Why O/U

K

kx592

New member
Just figured I would post this up to get some insight. What is the big advantage/ preference for the O/U's for sket, trap, spot clay? Whats the advantage of having 1 less shell?
 
In most shotgun shooting sports you can only use two rounds so the extra capacity is of little importance. The O/U gives you a single sight plane, the ability to use different chokes in each barrel and they seem to handle better than pumps/auto's and SXS.
 
robhof

The o/u's also handle really well. They come to point and swing the smoothest of all the shotguns, except a quality single, but then you've only got one shot.
 
It's about the weight distribution. The barrels run all the waytowards the breach so the gun is more compact and the weight distribution is even through the swing plane, if that makes any scence to you.
 
What is the big advantage/ preference for the O/U's for sket, trap, spot clay?​
The two word answer: Higher scores

If you come up with a configuration that gives the comp shooters better scores than the O/U, then there will be a boat load of custom O/U race guns for sale at reduced prices.
 
score

+1 about the higher scores. O/Us in the clay games seem to be what the winners shoot.
They come to point and swing the smoothest of all the shotguns
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I wonder about that - whether it isn't more of a personal preference. I've heard repeatedly over the years that SXSs are the most natural pointing SGs.
I've also heard that the O/U's popularity is related to the fact that "we are a nation of riflemen" and the O/U is more like a rifle than a SXS.
Pete
 
Good points already made, plus the gun will be shorter for a given barrel length because you don't have the added length of the action of an auto or pump. I think the triggers are or can be made smoother & crisper on higher grade o/u's.
 
I've heard repeatedly over the years that SXSs are the most natural pointing SGs.
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That's going under the assumption that the gun has been properly fitted. These guns are typically used for driven birds in Europe (still are), as well as by a growing contingency of folks here who like the sleek design and usually light weight associated with a finely-made double (Clunky cheap guns aside)
 
Ill agree with the fact O/U have a natural mount, i tried a few at the shop the other day getting my gun and it fit real nice, I just think I wouldn't be as happy with one as an auto. Maybe ill try one out next time im on the market for one
 
It's a matter of preference. I own both. Which one do I shoot the best? About the same. There are some high end autos out there that are winning shoots in the right hands. The thing with an O/U is the asthetics. They're just nice to own. One standout advantage of an O/U is the ability to choose two different chokes when shooting sporting clays. In most big shoots, someone sets the course up with several stations where a bird is right on top of you and the next (or preceding one) very far away. There is a small advantage having two different chokes. However, your top shooters can usually do as well with either gun. FYI: I'm a AA shooter and have been shooting shotgun for a lot of years competivily. I win my share of shoots too.
 
You've gotten all good answers - but I don't think anybody mentioned reliability ( from good, Over Unders ) - and by that I mean at an entry level guns from Browning or Beretta ...so for the most part we're discussing guns in the $ 2,500 + price range...

With many semi-autos / cycling can be an issue - especially if the gun is not kept clean and well lubed. There is a lot more going on / than simply opening an O/U - pushing shells into it / cocking and firing the 2 barrels ...not that an O/U can't break ( it can ) .... but holding up to 15,000 shells a year - an O/U is clearly the better choice in terms of reliability, in my opinion.

Its a topic often discussed here - but not all O/U's are created equal. The market is littered with O/U's under $1,000 these days -- and you have to ask yourself, if you see dozens of Browning and Beretta O/U's at competitive shoots ( guns that might be 10 yrs old plus ) that are still providing trouble free performance - why do these guys depend on a Browning vs a lot of the cheaper guns .... / it comes down to reliability ( not fancy wood or engraving ).

The 3rd shell in a semi-auto is irrlevant / because you can't have more than 2 shells in the gun at any time for Skeet, Trap, Sporting Clays or 5 Stand ...( and sometimes only 1 shell )... Loading 3 shells in a semi-auto is a "major safety violation" !
 
It's true that a better O/U will handle more rounds in its lifetime without wearing out than an auto will. Even a high end auto. However, when they do wear out they are still a lot cheaper to replace than an O/U. I've gone through three Berettas in the last fifteen years. No big deal, I just buy another one. Even the worn out one still fetches a couple hundred bucks. It still comes down to which one you shoot the best if you're out there to win. How long the gun is going to last is secondary if you're a competitor. FYI-I own two higher end O/U's but like shooting the auto due to its almost negligible recoil (gas operated Beretta 391 Sporter). On a good day I shoot my O/U better if the course has a tough mix of targets where two chokes are an advantage (you can also mix loads with an auto to gain some of that back such as spreaders, etc).
 
