doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com How to Shoot Trap with a SxS

I think one thing missing here is trap shooting stated with live pigeons. Two shots were permitted. When all the pigeons in the country were killed off, substitute targets were used and evolved into the clay targets we now have. I believe when the rare live pigeon shoots are held two shots are not only allowed but are required regardless of the first shot result. Probably a safety requirement to be sure the gun is empty.

I think the original poster was questioning if a shooter of that day used both barrels in part to keep just one from heating up. Most of the top shots seem to have beaver tail or large splinter fore ends and those who don't can often clearly be seen to be wearing a leather glove on the hand which comes into contact with the metal of the barrels.

If those shooters were anything like those of today you might find some very interesting habits. One major Skeet shooter loads AA shells so the AA on the shell is horizontal. Another has lucky shoes. A trap shooter I know always goes out with 28 shells in his bag. No more, no less. Or the Sporting clay champion who I watched blink nine times on every station to "clear his eyes". Methodical and obsessive are terms which comes to mind when I think of most top shooters. Doing it exactly the same way over and over again.

At most SxS shoots, unless there's a provision for guns other than sxs, you wouldn't be able to use a SBT, even a vintage one.

For the most part, I use trap only to warm up for the Great Northern (mid-June), which has a simulated pigeon ring. Something close to a trap gun, or choked like one, works best.

Re barrels heating up--I always wear a thin leather glove on my left (leading) hand anyhow. And the barrels will warm up enough, especially on a hot summer day, that you may want something that gives your hand more protection--especially if you have a gun with a splinter FE. Like my trap/pigeon ring gun. But I've found they don't get all that hot unless maybe you're shooting a short squad, like 3 guys. Then they will. A full squad, moving after every 5 targets . . . they'll get warm, but I don't need anything more than my thin leather glove.

Back when we used to shoot a flurry event as part of the UP/Great Northern--70-some targets in 2 1/2 minutes, and you could use someone to load for you--then you definitely needed a padded glove if you were using just one gun.

I would think most shooters would use their more open barrel at the 16-yard events and the tighter barrel at handicap events.

Nothing bothers me more then over-under skeet shooters, with skeet chokes in both barrels, that wear out one lock mechanism by loading one shell at a time for singles at stations one through seven!! Lost bird, delay of the squad!!

Might as well get used to it....that's what is being taught in youth shooting.

I only ask the question because I took out my Remington F fully restored to shoot some trap the other day and had forgotten the choke measurements and wondered which barrel I should be using. It got me wondering if there was a 'proper' way to use it. It didn't seem to make a difference at 16 yds using 3 drams FF black powder and 1 1/8oz #8.

Based on grip alone, with the straight stock of the F Grade is there an advantage to using the rear or the front trigger first when shooting doubles?

Bit of thread drift perhaps, but shooting trap successfully or flyers for that matter has to do with total concentration on the BIRD. I've a friend who shoots bunker trap low gun, willing and able to use both bbl.'s, but never remotely bringing the gun into play until the target has been loosed and is visible, uses a high grade Franchi SxS for the most part. Its his 'practice' for grouse hunting in the UP, shared w/his dog alone. He breaks scores in the low 20's w/great frequency & never discusses bags, but sometimes makes a passing remark on the quality of the season past. I doubt he puts but a couple in the bag per day or ever had any interest in doing much more that that, but he eats both when fortunate in that way, w/an old friend he stays with up there during season.. and its enough.

Don't let Joe fool ya either, he can bring those bbl.'s on guns stocked w/so much drop you'd think they were made for cranes to to shoot, rather than peoples, to the target w/alacrity & drop birds where a dog, if it was paying attention, can find it w//o much effort, stone dead or winged hard enough that an old dog can walk toit.

If you can really tell the dif. when shooting a SxS vs. an O/U or even a semi-auto, I'd guess you are <100% focused where you need to be. Joe once told me that having a gun w/o hammers is like having a dog w/o ears. I dunno, all my dogs have had 'em and paid reasonable attention. "Whoa! Whoa, you $%&#@!, Whoa!" Mine generally have, but I've seen others where that phrase is about all they ever heard, best I could tell.. and it didn't carry much weight whether their owner was using a quality SxS or not, seeing as how they seldom got to shoot anyway.

Drew,

Do any of those early trap shooters go into any more detail on how they used their guns when shooting clay targets?

Then, as now, no shortage of opinions...some contradictory

Lots here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17__6nT2u4mP22we08yCBThQ_a-VtmOueW5CisK3c2To/preview

Already reviewed looking for specific advice regarding which barrel if shooting once (U.S. style) at inanimate targets and couldn't find anything. I do recall John Olin liked the left barrel first on skeet doubles as the recoil was into the face.

BTW: this thread has some neat vintage videos of live action target and pigeon shooting. Despite the vintage mount mythology, most of shooters look like they could have been at the 2016 Southern
http://www.trapshooters.com/threads/vintage-live-action-trap-and-live-bird-shooting.514889/

It is clearly shown that recoil from the first shot lifts the heads of several shooters well off of the stock

E.D. Fulford, winner of the 1898 GAH at Live Birds, and obvious Remington rep

A gun with two sets of barrels, both the same length and weight, is to be recommended. Have trap set bored to shoot 70 per cent, of load in a 30-inch circle, at 40 yards. Have field set with right barrel cylinder and left barrel modified choke.
Get a gun with drop and cast-off that fits you, and one that you can hit the objects with. The average man needs about 2 3/4 inches drop at butt, 1 1/2 inches drop at comb, 14 1/4 inches long, full pistol grip, weight 7 1/2 to 8 pounds. The Remington Arms Company without doubt or question produce the best and strongest gun for the money made in the world to-day.
I consider the U.M.C. shell the best. I know nothing about any powder but �Schultze� and believe it the best nitro powder made. For a target load use 2 3/4 to 3 drams, wadded with a split salmon No. 11 two pink-edge. No. 11 and 1 1/4 ounces No. 7 chilled shot, in 2 3/4 inch Trap or Smokeless case. For live birds use 45 to 50 grains (3 1/4 to 3 1/2 Dram Eq.) wadded with one split salmon No. 11. two pink-edge. No. 11, 1 1/4 ounces No. 7 and 1 3/16 ounces No. 6 chilled shot, in 2 3/4 inch case. You can make no mistake in using the above loads for trap shooting of the present clay.