doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com The future of our sport....

Very well said, I struggled with a way to express that sentiment. I am almost 40, and seem to be the youngest guy shooting a SxS a lot of places.

While my son lusts for a Montefeltro, and shoots a 20 gauge 870 youth model a lot, he has a 16 gauge 311 that he shoots when we go to SxS shoots. As he shoots whatever I provide for him at this point I will keep him going on doubles as long as I can.

Flurry last year at Hausmans;

First time out, CJ at 8 years old;


CHAZ

Here are a few photos of my son shooting. He has been shooting a shotgun for a year now. His Skeet rounds are usually around the 17-19 mark. He shot a 20 the other evening out there with me. He will be joining the Harris County Shotgun Team next month as a 5th grader. He will begin competing in SCTP events later this spring. Our high school has an excellent program with shooters from 5th grade on up to 12th grade. They have won 5 or 6 National Titles and over 25 Georgia State Titles.

Shooting his 20ga Sabatti out at our gun club


Shooting Mrs. Kenna's 20ga Ideal Grade L.C. Smith at the 2012 Southern SxS


Trophy for winning the "High Junior" at the 2012 Southern SxS on the 5-Stand


Out on the Sporting Clays course during the 2012 Southern SxS


High Junior Award for Sporting Clays from the 2012 Southern SxS "American Classics Event" sitting next to his High Junior from the 5-Stand

I think in the next 25 years or so, on this side of the pond anyway, waterfowl will be the sport for birds and the over & under along with the semi will have a bright future. The mighty pump and the SxS will be regulated to the wall or the back of the safe resting alongside the old single shot.

However, on the other side of the pond, including Africa, the SxS will always do well.

I tend to believe that fine old guns are something one grows into. At 34, I just grew into it a lot earlier than most...

I've always shot sxs's since that is what I started with in 1972. My son was exposed to sxs doubles and other fine stuff by my interests and now he is a fan. I started him with a 20 ga. gas auto but he soon started shooting the doubles. When he turned 16 I told him I would buy him whatever 12 ga. he wanted for clays and waterfowl. He chose a Sterlingworth. He also now has his own hammergun and of course shoots my stuff too. He prefers to deer hunt with my Mannlicher-Shoenauer.

He attends sxs shoots but is often the only young man shooting. At last years Vintagers, I didn't see anyone under 30 but him all four days. I hope others get interested. I'm often asked about my doubles at local shoots. Everyone seems to want one, but I think the overiding concern is thier score. Even at a casual five stand I see guys hugely concerned with a miss and I'm afraid they think they'll lose a few targets with a "old fashioned" gun.

Adam--At 22 years old, your mission should you accept it, is to get married and have a raft of kids. Who knows, maybe you will sire the next Nash Buckingham or Kim Rhode.

This is my 50th year of hunting in N. Wisconsin, all with SxS's.I've just never owned anything else until this year (when I bought a M12 16ga).When I'm in the grouse woods and run across a younger hunter(they're almost all younger these days)they use words like "cool", or "it's so light" when I show them my old doubles.They can't believe the guns look so great after over 100 years of service.I know they want one from their reactions, but most think they can't afford doubles.When I tell them only one of my 15 doubles exceeded my $1500 rule anf most were alot less,I can see the wheels start turning.It's like the croud of people clustered around the fine knife tables at gun shows.It's just cool stuff to most people.

Love how you're mentoring your son in the shooting sports, and his achievements are to be commended. I must admit though that pic #3 made me squirm.

I believe this is the key. As more and more land is developed, and more of what hunting ground there is left is privatized limiting participation by regular folks, "shooting" will be limited to breaking targets, and that's just not what it's about to a lot of us.

I don't hang around clay shooting grounds much so don't know what's considered cool to shoot with here in the UK!

Admittedly my shooting is in the privileged bracket, driven shoots with mostly similar aged people (50s-80s). The predominant gun is still the English side by side, over and unders being rare, though no longer 'frowned upon'.

Most of my shooting friends have passed on English - or Scottish - side by sides to their sons. Like their fathers, they started in the field in the beating line before being allowed to carry a gun.

I know we are now probably in a minority, but it offers a glimmer of light for the future. Of course, with continued regular shooting some of those side by sides will eventually need either retiring or re-barrelling, as most of them have already or will shortly approach their 100th year. Perhaps, in years to come, the available pool of fine side by sides will diminish to the point where, following the laws of supply and demand, their value reflects collectable, rather than usable, status.

The other factor we certainly have to consider here is the possible total banning of lead shot. Of course we simply do not want to be putting steel down our old and 'delicate' barrels; bismuth remains an expensive alternative. We would rather keep with lead.


Tim