doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Target guns versus game guns...

some dual purpose guns?

browning superposed

win model 12

ithaca 37

rem 870

rem 1100

and of course the browning bss

I have all of these except for the 1100 and the BSS. And I keep eyeballing the BSSs. The Model 12 in a 16 gauge. Ithaca- solid rib 20 gauge . 870- 20 gauge Wingmaster and 34" trap -12 gauge. My Citori with screw in chokes is a sweet all around gun. Skeet, Sporting Clays and hunting. AND it has a nice leather pad that I installed. But I still see the point. Plus it gives you good reason to buy more guns, right? That's why I asked about the Beretta on another thread. I also pheasant hunt with a 12 gauge Model 21. That's my baby.

There is also something to the over/under versus side by side thing going on here as well. I shoot this target gun differently somehow, perhaps more deliberately? It's not "aiming" per se, as you would a rifle, but more-so than with my sxs guns. It clearly works better for me on targets (especially the long ones) than my game guns do. Now, part of that is choking, but there seems to be something else going on too. I tend to shoot my sxs guns more quickly, more "instinctively" perhaps, and with far-less deliberation. The mount is clearly different as well (straight hand versus the pistol grip). There is more control of the gun with a pistol grip, with much-more deliberate placement of the hands. That really helps me with recoil, and along with the increased weight of the target gun, I barely notice 100 rounds of 12-gauge. With my Arrieta 557 (at 6 3/4 lbs), 100 12-gauge rounds leaves me feeling like I was just in a fistfight.

I suppose my next move will be to acquire a "heavy" side by side (with a pistol grip and long, heavy, and tightly choked tubes) that fits me well-enough to compare to my SKB? Darn it....yet another gun!

KY Jon has the right idea. Have several dozen guns of each type in different gauges and barrel lengths to minimize the damage you may do with excessive use of each gun. Several dozen of each type is only the minimum, not the upper limit.

The Preacher has an even larger collection of gun pictures. And you cannot damage a picture by shooting it too much. Nor do you have to clean it or worry about what hinge pin grease to use. You don't need a big heavy safe to store them, and there is no need to insure them againt theft. You don't even have to worry about anti-gun Democrats banning or confiscating them... yet. But you can post those photos here all the time and pretend to be an internet gun expert. Talk about a win-win situation.

I use to shoot registered skeet YEARS ago with a Win 101 in 20 and a Rem 3200. Shot those better than any SXS I've owned. Now, it's not about the competition, but more about the nostalgia of a SXS and tuning up for the season. So, I have a Uggie 28ga Bill Hanus bird gun that mimics my WC Scott for the skeet range. I'm shooting 3-4rd's a week and don't figure I'll wear her out, and it keeps the pressure off of the Scott.

I get it thought, if I were a dedicated target shooter I'd have another 3200 or something similar.
YMMv

That's the thing for me having a gun that does both. I see the point of having a gun for each agenda, but I need practice with my hunting gun to be good enough to hunt with it. I wouldn't want to just pull a gun out of the safe that I only put one or two rounds through at a bird every year. I'd be worried sick if I took a gun out to hunt with that I knew I couldn't hit a target with. I can do pretty well with a 20 gauge Remington Wingmaster at skeet and it is still adequate to take pheasant with. Or my little 16 gauge Model 12. I'd want to be confident that I could hit something with a gun out in the field when I was hunting. I can just change the chokes and I'm good to go. Then again, I'm not going to take my Ljutic out to hunt with either. So, I get your point there, guys.

I own both SxS and O/U guns from 12b to 20b. No 'tiny' guns. But my Harkom 16b weighs 5/8, Lindner Daly 20b about 5/5, my Fox 16 weighs 5/15, and my Henry Atkin SLE 12b weighs 6/1. For bird hunting my SxS guns are better... lighter to carry, they move better, they have double triggers and, IMO, they get on an unexpected flushing bird faster. They also are much easier/faster to load than other types of guns.

My O/U guns (Browning Supers in 12b and 20b and a Perazzi MX20 20b with fixed chokes) perform well on clays and incoming high birds like typical doves. They are heavier than my SxS guns, of course, but once moving they develop momentum, which helps to smooth out the swing. But they are tiring to carry, slow to reload, and some people don't shoot them well because the off eye picks up the side of the barrels, which is detrimental to good target acquisition.

Horses for courses.

Jimmy: Before bird season starts, all my bird gun(s) go to the range to help refresh some muscle-memory. Close-in and fast moving targets are a great refresher so that when the times comes, I remember why I love them afield. Skeet is great for this as well.

The comparison that started this post...



These guns couldn't be more different.

Right!! I understand completely. I don't own any older SXSs like that anymore. The oldest I have is a 1942 Model 12 or a Model 21. Or newer. So, if I grab any gun of mine to go bird hunting with or target shooting, I'll feel confident I can hit something with it. Because I use all of them periodically. But, I understand your thoughts, completely. I just don't have the guns the rest of you guys have. Thanks for sharing and good luck.