Switching from single barrel to side by side

[Sniper66]

Not long ago I bought a really nice Ugartechea 20 ga side by side at the behest of a good friend. He loves side by sides and was sure I would too. I shot it all one season for doves and reduced my average by about 50%, terrible shooting. I sold it and went back to my Benelli . Has anyone else had this experience? I learned that I simply shoot better with a single barrel. I have Benelli in 20 and 12 ga and a Remington 870 Wingmaster 12 ga. I shoot all of them better than the SxS, even the 870 with it's 30" full choke barrel. I grew up shooting my dad's 870 which probably accounts for some of it. I also have a Browning Superposed O/U, which I shoot OK, but not quite as good as the others. I also have an old Winchester Model 20 single shot .410 that I can shoot running rabbits and squirrels with, probably better than the SxS. What is your experience with this issue?

 

[WestKentucky]

I have had both sides of the coin happen. I bought myself a double as a graduation gift right out of high school. Stevens 411 12 ga blonde beauty...baikal wonder gun. I shot that gun exceedingly well and got into doing tricks with it. Upside down, sideways, behind the back all at 90% or better. Doves were in serious trouble until it broke both ejectors. Ejectors became extractors and then extractors became more problematic. I sold it in frustration after losing a second set of ejectors in it. Both barrels, not one or the other. That gun had north of 10000 through it in 3 years. I replaced it with a Baikal branded 20 ga expecting similar service but intention not to showboat with it. Couldn't hit squat with it. I'm now back to running pumps and old Remington autos. I might try an over under at some point. I keep looking but haven't bit the bullet yet. I think I'm waiting on a Red Label.

 

[Virginian]

Red Label is history. It will never return.
Does the SxS fit you? Have you shot some patterns to see? I mean the throw the gun up and shoot quick type. If it does, shoot some clay pigeons and you should quickly see your hit percentage rise. If it doesn't, which I strongly suspect, you have a problem.

 

[kudu]

Many people have a tendency to look across the barrels of a SxS diagonally instead of down the center. I have seen a few SxS's that had a completely different fit than standard shotguns, maybe custom stocks? What messes me up is double triggers. I have been on a search for a nice SxS in 20 or 28 gauge with single trigger. Not really for hunting but for clays. Want a 28 or 30" barrel with choke tubes.

 

[farm23]

I have some of each - pump - semi auto - O/U and SxS. I hunt quail, grouse, and pheasant with my SxS's and love them. I do not seem to have any trouble going from one to the other but the SxS is my favorite. That may be because I now hunt mostly upland birds so the SxS gets the most time. When I hunted ducks and geese I used a semi-auto. I do not do much skeet so which is better for that I really do not have any input.

 

[wgp]

My first two-barrel shotgun was a Stevens SxS, very cheap but I wanted to try one. Couldn't hit anything with it, and one day I patterned it and discovered it did not shoot even close to point of aim. I have an Ithaca/SKB SxS and several O/Us, none of which have that problem. So, perhaps it is the particular gun itself that is the problem? I've always heard that one of the problems in making a good two-barrel shotgun is regulating the barrels to shoot properly -- maybe cheap ones skip that step.

 

[Sniper66]

To answer a couple of your questions my Ugaterchea 20 ga SxS fit me very well and patterned appropriately. It was light and fast; a very nice shotgun. It really wanted to like it and have some sellers remorse for selling it. But, I just couldn't shoot the darned thing. he double trigger was part of the problem, I think. I've had or shot several shotguns, but sold the SxS, and a Ruger Red Label O/U, a Remington 1100...also borrowed my brother's A5 Browning. And I have a vintage Remington Model 17 pump 20 ga, which I used last year dove huntoing and, again, shot much better than with the SxS. I just couldn't shoot the darned thing, but at least now I know. Thanks for the stories. Tom

 

[entropy]

After brief experiences with a 20ga. bolt and a Topper 12 ga., I owned several Stevens 311's: A 30" 12 ga with Tenite stock for ducks, a 16 ga. my Dad cut down to 20" for grouse, then sold to me, and a 20 ga. I had for pheasant. I shot them well, never had a problem. Sorry your experience wasn't as good.

 

[Pete D.]

1- Pattern the gun.
2- See if it fits. Put out three or four white cardboard targets at 16 yards with a two inch black dot in the center of each. FC in the gun.
Standing at ready mount the gun and fire at the dot. The gun pattern should cover the dot. Do each barrel. If it doesn't hit the dot solid center, it doesn't fit you right (or you mounted it wrong but it doesn't sound like you have that problem)
Pete

 

[PzGren]

Pitch, drop, cast and length of pull have to fit the shooter. That becomes most important in a SxS where the center rib has to serve as the sight and an ill fitting gun will not have the proper sight line.