SxS, which barrel to shoot first?

[BozemanMT]

Ok, got my first SxS (see True Love thread), and I have a question as a total SxS noob.
Which barrel do you generally shoot first?
I know in a O/U you generally shoot Under first.
Does it matter in a SxS?

thanks

 

[mattw]

(just speaking from my experience, i'm no expert) i don't think it matters at all. the only time it would matter is if you have two triggers. in that case always pull the back trigger first, less chance of setting off both barrels at once. (unless you're just fooling around, you should just put one finger in the trigger guard at a time )

 

[Gary A]

I used to do some bird hunting with a Turkish or a Stoeger SxS. Both had double triggers. The Turkish gun had choke tubes and the Stoeger was fixed IC/Mod. I used to select which barrel to fire first depending on the bird(s). If coming in toward me, I fired the left barrel (tighter choke) first and the the right barrel (more open choke) if needed (as it often was ) as the bird got closer. If the bird was going away from me, I reversed the order of firing (more open choke first and tighter choke second). I never had a problem with accidentally firing both barrels. I always thought that was the main advantage of double triggers - instant choke selection.

 

[Eightball]

Put one finger in the trigger guard, and shoot the back trigger first. or, shoot the back trigger first anyhow. On my SxS .410, there's a slight "pinching" sensation if the front trigger is pulled first (maybe due to the fact that the trigger then proceeds to squash my other finger ). But hey, that's just my experience.

 

[SASS#23149]

depends on what you are shooting

on my cas gun,I shoot the left barrel first as it's the tightest.This takes down the trip target,then switch to the right barrel for a more open pattern.Our clays are fairly close though.If I were shooting doubles trap I would shoot the right barrel first on the close target and the tighter left barrel on the second one as it screams out of sight.
so far, I"ve never had a sxs shotgun 'double' on me due to trigger finger placement.so far.

 

[mattw]

Usually its not that big of a problem, but in the excitement of a hunting situation, someone who hasnt shot their double alot might accidentally pull them both if they have two fingers in the trigger guard.

 

[tranders]

When upland bird hunting over a dog I always shoot the barrel with the most open choke first and then the tighter choked barrel second. When hunting Doves out of a tree line it is usually exact opposite. If the target is flying at you than the tighter choke first then the open choke second.
With modern day shells it has amazd me some of the targets I've hit with an improved cylinder choke. With the exception of Turkey hunting I very rarely ever use a full choke. I even use a improved modified choke from the 27 yard line when trapshooting.

Good Luck!!

 

[joab]

I was taught the hard way to have one finger in the guard and pull the back trigger first

 

[ClarkEMyers]

On the same principle as shooting under in an O/U

On the same principle as shooting under in an O/U (recoil more nearly straight back so the second shot is easier see the trap un-single) then shoot the rear trigger first so that recoil can move the hand into position for the front trigger.

On my own guns when I had two triggers I used them for instant choke selection when I had single triggers I set them based on shooting incoming or outgoing and choke selection and when the birds crossed me up I didn't try to change anything but shot away with chokes I had previously selected. That's why I kind of like choke selection in a double trigger gun more than rear always first. Come to think of I don't always shoot lower first in an over/under.

 

[tuna]

I usually load the two barrels differently for hunting, with the front trigger for up close and the rear trigger for a tighter pattern at longer range. If loaded the same, I've always fired the front trigger first. Never had a problem.

 

[BigG]

On two trigger gun, pull front trigger first, then back trigger using only one finger in the trigger guard. That fires your left and right. Works for me. Never had one double.

 

[Dave R]

Ahh, I love double triggers. Instant choice between two chokes, or between two loads. The whole point is you can choose based on the shot that is presented.

With that out of the way, I believe you will find most SXS's are set up with the more open choke connected to the front trigger, and the more closed choke connected to the rear trigger. (If you have fixed chokes, anyway.) That's how mine is set up. So I suppose that means that you ordinarily shoot the front trigger first, since the choke is more open and the bird is--theoretically, at least--closer to you. The second shot will likely be farther away, so you use the tighter choke, which is the rear trigger.

When I hunt upland in the fall, I run into a mixed bag of doves and Hungarian partridge, which are slightly larger. I tend to load 6's in the open choke tube, and 5's in the closed choke tube. If I flush a dove, its the 6's on the front trigger. If I flush Huns, its its the 5's on the rear trigger. Try that with your pump gun!

Longest shot I ever made on a dove was about 45 yards. He was moving straight away--with the bead right on him he was not moving at all. So I hit him with the 5's on the rear trigger, and down he went.

I'm a big fan of twin triggers, if you can't tell...

 

[tuna]

Can't see the reason for a double without two triggers either. Closest you can do with a pump is to have a lighter load (say 8's or 71/2's) in the chamber and 6's next. Doubt that would work anyway....

 

[Okiecruffler]

I'm a front to back guy, unless I need to be a back to front guy, or just a back guy. If things go right I'm just a front guy.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Twp triggers on a double is as The Diety intended. Instant choice of choke and load.

One hunting season will teach even the most inept of us how to pick the right trigger in a twinkling.

While a case can be made for a double of either kind having one trigger if it is solely used for games, hunting doubles benefit greatly from having two.

In earlier times, Browning Superposeds from Belgium could be had with two triggers. One could use the triggers as usual, or just pull one trigger twice. The front trigger would fire the bottom barrel first, the rear the top. In the days of fixed chokes, this came close to optimum, IMO.

For those of us with Beretta O/Us, Rich Cole Guns will convert the 680 series guns to two triggers using factory parts for about $200 last I heard.

 

[zeke]

Am liking sxs, and have more than a couple (cheap ones). The following is just an opinion. Ain't got no use for 2 fingers in the trigger guard? One finger is plenty, and for the fixed chokes owned, the front trigger fires the more open choke. Have recently bought several of the newer "improved" versions with single triggers and the main advantage seems to be more room in the trigger guard for a gloved finger (sometimes precious little room between front and rear trigger on the double trigger models). The main disadvantage being not as instinctive changing to different barrel for first shot.

 

[scout26]

Hmmmm, as a proud owner of a couple of old SxS's, I've never even considered putting two fingers in the trigger guard, as it looks like it would be painful.

As far as which trigger to pull first, Front trigger/Right barrel normally is the more open choke and Back trigger/Left barrel is tighter choked. Depends on the range to target, but one of my old garage sale bought SxS's is choked "Full" and "Fuller". Normally it goes something like this:

Bird flushes, Pull front trigger, bird flies further on, Pull back trigger, bird keeps flying. Dog looks back at you as if to say: "Look, if you're not going to shoot 'em out the sky for me to retreive, I'm not going to point 'em any more !!!"