i have shot many 25-25,s and 50-50,s since 67-68 with many types of shotguns,but only one 25-25 with a double barrel and believe it or not it was two years ago with a remington 12ga model 1900 made in 1906 with 32" steel full choke barrels. it did not come over night and the amount of drop did not help along with the beating my face took because i had to shoot high face due to the drop in the stock. i do have a browning BSS sporter 20ga thats my favorite bird shotgun(the best at trap 23-25) and a fox sterlingworth 16ga along with a just picked up a older charles daley 12ga made by mokuro,the same maker of the brownings now. eastbank.
Side-by-Side or Over/Under?
- Thread starter ClayBlaster
- Start date
ClayBlaster
Inactive
So the debate continues, I think most of you agree an O/U is the way to go for Sporting Clays but this high gun low gun is just more to think about and foreign to me. When I see guns with real high ribs I think that would be just as hard to shoot being you have the compensate for the distance between your site and barrel height. That said I would think if your shooting right to left or left to right you could adjust by switching barrels. Some of the trick would be to get out in front of the target, right? I've learned a few things, pattern, fit and technique. Was going to shoot my 1100 this past weekend but the crud said I would have no part of it. Hopefully later this week.
I do not shoot as much as I used to, and I VERY rarely ever shoot trap. To me trap is a sustained concentration game. I can shoot a 24 or 25 not having shot it in years, but I don't think I would ever get 100 straight in 1,000 tries.
I have shot many 25/25s at Skeet with a SxS, but the last was a while ago. I have sold off all my SxSs but a Browning BSS Sporter choked M & F. It's a good dove gun, but I need to get tubes installed, and every time I go to Houston I forget to take the darned barrels with me. I definitely shoot Sporting better with an LT-20 these days.
I have shot many 25/25s at Skeet with a SxS, but the last was a while ago. I have sold off all my SxSs but a Browning BSS Sporter choked M & F. It's a good dove gun, but I need to get tubes installed, and every time I go to Houston I forget to take the darned barrels with me. I definitely shoot Sporting better with an LT-20 these days.
Discussion continues, yes.....and if nothing else comes across - you should shoot whatever type of gun you want to shoot / and none of us on a gun forum are going to tell you not to buy another gun ...( I've weaned my shotgun collection down to about 20 guns or so ...)...1 semi-auto, 2 pump guns, a bolt action gun - and the rest are all Browning O/U's in 12, 20, 28 and .410...so I'm sure not telling you not to buy another gun....
But "Fit" is the issue here...
To tell you a story...I started shooting Trap competitively about 40 yrs ago...borrowed guns, etc...bought a Browning BPS pump 12ga( Hunter model, and I still have it )..and I shot that as my primary gun for several years / and I probably shot a few dozen 100's straight with the pump gun...( it Fit, but I didn't understand Fit )....
After about 10 seasons, I Bought a Browning Citori 12ga, 28" barrels, O/U...and I ran a lot of 25's...a few 50's ...only 1 or 2 75's...and maybe 1 or 2 100's....but I did not shoot that gun better than my BPS for Trap singles.
A few years later I stated shooting Skeet.../ talking to Skeet shooters is when I learned about Fit / and how to use a pattern board. The Citori I had ...had an angled comb ...and it didn't fit me very well / and it varied by season when I was shooting in a T shirt ...vs heavy coat and vest in winter. That was when I discovered parallel comb guns..and learned how to adust them for Fit.
After that I started winning some club skeet shoots, did a lot better in sporting clays, won - in class, not overall some sporting clays shoots, won a few state shoots in the 28ga..../ and "Fit" and a good coach were a really big part of my improvement. I kept at it for about 15 yrs...had a lot of fun...
Its now 5 or 6 yrs later..my competition days are over ...but even now that I have some vision issues / some cataracts developing, some eye muscle issues that cause some blurry vision to come and go ....with my primary guns, I can still run 25 on a Skeet field (some days, not every day out like I used to)...because the guns fit / my eyes lose a target here and there...my averages are down to low 90's / but an occasional 25 still makes me feel good / and while there is an occasional 50 still...I doubt there will be any more 75's or 100's...except as a fluke.( every blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while )....my primary O/U's are not what is holding me back.../ because they "Fit" me...and as we've discussed, 99.9% of the SXS's don't fit me without me spending a lot of money to restock them...but it doesn't mean a SXS isn't cool...its just not for me / if I want to hit what I'm shooting at ( whether its Quail, Doves or Clays...it doesn't matter )...
Figure out "Fit" ....figure out if your gun Fits / see if a SXS Fits...and shoot what fits...
But "Fit" is the issue here...
To tell you a story...I started shooting Trap competitively about 40 yrs ago...borrowed guns, etc...bought a Browning BPS pump 12ga( Hunter model, and I still have it )..and I shot that as my primary gun for several years / and I probably shot a few dozen 100's straight with the pump gun...( it Fit, but I didn't understand Fit )....
After about 10 seasons, I Bought a Browning Citori 12ga, 28" barrels, O/U...and I ran a lot of 25's...a few 50's ...only 1 or 2 75's...and maybe 1 or 2 100's....but I did not shoot that gun better than my BPS for Trap singles.
