Double Barrels, SXS or O/U?

[azwizard]

What seems to be the major difference and why would you choose one over the other?

I have my Rem 11-87 that I use for everything, Skeet/Trap/Quail/Rabbit/Pheasants/Ducks and Turkeys

I also have a old Springfield 16 SXS that I like very much but have only used it for upland game.

I've never shot a O/U so am I missing something?

 

[Dave McCracken]

Darn, I could be here all evening talking about this, but I'll be succinct.

SxS, exchanges a little precision for speed. The broad sighting plane is easy to pick up and most SxS of decent make turn like cutting horses anyway.

O/U, more precision but a trifle less speed.

And, there's plenty of overlap. The 20 gauge SKB O/U here is oneheckuva dove gun, and with more open chokes would terrorize quail and grouse.

OTOH, every SxS I've had the privilege of operating at length was a joy to shoot.

Try a few of each and get ready to fall in love....

 

[jmr40]

SXS for hunting, OU for clay games. I know that is an over simplification and others will disagree but generally speaking that is the best way to take advantage of each design's strong points.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

My observation of shooters bears out what JMR40 says. You rarely see a SXS on the clays games but pretty much all of the serious shooters are shooting OU's.

I know I bought an OU for sporting clays and love it. I found the SXS harder to shoot for clays in terms of pointing at quick targets.

 

[azwizard]

Ok, so if I'm understanding things right there would be a preference for hunting to the SXS, swings great and points naturally. Skeet and Trap go to the O/U but I have the 11-87 for that. The O/U gets different barrel lenght and choke tubes.

So my question was kind of leading me to a another question. The Springfield is a 1915 Chicoppe Falls Proofed 16 ga. with 30 in. barrels. To designate this as my upland game gun. I'm thinking of alterations.

What would you think about cutting the barrels back to say 26" and having choke tubes in Full/Modified installed. I'd also maybee ream the chambers to ensure they are 2 3/4" chambers vise 2 9/16"th. Would I have to worry about barrrel regulation? What are the opinions.

 

[wwace]

My opinion is never chop up a gun, especially an oldy. And by the way a SxS is in no way faster on game than an O/U. I have shot hundreds of thousands of shells at clays and birds and an over under will work better on game for the same reasons it works so well on clays.

 

[tahoe2]

both

I've used both for game and clays; I prefer O/U's but that's just me.
I have taken dozens of game with an old Savage/Stevens 311A in 20ga (mod & full; fixed) that I also used for trap & skeet. I used that gun from the age of 13 to 27, until it wouldn't shoot anymore. Went to a pump gun from there (Rem 870) and some years later a Rem 1100/1187. All of them were great guns, then I shot a Beretta O/U,(@36 years old) and haven't looked back since. Now I am 52, I do have a couple O/U's just not a Beretta, maybe this year.

 

[huntsman]

What would you think about cutting the barrels back to say 26" and having choke tubes in Full/Modified installed. I'd also maybee ream the chambers to ensure they are 2 3/4" chambers vise 2 9/16"th. Would I have to worry about barrrel regulation? What are the opinions.

just buy another SXS and hang that one on the wall