SxS or O/U?

[surfcock]

Tealy birds and doves will die by my grandfather's L.C. Smith soon. Deer will die to my other grandfather's Parker next time I get a chance as well. I have another SxS, but it's a bit of a stretch to take a 10 guage SxS out into a setting other than a field hunt for geese, and I don't see that happening soon.

I do not own an O/U.

[Rubberhead*]

The only shot where a SxS tends to bother me is an overhead shot. I really do lose the birds in the barrels. That, combined with the butt of the gun being mounted more on the top of my shoulder than in the crook usually means some sort of miss.

That being said, I love seeing a diver duck decoying over a pair of barrels - there's nothing like it.

[sftull]

I have SxS and OU in 20g and a 28g SxS.....love them all. They are more safe queens than actual hunting guns. Which ever one you decide on, shoot it enough to get good with it and piss on what everyone else thinks. I see more people spending ass loads of money on the best equipment money can buy and they don't have a clue on how to use it.

[Salt Marsh]

I have another SxS, but it's a bit of a stretch to take a 10 guage SxS out into a setting other than a field hunt for geese, and I don't see that happening soon.

The Ithaca in the bottom two pictures I posted is a Mag 10. I use it for ducks (not in the salt marsh) and for deer when dog driving. I have a small store of the discontinued Federal Tungsten Polymer #4's for ducks and shoot OO's for deer. At 11.5 lbs, it is not a walking around gun. I friend of mine gave me some handloaded 2 1/4 oz lead 7.5's for late season doves, but I have yet to try them.

The only o/u I own is the world's ugliest gun. It is a french 410 o/u. Rebel Yell currently has temporary possession of the gun. He can back me up on that opinion. It is uglier than homemade sin.

Swampknob killed his first dove on the wing with it when he was 6. I have a VHS tape of that event somewhere. I need to get converted to digital.

[Fish]

The only shot where a SxS tends to bother me is an overhead shot. I really do lose the birds in the barrels. That, combined with the butt of the gun being mounted more on the top of my shoulder than in the crook usually means some sort of miss.

I'm a little hesitant to make this post because I'm sort of in the middle of a technique transition and my shooting has been very poor lately, but it may help you, so here goes.

If by an "overhead shot" you're talking about a bird flying over your head (a driven bird) or a rising bird or a combination of both, a good way to maintain the visual connection is to start with your head up above the sighting plane and bring your hands (the gun) up to the line of the bird at a controlled speed just slightly faster than the speed of the bird. Too much hands (speed) and you'll shoot in front. Too little focus on the bird and you'll miss behind or offline. If you lose the visual connection, you have either ducked your head too far into the gun, or you switched your visual focus from the bird to the barrel.

In the field, you typically aren't pre-mounted and the gun is coming into your shoulder from a low position. And in this regard, the gun is never actually behind the bird, but it appears to be because your head is up. You will find that with a little practice, this technique will allow you to see and focus on the bird clearly. With your head up and working your hands to your eyes, you will easily make these shots.

For birds springing in front of you, like ducks flaring after the first shot, start the move with your trigger hand, bringing the stock and the for-end up together, again at a controlled speed, and once you've established that visual connection, push the barrel up through the target with your front hand, again at a controlled speed, only slightly faster than the target. This is called the "Two Piece". The reason for starting the move with your rear hand is because you can't anticipate this move with your legs.

On a true driven bird, you can use the Two Piece and front to back weight transition to build in the lead. With your head up, a hard focus on the bird, the rear hand comes up and the front hand pushes through the target at a controlled speed, while your weight shifts from front to rear foot. Controlling the speed of the move is just as important as your visual focus.

Check out this short video.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcp_coru_SE[/ame]

In as far as your mount is concerned, there is no substitute for practice. My mount was getting a little sloppy so I brought my gun to work for two weeks and practiced several times a day. Last time I shot a fitasc tournament, my mount was very smooth and almost always right into the lead.

Your stock should be positioned low enough in the pocket of your shoulder so that you are looking over the barrels more so than down the barrels. If the sighting plane is flat, you're too deep in the gun, and by this I mean your stock is too high or your head is too far down on the cheek, or both. The sighting plane should ramp up slightly towards the target so as to give a subtle impression of shooting up into the target line.

[Rubberhead*]

Thanks Fish. Yes, I mean the classic driven bird-type shot. I've got Churchill's book and have, many years ago, worked on my shooting. I used to regularily shoot Sporting Clays and have even won some money in pretty big tournaments (skins games not the full tournament itself).

Thanks for the inspiration - I need to get back on it. Fact is, I probably shoot my Citori better than anything but love kill a bird with a SxS.

[dujunkie]

Anyone know anything about the Stevens o/u? I was looking at some today and the price point isn't bad if you can get past the shitty looking pheasant on the side. Around $660 I believe.

[Fish]

Oh my.

[rp]

Hey Salt Marsh,
Is that a Fox?

I tried to look at a picture close up but all I got awas a pic of a puss in a woman's lap.

[trentsmith]

Blah Blah Blah.

[Salt Marsh]

Hey Salt Marsh,
Is that a Fox?

I tried to look at a picture close up but all I got awas a pic of a puss in a woman's lap.

The top gun is a 1936 Winchester Model 21. The bottom two pictures are a 1937 Itaca NID Mag 10.

My bucket list of doubles would include a Fox HE. I do not need a Becker bored gun, just a HE. Add to that a L.C. Smith Long Range and that would round out a full set of classic America waterfowling Doubles.

[Fish]

Thanks for the inspiration - I need to get back on it.

Just say when. I shoot every weekend and you're more than welcome to join with any gun of any gauge. And I'm close to Goose Creek so you won't have to drive.

[2thDoc]

you guys think too much. i have shot both. grew up shooting a SxS parker. Didnt know better. I just threw it up and shot. Nowadays, I would hate to shoot that gun for fear of messing it up but I'm pretty sure I wouldnt think of "site patterns" and all that stuff.

[Fish]

Why don't you wobble back over to the sports forum and hate on someone in there. We were doing just fine without you, you dog gone wet blanket.