Over the long term, even a semi-serious clay shooter will spend WAY more on targets and ammunition than they will on the price of the gun. High-end guns hold their value at a higher % rate than lower end guns.

Folks I know shoot K-80s - great guns - current average new price for a basic model is about $10,000. They can shoot those guns for 5 or 10 years and when they upgrade, sell those guns for equal or more money than what they originally spent. Not a bad deal in the long run
 
Browning XS Skeet Citori, with 30" barrels, and an adj comb - is my primary gun for bird hunting, Skeet and Sporting Clays and 5 Stand. Its a lot of gun for the money these days retailing new for around $3,000. I have XS Skeet models in 12, 20, 28ga and .410 - so they meet all my needs in the field and for most clay target games. Most of my guns have close to 100,000 shells thru them / and no malfunctions...

For Trap - I turn to a Browning XT, Trap model, 32" barrels and around 10 lbs .... longer and heavier ...its a better Trap gun for me ( at singles, doubles or continental Trap). I have single barrel Trap guns / but I rarely shoot them.

My do everything well travel gun / when I only want to take one gun for a little bit of everything ... is a Benelli Super Sport semi auto. Its real light, even with a 30" barrel - but new its under $2,000 so I don't mind letting the airlines ship it for me ( where I would not give them a good O/U ...just don't trust them ) ...and insured or not / the last thing I want is to get at my vacation site and not have my gun / set up the way I want it. I think a Beretta 391 is a good alternative - if you like a gas gun / I don't. The Benelli inertia system shoots way cleaner / easier to strip and clean when I get back to my hotel for the evening or before I leave the gun club.
 
Trap with a SXS

Thought that this link would fit in with this thread OK. More about SXSs in trap. Can't see them taking over based on this but these fellows all had positive experiences.
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=96&t=214259

More directly related to this thread: the only O/U that I have is a field gun (a Weatherby) in 20 ga. How much of a handicap is a 20 ga. when shooting Trap? Is there a load that is recommended for the 20 ga. in this game?
Pete
 
More directly related to this thread: the only O/U that I have is a field gun (a Weatherby) in 20 ga. How much of a handicap is a 20 ga. when shooting Trap? Is there a load that is recommended for the 20 ga. in this game?
Pete
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For singles from the 16, there isn't any handicap - many 12 gauge shooters are shooting 7/8 and even 3/4 oz loads to lessen recoil. Your basic Win AA or Remington STS target load (or something similar) will work just fine with #8 or 7-1/2 shot.

The only disadvantage you'll notice is from your gun being a lightweight field gun. The extra 2 pounds or so that the target weighs really becomes apparent after a few rounds. A target grade 20, with proper loads and chokes can hang with the 12, IMO, all the way back to the 27 yard line
 
great!

Oneounce: Thanks for that info. I am encouraged. I've owned SGs of various types for years - hunted with them - but have only just started with the clay games. I very much enjoyed my first experience with Trap. Wish I could say that I did really well from the first round but that is not so. Each round, however, was better than the one before. I was using my old 12 ga. Ithaca 37. Want to try the 20 O/U.
Want to try a lot of stuff.
Pete
 
I beg to differ with my learned friend, oneounceload. Yesterday, I shot a few rounds of 16-yd trap with my 12-ga omni-loads (7/8-oz of #8s at 1200+ fps). They are great for training: I over choke a pinch so they are a little center dense and give a nice ink-ball that tells me when I'm right-on the target or dust shows when I'm a little off. That being said, if I were shooting for score, it would be with 1-1/8-oz loads and less choke so those dusters would be dead.

Sure, you can shoot 16-yard trap with a 20-ga (or smaller) and have a great time, but don't delude yourself into thinking that the lighter loads don't put fewer pellets in the air and fewer pellets mean fewer chances of breaking the target. Perhaps 1-oz might have said, For singles from the 16, there isn't much of a handicap instead of any. And, getting back on topic, trap is the one sport where I trade two O/U barrels for one long one. Isn't that why they make combos?
 
The length and weight of the gun make them more natural to swing and lead the target with, am I correct? I shoot pretty decent with a Mossberg 500, but I picked that up just to get started with the sport.

Another advantage with the O/U that I've heard about is that when firing the lower barrel, rather than the upper barrel, the gun tends not to flip up as much and is more comfortable to shoot. So, do people shoot singles with an O/U with the lower barrel only?
 
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