Post by oldhippy on Oct 21, 2019 7:05:47 GMT
Superpose & Juxtapose - Over and under & Side byside
Side by Side - I only use in the field, They are instinctive to shoot, light, and serve me very well. I rarely see them shot in competition (although a good friend is exceptionally good with his), literally you will never see one at a sporting clays shoot, nor skeet or trap. Why?
Target sports seem to be shot better using the narrower sighting plane of the O/U.
Now for the differences:
Recoil:
O/U - because the recoil is strictly vertical, the second shot is easier to control and get on target. Because the SxS has a left & right barrel, when firing it not only wants to climb, but also move to one side or the other.
Sighting Plane -
The sighting plane of an O/U is narrower, and seems to be more comfortable for target acquisition. Many people find the two barrels draw their eye to one fo the barrels, causing them to miss left or right. This is an obvious issue, since you aren’t supposed to be looking at the beads, only the target. Yeah - it is a contradiction. What really is happening is you see the barrels subconsciously in your peripheral vision, so it really does throw some shooters off.
Mechanical -
In spite of the longer vertical lock up an O/U has, they are really stout, and do not have the rotational characteristics a SxS has. When one barrel is fired in a SxS, the explosions wants to twist the barrels one way or the other.
And while the are some amazing and truly stout SxS’s out there, for targets, the O/U has really moved into a premier position for strength and reliability.
Shooting:
Since I only shoot SxS in the field, and O/U on targets, the question is why. My answer is that I find the SxS a much more instinctive gun to handle. Properly fit, they seem to come to face faster and more naturally, with a solid and good mount. While I have shot both in the field (about 75 days a year), I have found myself far more consistent with the SxS. In addition, I have converted many friends to them over the years, and they have agreed - faster, smoother, more instinctive.
They are lighter, and more well balanced then target guns (for wing shooting), and swing much more smoothly and faster to the bird. All of this sounds like comparing scotches, and in a way it is. I didn’t appreciate the differences until I had been shooting a number of years. When I first started shooting SxS’s, I was awful. It took months before I realized what I was doing wrong (eye on the target). It made me a better shooter all around.
For targets, the O/U rules -
Heavier (less recoil), stronger for heavier loads and longer life on targets (300 in a day is common).
Answer - both are excellent in their application, and neither is better than the other. They both have their place, and I suggest one of each.
But you can tell I have a soft spot for 20 SxS’s.
Target sports seem to be shot better using the narrower sighting plane of the O/U.
Now for the differences:
Recoil:
O/U - because the recoil is strictly vertical, the second shot is easier to control and get on target. Because the SxS has a left & right barrel, when firing it not only wants to climb, but also move to one side or the other.
Sighting Plane -
The sighting plane of an O/U is narrower, and seems to be more comfortable for target acquisition. Many people find the two barrels draw their eye to one fo the barrels, causing them to miss left or right. This is an obvious issue, since you aren’t supposed to be looking at the beads, only the target. Yeah - it is a contradiction. What really is happening is you see the barrels subconsciously in your peripheral vision, so it really does throw some shooters off.
Mechanical -
In spite of the longer vertical lock up an O/U has, they are really stout, and do not have the rotational characteristics a SxS has. When one barrel is fired in a SxS, the explosions wants to twist the barrels one way or the other.
And while the are some amazing and truly stout SxS’s out there, for targets, the O/U has really moved into a premier position for strength and reliability.
Shooting:
Since I only shoot SxS in the field, and O/U on targets, the question is why. My answer is that I find the SxS a much more instinctive gun to handle. Properly fit, they seem to come to face faster and more naturally, with a solid and good mount. While I have shot both in the field (about 75 days a year), I have found myself far more consistent with the SxS. In addition, I have converted many friends to them over the years, and they have agreed - faster, smoother, more instinctive.
They are lighter, and more well balanced then target guns (for wing shooting), and swing much more smoothly and faster to the bird. All of this sounds like comparing scotches, and in a way it is. I didn’t appreciate the differences until I had been shooting a number of years. When I first started shooting SxS’s, I was awful. It took months before I realized what I was doing wrong (eye on the target). It made me a better shooter all around.
For targets, the O/U rules -
Heavier (less recoil), stronger for heavier loads and longer life on targets (300 in a day is common).
Answer - both are excellent in their application, and neither is better than the other. They both have their place, and I suggest one of each.
But you can tell I have a soft spot for 20 SxS’s.
