to get some cerakote put on.

Duck season can't get here soon enough!View attachment 185705

 

[OntarioHunter]

Well, I didnt end up with a sxs

I've been lucky enough to stumble into several good side jobs this year and ended up having enough money to buy any shotgun under $3g's.

After many many trips to gun shops, reading online, and asking questions on HT, I narrowed down to

Benelli M2
or
Beretta A400 Xtreme

Turns out M2's are impossible to get in my area and the Beretta shoulders extremely well, so my mind was made for me.
Ordered it 2 weeks ago and it arrived 8 days later.
Comes with a nice case and 5 extended chokes. Also has different plug lengths, spacers and shims
Shot several clay pigeons yesterday with a 98% hit rate.

It goes Wednesday to get some cerakote put on.

Duck season can't get here soon enough!View attachment 185705

That will work. Black plastic is probably your best option in my opinion. Low maintenance and will hold up better. The wood on Beretta auto fore end is very thin and prone to crack. No worries with plastic. Obviously a gun meant to work. It will last a lifetime. Don't hesitate to take it to the club. The guys look down their nose at my old 1961 Browning A5 dressed in black plastic, but I shoot the lights out with it. My average skeet or trap is 22.5 to 23/25.

 

[WestKyHunt]

That will work. Black plastic is probably your best option in my opinion. Low maintenance and will hold up better. The wood on Beretta auto fore end is very thin and prone to crack. No worries with plastic. Obviously a gun meant to work. It will last a lifetime. Don't hesitate to take it to the club. The guys look down their nose at my old 1961 Browning A5 dressed in black plastic, but I shoot the lights out with it. My average skeet or trap is 22.5 to 23/25.

I show up to the gun club with my $500 20ga weatherby and shoot just as well as the guys with $3k custom guns

 

[BrentD]

I show up to the gun club with my $500 20ga weatherby and shoot just as well as the guys with $3k custom guns

But you don't look as good as you could.

I probably wouldn't be allowed on the grounds of my local club if I showed up with a weatherby. I'd just be too ugly to admit, nevermind how I shot.

 

[Ben Lamb]

But you don't look as good as you could.

I probably wouldn't be allowed on the grounds of my local club if I showed up with a weatherby. I'd just be too ugly to admit, nevermind how I shot.

IDK, there's something quintessentially American about showing up loud & proud with beater equipment & kicking ass

 

[BrentD]

IDK, there's something quintessentially American about showing up loud & proud with beater equipment & kicking ass

In today's camo-cerkote-plastic-stainless-platform firearms, the double, no matter how pristine, is the beater equipment. It can still kick ass too.

 

[longbow51]

I was shooting trap once in West Texas with my straight-grip Citori and doing pretty well. One of the old guys said he would be proud for me to try his gun, a single shot. Felt great, and I shot it really well. Said he was getting a new one and could let me have it for 8 (or something; long time ago). I had no idea what it was but knew I didn't have $800. I dug out a Shotgun News (remember that?), looked up Perazzi, and realized he wasn't talking hundreds. So beater depends on the company.

 

[WestKyHunt]

IDK, there's something quintessentially American about showing up loud & proud with beater equipment & kicking ass

 

[AlaskaHunter]

WestKyHunt,
I would not expect you to hit anything with a side-by after just 150 shots. Takes a fair bit longer to get used to it.

As with SxSs, I would not buy a new O/U. Too many good used ones that are much nicer than anything new. Be patient and hunt hard (for the gun). You will be rewarded.

I bought a used 20 gauge Citori and a used 12 gauge Citori back in the 1980s..they are still my go to shotguns.
After 30+ years of hunting/trap/skeet shooting no problems with either.

 

[Ben Lamb]

In today's camo-cerkote-plastic-stainless-platform firearms, the double, no matter how pristine, is the beater equipment. It can still kick ass too.

Not when you pair it with the appropriate tweed & spats.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I bought a used 20 gauge Citori and a used 12 gauge Citori back in the 1980s..they are still my go to shotguns.
After 30+ years of hunting/trap/skeet shooting no problems with either.

I picked up a good deal on a used Citori 12 gauge two years ago that I dressed up with oil finish and a cherrywood case. I shoot it "okay" at the range but not as well as old "beater" Black Beauty A5. Because the stock on the Citori is thicker, it doesn't load to my shoulder/cheek as well as cheap plastic on the A5. Doesn't make a whole lot of difference shooting trap but I shoot skeet and clays low gun where an imperfect fit makes a huge difference in my score (like four targets!). Speaks volumes about the need for a good fit in field guns! No one walks up on birds high gun. Well, they don't if my dogs are working! I can shoot the Citori high gun at the range but that's an idiot's game when shooting skeet/clays. Also, I don't shoot high gun as well as low gun because I'm more inclined to aim (i.e. look at gun instead of target) and/or overthink the shot. Don't really have a choice but to shoot trap high gun because 1) the target leaves the house so far from the shooting station and 2) unlike skeet or clays, trap target's trajectory is random. Not enough time to mount, get on the target, and shoot before it's falling out of range.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

I picked up a good deal on a used Citori 12 gauge two years ago that I dressed up with oil finish and a cherrywood case. I shoot it "okay" at the range but not as well as old "beater" Black Beauty A5. Because the stock on the Citori is thicker, it doesn't load to my shoulder/cheek as well as cheap plastic on the A5. Doesn't make a whole lot of difference shooting trap but I shoot skeet and clays low gun where an imperfect fit makes a huge difference in my score (like four targets!). Speaks volumes about the need for a good fit in field guns! No one walks up on birds high gun. Well, they don't if my dogs are working! I can shoot the Citori high gun at the range but that's an idiot's game when shooting skeet/clays. Also, I don't shoot high gun as well as low gun because I'm more inclined to aim (i.e. look at gun instead of target) and/or overthink the shot. Don't really have a choice but to shoot trap high gun because 1) the target leaves the house so far from the shooting station and 2) unlike skeet or clays, trap target's trajectory is random. Not enough time to mount and shoot.View attachment 185821View attachment 185820

I use mine mainly for duck hunting up here in Alaska, so it is not pretty,
especially after many falls in the rimrock country chukar hunting when I lived in Idaho in the 1990s.
I do clean the firing pin channels every winter after weeks of mud/rain/ducks.