shooting SxS advice needed

[HardCash]

I have alway shot single sighting plane shotguns ( O/U, Semi-Auto and Pumps) and have considered myself an above average wing shooter. However I can't seem to get the hang of shooting a SxS.
I once again took my 20 ga. SxS dbl triggered gun to a preserve to shoot quail and was embarrassing myself until I pull out my 28 ga O/U . What advice can you give me ?

[vaturkey]

Well, I'd compare the dimensions of the sxs with the o/u and see what differences there are if any. Also, single versus double trigger. Also, some folks just don't give sxs a chance if they are used to o/u's. I've got a real good hunting buddy who thinks he can't shoot a sxs and thus he can't. Now this fellow can break 24 out of 25 with an o/u all day long. I mean it doesn't matter if its an skb or a winchester 101 heck it just doesn't matter. However give him a sxs and it just messes him up. If you truly want to shoot a sxs, and it has the same basic dimensions of the o/u, just put the o/u away for a while. lastly, the single sighting plane of what the o/u shooter is used to may have something to do with it mentally. Heck, asking a shooting coach, I'm just a bird hunter.

[fullchoke16]

HardCash, If the double triggers aren't giving you any trouble, then most likely you are looking at the barrels more so than the bird. That's a no-no in bird shooting. I have the opposite problem going to a Superposed trap gun. Always takes me 3 or 4 rounds to get back into it. About twice that long if shooting doubles because of the single trigger thing. The solution to the problem either way is plenty of practice. Don't give up, heck, it's always fun shooting no matter what kind of gun it is.

[ajjr]

Copied from an article by Jon Brown,a Gander mountain advisor and speaker,according to the article.(I personally shoot a sxs better than an o/u.And I've seen advice to remove the bead instead of making it more visible to force you to concentrate on the target.....)



Here in the United States we are more familiar with the over and under (o/u) shotgun. Yet, in Europe the SxS still predominately reins supreme. The SxS did have its day in American history. Around the turn of the 20th century the SxS was a common sight here in the U.S. But it soon relinquished its control to the o/u. There are many reasons for this. If you have ever shot an SxS you may have noticed that there is a distinct difference as compared to the o/u. To begin with the felt recoil is different. With an over and under the felt recoil is more or less in a straight line. Whereas an SxS gives the shooter a feeling that the recoil is left than right or vice versa as both barrels are shot. Of course for those shooters who started with an SxS this difference may not be noticeable. Yet, for an o/u shooter this difference gives the feeling of greater felt recoil when shooting the SxS. If you are new to the SxS don't let this difference keep you from enjoying an SxS. Another noticeable difference when shooting the o/u versus the SxS is the shooting plane. On an o/u the sighting plane is similar to a pump or semi-auto; which for most hunters is what they are used to. On SxS the sighting plane is between two barrels, which tricks or confuses the eye into seeing a larger plane. When shooting clay pigeons this difference is quite noticeable. The clay pigeon gets lost amongst all of the metal of an SxS. This may also account for the lack of SxS winners in most major shooting competitions. For those of you that have an SxS and have noticed this problem you may want to try using a green fiber optic sight. The fiber optic sight captures your eye's attention and works as a contrast with an orange clay.

When you head to the field to shoot a pheasant this larger plane comes in handy. I have found that it allows me to find the bird quicker and align my barrels with the bird easier.

[ajjr]

Another piece of a discussion on Shotgunworld...............



I agree with what Pat said above. Excellent post. I have just come to learn not to take what other people say too seriously, regardless if I am shooting well that day or not.

That being said, the only thing about this discussion that always comes back to haunt me is that the vast majority of current competition guns are either autoloaders or O/Us. This reality tends to support the notion that a single sighting plane (being more "precise") is somehow superior to the SxS. I have the sneaking suspicion that this perceived superiority is due impart more to the "modern tradition" as opposed to one system actually being better than the other. Its also interesting to note that Live Pigeon guns, a competition with big money at stake, are almost exclusively all SxSs. But let's face it, if wing shooting was simply about precision, and not a learned skill, we all would have scopes on our shotguns. And that is what I love about wing shooting --it does not lend itself to concrete formulas and simple calculation. In my opinion, wing shooting is just as much about "how" you do it as how "well" you do it. Or to put it another way, as Gene Hill wrote, "I'd rather shoot a 24 out of 25 with a Parker than a 25 out of 25 with an O/U and know that I did it with style"

[Witty1]

Very interesting post o/u vs sxs. I went from my Browning Citori 20 ga to a Fox Sterlingworth 16 ga as my favorite go to gun. Most of my friends all o/u guys say to how can you shot that ? I can't hit a flying snow shovel with a sxs, forget about a live bird. I never noticed a difference.

My questions is what are the chokes on your o/u vs. sxs? Most misses shots are do to to tight chokes.

[Fin2Feather]

I've been shooting sxs only for quite some time, but from what I remember I can miss equally well with any gun style.

[thuddddddd]

I've been shooting sxs only for quite some time, but from what I remember I can miss equally well with any gun style.

hahahaha..... I hear that Phil