Upgrade Winchester SX1 or Sell It and Buy Another Shotgun?

F

Farmhand

New member
Ten plus years ago I bought a Winchester SX1 shotgun - the wood was fairly fancy and the gun was in very good shape. Kind of just a hey I like that at the time - thought it would be nice to have one if I ever wanted to hunt again (which I have no desire to do). I replaced the recoil buffer and put it in the safe. There it sat. Now 10+ years later I have some free time and would like to try sporting clays. However, the SX1 is Full Choke - I had hoped that it could be threaded for choke tubes but that is not possible due to the barrel thickness or lack there of I guess.

I guy I know at the club has a decent SX1 barrel in modified choke. He said he would sell it to me for $250 if I want it. Modified would be okay I think for most Sporting Clays shots.

My question is is it worth sinking $250 into the SX1 or should I sell it and buy something else. It will always be a fixed choke gun - but the wood is better than most today and the thing is certainly very well built gun. But is is 35+ years old and parts will probably become harder to get. And I believe a lot of the newer guns have shims to help adjust the stock a bit.

Perhaps a lightly used Remy 1100 Sporting with screw in chokes or a used Browning Gold Semi or Winchester Sx3. I don't own a over/under but I did look at the CZ Redhead Target a while back. Seems like a lot of gun for the money. However, the gas guns spread the recoil out a bit so I guess they seem to have less recoil but I guess that is subjective.

Now that I am passing my mid-50s my eyesight is not what it was - plus I am x-eye dominate. So I don't see my self as a serious clay shooter - just a go out and have fun in a social shooting setting.

Just wondering if the SX1 is worth sinking another $250 into it and still being fixed choke. Or should I just cry now and sell it to fund part of a more appropriate sporting gun?

Suspect I might get a lot of varied opinions here - but that is fine. I have been going back and forth myself over the last week or so.
 
I would go out and shoot the gun you have and see where you get. I shoot a lot of full chokes in my Citori and Mossberg 500. Pretty sure my Savage Fox is Mod/Full. If you lose interest in a week/month then no loss. But if you like things then move forward on a gun purchase.

Ever think of asking they guy with the barrel for sale if you could try it out for a while. Atleast to form an opinion.
 
It really depends on what kind of clays you are shooting. I use a light/full choke for trap. Give it a shot and you may find that you don't need to buy anything other than more shells.
 
The previous posts are spot on. Use the gun the way it is. Try a few rounds of sporting clays with the FC. You msy well find that you have no need for another barrel or another gun.
 
I don't think you'll be happy with a full choke only gun for sporting clays. The courses vary quite a bit and full may be OK at some stations, but a sever handicap at others. It won't hurt to try, but I believe you'll be more successful with something using interchangeable tubes to match the conditions. I shoot IC more than all others combined followed by modified. I never use full choke for anything but turkey. Full would be almost useless for skeet, but about right for trap.

In all fairness I don't know much about those guns, but it is my understanding that they do have a cult like following among some shooters. Spending $250 on another barrel that I see as much more versatile is about 1/4 to 1/10 what a new gun would cost.

If I REALLY liked the gun otherwise I'd seriously consider adding the barrel. On the other hand you own a gun with a 40+ year old design that never really caught on. If you shoot anything a lot parts will break, and parts for this one may be hard to find. If you can find one of those guys who are in the "cult", and if they offered me enough I'd probably let it go and buy a more modern design. It would hinge on how much they are bringing on the used market.
 
However, the SX1 is Full Choke - I had hoped that it could be threaded for choke tubes but that is not possible due to the barrel thickness or lack there of I guess.
Click to expand...

Have you called Briley and asked them about chokes for your gun? If it does indeed need thinwalls installed, that is their specialty.
 
If you have calipers

The barrel can be measured. Mike Orlen is a forum sponsor and gets great reviews for his work. He may have a thin wall option for your gun.

Shipping not a deal at all as he only needs the barrel, no special shipping or handling needed.

Get a good OD and ID on the barrel and give Mike a call. Briley will do a great job, the pricing will get your attention.
 
I am one of those cult like super x model one shooters. tried 1100s both reg and classic trap , shot 11-87s, ithica37s, etc. nothing comes close to the feel.
…..several companies sell ammo with spreader wads in them. one box of reg ammo and one box of spreader ammo will do a sporting clay course.
….I do have one of them fancy b word stack barrel guns for when I get labelled a kook though, lol.
 
Another (and cheaper) option to choke tubes is just having the full choke opened up to Modified and call it good.
 
shot my super x 1 tonight. switched from the usual win AA shell to a rio brand one. while not junk it did definitely did not shoot as tight. scores when up.
…..so anyway a change in ammo effectively changed my gun from a trap full to more of a improved mod choke. bobn
 
Patterns?

Before you get your Super-X screw choked, or have the choke reamed, I suggest you spend an afternoon patterning with several different shell choices, including some of the cheap promotional small game shells. You're likely to find that some of them pattern a lot looser than others. My Super-Xs choked improved modified (I had two of them), with good quality shells (AA superhandicap, or Federal gold medal paper, 3 dram-equivalent, #7 1/2 shot), shot consistently over 80% (average of 5 patterns, 30 inch diameter circle around approximate center point of the pattern, at 40 yards). That's full choke performance. It shot even tighter with 2 3/4 dram loads. But with skeet loads (#9 shot) the patterns opened up considerably at 40 yards, and they did the same with the cheap small game/gun club shells.

If you think you need less choke for ATA 16 yard trapshooting, try shooting a round or two with skeet loads. If you don't ride the target you might be surprised at the results. It works at closer shots in sporting clays as well.

Also, consider this: overchoked is the expert's choice, because when experts miss, they don't miss by much. (I'm quoting Bruce Buck). I shot FITASC for some years with these guns, and I never thought I had too much choke. Those old Winchester solid chokes pattern beautifully, and are worth preserving.
 
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