[ducks_rule_17]

Why do double barrels cost so much. is it because there are 2 barrels and not one you are paying for? Do you think getting one is a good idea for waterfowl hunting? you can use two different chokes or two different loads, for longer distance or different sized birds.

 

[okieshooter]

This is one close to my heart as one of my favoerite waterfowl guns(aside from 10 ga. single shot :lol: )is my cheapy Stoeger s/s. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I've got 2 shots coming regardless of how much field and marsh muck it has picked up. Which is usually alot !
I don't know why other brands are so costly given the fairly simple mechanics of 'em. Maybe it's a production thing .

 

[KpHonknImRloadn]

what i was told is that it has something to do with the welding of the barrels or something like that? i used a browning citori for a few years there ,and it done a good job, full in one and mod in the other, but it hurt draggin it through the muck. now im using an old 870 i had layin around. double barrels are worth it but mine was too close to me to beat up like that. those cheapy stogers do seem intriuging, arent they like 300 bucks or something like that.

 

[Scar]

A good deal of the cost is the joining of the two barrels. First you have to build two barrels then you have to make them hit at relatively the same point.

Doubles are great waterfowl guns. I've hunted lots with a pump and find that I didn't use the 3rd shell very often and when I did it was usually a wasted shot. With two barrels I'm guaranteed two shots and the second shot is immediate, no moving of an action to throw you off. Worst case is changing triggers, depending on if you go with one trigger or two. I prefer two, less parts to give grief, instant choke change if necessary and I find switching triggers to be very automatic with just a little practice.

I hunted last fall with a Stoeger O/U and there is a reason they are a cheaper gun. The quality just isn't there. They are a good gun for the money but they don't compare with higher end guns. If you are going to go out and shoot 2-300 rounds a year for hunting they will get you by. However I put mine through close to 3000 rounds shooting trap last summer and it just doesn't cut it, every couple hundred rounds it locks up and I can't break it open. Fortunately it never happened on a hunt.

Don't be scared to try a SxS either, I wondered what they'd be like to aim looking down two barrels instead of one, but if anything it might be slightly easier, once again it just took some getting used to. I shoot an old stevens 311 in 12 gauge and it works great on clays, havn't had it hunting yet.

I just purchased my new goose gun for next year. It's a W. W. Greener SxS 10 gauge. New being a relative term, it was built in 1892, has 32 inch fluid steel barrels chambered to 3 1/2" shells. handles beautifully, and comparing it to a stoeger you start to see where the extra money comes in on a higher end double. I have only shot light 1 5/8 oz loads so far, so I can't speak to the kick yet with full hunting loads.

Only downside I find to doubles is they can be a pain to load in a blind. Especially an O/U, between trying to find room to crack the barrels and then gettting the shells in with the barrels pointed upwards. However if you use a layout blind I don't see that being any problem at all.

As an added bonus no one complains about the hulls bouncing off the back of there head. No hulls spread around to flare geese either. Easy to keep controlled even with ejectors.

 

[thaner]

I don't have a sxs but I like them. I love my OU's but don't duck or goose hunt with them much. I use the OU's for all other bird hunting. Sometimes in a nice blind that I can get into without a lot of trouble I will take one out. I love the two chokes and loads that is hard to beat; you can pick your barrel dependent on the shot.

Like the other posts said it is hard to load in a small space and I hate to mess them up. If you have space you can change loads faster than most autos or pumps. I will stick with the autos and pumps for the ducks and geese when the conditions are rough. Like one of the other posts said most of the time I don't efficiently use the 3rd shot unless it is for a cripple. I have a higher bird to shell ratio with the OU's. The only thing I like better about the auto's is the recoil reduction. Most OU's quite hard with heavy loads especially the 3 ½"

I have about as much money in my high-end auto's as the OU's but they don't look as nice and take the beating better. Most of the nice OU's do not come in hunting camo or synthetic stocks and no shine finish. That new Ruger camo and satin stainless with black synthetic stocks both look interesting; Ruger is the only decent two-barrel I know of that looks like it can take prolonged waterfowling without messing up the finishes. I have a Berretta 686 old style onix with the matte finish and satin stained wood that I take out when the conditions are good. It's the only one I have that is semi waterfowl ready but it is a sporting clays model and my all time favorite OU so I hunt with it sparingly, mostly doves. Berretta used to make a satin wood matte finish metal hunting gun. I think it was a 686 series. If you could find one of these it would be a nice waterfowl gun.

 

[Biff's Reloading]

i have always used sxs's. love em. i got a 10ga sxs that is under construction for this year. its a zabala, and its built like a brick house. i doubt u could find a more reliable waterfowling gun.

having 2 chokes is one thing thats nice, but even better, is that if u are hunting geese and ducks, bb's in the left and #3's in the right is something u can never do in a single.

hunt with one sometime, u probably wont go back :mrgreen:

 

[rdorough22]

well one thing i learnd is that if your in the blind or pit over unders and side by sides aren't the best because in that small space that you have is hard to crack the gun opean to reload it plus if your going to buy a nice gun y would you whant to take it and get it all mudded up bbut thats just my opinion

 

[kandahar]

A couple of advantages of sxs or o/u are the short lengths overall and lesser weight besides the choice of chokes..and short ejection of the hulls. would be a great upland gun
However with the liberal bag limits..I still like an autoloader..where I can still shoot a hat trick when the action is hot...I may be too old and dumb to learn shooting a sxs or o/u..I am not sure if I can hack the recoiL
Just my uneducated opinion

 

[Boomn4x4]

The reason they are so expensive is simply a Marketing tactic. There may be a slight difference in manufacturing costs but not enough to substantiate the high price. O/U and SxS's are luxury guns, in the hunting world they are classics. Same reason the automotive industry has reverted back to the classic body styles. There is a demand for the classic feel. With an increase in damand there will be an increase in price. This is also why you will often see intriquite detailing on the receivers of these guns. It's a low cost opportunity to increase the look of the gun that will further justify the higher price.

 

[SilverBullet]

my friend uses a side by side 12 gauge. He says he is right on but when he has ducks or geese flying right at him he cant hit it. Im using a Mossberg 835 12 gauge. I can hit anything that flies infront of me. We are using the same shells. He has only shot one goose the four times we went out to the swamp even though we see about 1000 + goose and 1000+ ducks flying.

I keep asking him why he dont want to use my other mossberg 835 and he says that he has two barrels and can shoot farther.

I know he is unhappy with the performance of his gun, he just dont want to admit it.

 

[Biff's Reloading]

maybe he's shooting blanks??

he needs to re-think his situation somehow. he's doing something pretty wrong. i doubt its the guns fault

 

[SilverBullet]

I guess hes not gonna have any more problems. after i posted i called him and he said he traded the side by side for a 12 mossberg (i didnt ask the model) but he said hes right on. ill post again if any problems or anything

 

[Biff's Reloading]

he wont have any better luck with a howitzer if its his technique/shooting ability that is at fault.

 

[ponass]

I hunt waterfowl with an OU and it is a matter of personal likes and dislikes. I like the ease of loading/unloading/switching loads in the field, depending on the birds coming in. I like the fact that there are less working parts and nothing to jamb. It does only offer two shots instead of three, but I'm sure that I've saved money on not having a third shot and making the first two count.

The down sides are the cost of the gun and the fact that the recoil is significantly higher than my pump guns or autoloader. This winter I'm having the forcing cones openned up and upgrading the recoil pad to help out with that.