A few years later I stated shooting Skeet.../ talking to Skeet shooters is when I learned about Fit / and how to use a pattern board. The Citori I had ...had an angled comb ...and it didn't fit me very well / and it varied by season when I was shooting in a T shirt ...vs heavy coat and vest in winter. That was when I discovered parallel comb guns..and learned how to adust them for Fit.
After that I started winning some club skeet shoots, did a lot better in sporting clays, won - in class, not overall some sporting clays shoots, won a few state shoots in the 28ga..../ and "Fit" and a good coach were a really big part of my improvement. I kept at it for about 15 yrs...had a lot of fun...
Its now 5 or 6 yrs later..my competition days are over ...but even now that I have some vision issues / some cataracts developing, some eye muscle issues that cause some blurry vision to come and go ....with my primary guns, I can still run 25 on a Skeet field (some days, not every day out like I used to)...because the guns fit / my eyes lose a target here and there...my averages are down to low 90's / but an occasional 25 still makes me feel good / and while there is an occasional 50 still...I doubt there will be any more 75's or 100's...except as a fluke.( every blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while )....my primary O/U's are not what is holding me back.../ because they "Fit" me...and as we've discussed, 99.9% of the SXS's don't fit me without me spending a lot of money to restock them...but it doesn't mean a SXS isn't cool...its just not for me / if I want to hit what I'm shooting at ( whether its Quail, Doves or Clays...it doesn't matter )...
Figure out "Fit" ....figure out if your gun Fits / see if a SXS Fits...and shoot what fits...
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Creek Henry
New member
Th ere is a dimension beyond fit though. I got a nice sxs that fit me well but was far too light up front and therefore whippy. It didn't work well for me. The ou I replaced it with is better balanced and swing much better. Fit is important but not the entire story. My $0.02
I agree - weight and balance, and overall length, are factors as well....which is why I prefer an 8.5 lb gun for general shooting ( upland birds, Skeet, Sporting Clays and 5 Stand ) and usually in a 30" barreled over under
....and a 10 lb gun for Trap in a 32" barreled over under.
A gun that is too light ...will be "whippy" in my view as well...and while to some extent, you can counteract the whippiness with a little more length in the barrel ...the best combination is what feels best to you.
But if the gun doesn't fit ...and its whippy....wow, that will be a problem...
....and a 10 lb gun for Trap in a 32" barreled over under.
A gun that is too light ...will be "whippy" in my view as well...and while to some extent, you can counteract the whippiness with a little more length in the barrel ...the best combination is what feels best to you.
But if the gun doesn't fit ...and its whippy....wow, that will be a problem...
ClayBlaster
Inactive
Great advice Big Jim and everyone for that matter! I like SxS a lot especially the CZ Sharp Tail. I think it's just a nice looking gun. Like I mention before all I've ever shot is sporting clays 12 stations 100 targets and average in the 30's. Yes I stink! But it's still fun and my hope is someday get my 11yr old daughter out there. That said I wish I knew someone who had one that I could shoot before I made the decision.
One of my buddies has a Kreighoff Royal Crown 4 gauge set. I think he said something North of a hundred thousand. And a whole slew of other O/Us, Perazzis, a 32, a 3200, et al. He shoots everything in competitive games, even Live Pigeon.
After fighting it for a while, he switched to an 11-87 with the one I sold him in the duck blind in 1987 for waterfowl.
I sure would like a CSMC Model 21 Heavy Duck in Bo Whoop configuration (I know Bo was a Fox). But, I cannot justify the expense knowing I won't kill anymore ducks than with my Wingmaster or 1100. For a couple of grand I could justify being able to sit and stare at it during the lulls, but not that much.
After fighting it for a while, he switched to an 11-87 with the one I sold him in the duck blind in 1987 for waterfowl.
I sure would like a CSMC Model 21 Heavy Duck in Bo Whoop configuration (I know Bo was a Fox). But, I cannot justify the expense knowing I won't kill anymore ducks than with my Wingmaster or 1100. For a couple of grand I could justify being able to sit and stare at it during the lulls, but not that much.
Just messin' with y'all. I like all well made shotguns...period. All are works of craftsmanship and artistry. This one is bound to be HEAVY!
Dreaming100Straight
New member
Clearly another cheap gun. The rib isn't even adjustable! (That gun probably cost what I made by best year.)
ClayBlaster
Inactive
Side-by-Side or Over/Under
That's a very nice gun FITAS! To rich for my blood! My budget is less than 3K. Other than the CZ, what other builders make a competition SxS? Oh, by the way, What the heck is that RobinTN? I wouldn't think of showing up at the range with something like that! But if I shot half as good as I think that guy does, maybe I would!
That's a very nice gun FITAS! To rich for my blood! My budget is less than 3K. Other than the CZ, what other builders make a competition SxS? Oh, by the way, What the heck is that RobinTN? I wouldn't think of showing up at the range with something like that! But if I shot half as good as I think that guy does, maybe I would!
Dreaming100Straight
New member
Not sure but isn't he a Saudi prince or just a the son of a wealthy middle eastern oil tycoon.
