Some years ago, I shot sporting clays almost exclusively at a course that featured many simultaneous doubles with limited target windows requiring extremely quick second shots. The simultaneous doubles were particularly demanding because they often combined very different target presentations, a rabbit with a crossing or outgoing bird, for example, both quickly disappearing behind cover.
After shooting the course many times reasonably successfully, given my generally limited shooting ability, with a relatively light ported gun, I acquired an unported target gun and had noticeable difficulty making the second shots. At first I thought it was the heavier weight of the target gun, but Magna Porting it at least seemed to alleviate the problem. Maybe it was only psychological, but it worked.
I still shoot the ported target gun and the noise does not seem to bother either me, or my regular shooting partners, all wearing hearing protection. We may have just accepted it as normal.
I, too, have shot and continue to at times shoot true pairs, or simo pairs as some call them, that are set so that the second bird has to be taken extremely quickly. As I mentioned, I used to shoot a MX8 that was ported on the bottom barrel, which I always shoot first. (IMO, what is gained in reduced barrel flip caused by shooting the bottom barrel first is more than what is gained by porting). I sold it and now shoot an identical MX8 that is not ported. I could not tell one iota of difference between the ported gun and the current one as far as speed getting on the second bird. As you noted, some of it could possibly be imagined, and that is significant in competition, because whatever gives you more confidence
usually betters your shooting ....... usually.
Concerning true pairs that are set so that the second bird is nearly on the ground, or "out the window" when you get to it .......... if you are shooting the first bird early enough, and the second is still like that, it's poor target setting. That said, poor target setting is a fact of life, and must be dealt with at times. If you really believe porting gains you a microsecond, by all means make use of it ...... it's legal. I prefer to gain that extra split second by taking the first bird earlier.
Interesting discussion.
All my best, SRH
