Crow Busters Forum

Mainehunt · Guru

sisde by side/double barrel questions

chip · Guru

Hi Maine,,,,,,,,,, I have an old Side by Side 16 it is a JC higgins. I made my first wing shot with it as a pup. It has 2 triggers. I was taught to use one finger and pull one then the other. As I got older I used my index finger and my middle finger to shoot quicker. I haven't shot the gun in 25 years cause of the price of 16's. Most doubles have a selector switch that dictates which side fires first. The other barrel will go off next. My question to you is why do you not like the O/U's I have a 101 winchester field grade that is so sweet. I dont suggest shooting steel out of any gun made prior to 1975 or 80. Keep in mind side by sides take some getting used to. And that third shot is non exsistant. I do know how it feels tho to have a hankerin for a gun,,,,,,,,,Lord knows I've had that hankerin Just dont get in a hurry abd get one that fits you well. Once you are used to it you will love it biggrin Unless that Lefevre is in mint condition it does sound kinda high..........Mans gotta make a livin somehow or another....

Bob · Guru

Hi Kev,

You can pull either the front or rear trigger first. The front trigger will be for the more open choke and the rear trigger is the tighter choke. Sometimes you want to kill the furthest bird first inorder to get both birds, in this type of situation you would want to pull the rear trigger first, then the front trigger for the closer bird.

I always liked double triggers on a side by side.

Bob A.

nhcrowshooter · Guru

Mainehunt wrote:
I have never owned a double barrel shotgun. So I need assistance on choosing. The last few years I have been doing much more shooting with the shotgun, crows, ducks, geese, skeet and sporting clays.

At the range, I see lots of doubles, especiallyover/unders which I have no interest in. What I have interest in is a classic, old side by side. I don't want to break the bank either. I was at a gunshop here in Maine last week and I was just killing time when I began looking at the used shotgun racks. After handling many old doubles, I picked one up and "click," I just wanted this gun. It was a Lefever, side by side, 12 gauge, full and mod. (I would have my gunsmithing friend open the full to either light modified or IC) They're asking $450 for it. Looking online, it is sort of on the high side for price, but it is negotiable.
So here are my questions, Guns with 2 triggers-can you pull either trigger first? Or is there one trigger you must pull first?
On single trigger guns- are there selector switches to decide which barrel shoots first?
Those of you who have double side by sides, do you shoot steel out of them?

Kev

Hi Kev, welcome to the doublegun fold. When things "click" and a gun speaks to you ya buy it From the sounds of it you might have a Lefever Nitro Special. It may sound odd but if it is a Nitro Special it is an Ithaca design, forerunner to the Ithaca NID. You are supposed to be able to pull either front or back trigger first, the front trigger should fire the right barrel, generally the more open choke and the rear trigger fires the left barrel which is generally tighter. This is the beauty of two triggers, it give the quickest selection of choke by the gunner. Two triggers take a little getting used to but once you get the hang of it you will be as fast as anything, it comes natural after awhile. Guns with single triggers come in two varieties, selective and non selective, obviously the selective single triggers (SST's) have a selector switch. Most people do not sheet steel out of old side by sides for fear of scoring the barrel or bulging the barrel. The other issue is most steel shells are at max SAAMI chamber pressure which is above the shells of the day when you gun was built. I have never owned a Nitro Special but I understand they are stout guns. Remember that gun as old dry wood. It can split. Be sure to keep your stock tight, check the screws that hold to the receiver and keep your loads light. I guarantee you could shoot all the 1 1/8 trap loads out of that you could ever afford to buy without problem. Good luck, if you got other questions ask. 10gacrowshooter knows a lot about side by's too.

If you are curious about how old your Lefever is you might find the year built on this website: http://www.doublegunshop.com/dgsnos3.htm

-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Friday 4th of November 2011 10:58:01 PM

nhcrowshooter · Guru

chip wrote:
My question to you is why do you not like the O/U's

Maybe because Over and Unders were designed for people who have one eye over the other

Bob · Guru

NH,

All you have to do is turn your head (tilting it) 45 degrees and you could be an over & under man too lol.

I like both myself, but the doubles as you well know are a bit faster to load than the O/u shotguns.

Bob A.

billboytx · Member

RE: side by side/double barrel questions

wischuck · Newbie

RE: sisde by side/double barrel questions

Mainehunt · Guru

chip wrote:
Hi Maine,,,,,,,,,, I have an old Side by Side 16 it is a JC higgins. I made my first wing shot with it as a pup. It has 2 triggers. I was taught to use one finger and pull one then the other. As I got older I used my index finger and my middle finger to shoot quicker. I haven't shot the gun in 25 years cause of the price of 16's. Most doubles have a selector switch that dictates which side fires first. The other barrel will go off next. My question to you is why do you not like the O/U's I have a 101 winchester field grade that is so sweet. I dont suggest shooting steel out of any gun made prior to 1975 or 80. Keep in mind side by sides take some getting used to. And that third shot is non exsistant. I do know how it feels tho to have a hankerin for a gun,,,,,,,,,Lord knows I've had that hankerin Just dont get in a hurry abd get one that fits you well. Once you are used to it you will love it Unless that Lefevre is in mint condition it does sound kinda high..........Mans gotta make a livin somehow or another....

Just because of the memories of my grandfathers shooting them, all the old stories have them, old Ducks Unlimited prints show them. Nostalgia.

Hard to say why I guess, I'm into archery and bowhunting big time. More than anything else. With all my compound bows and all their gadgets, I also have an English longbow......just because. biggrin

Kev

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Mainehunt · Guru

nhcrowshooter wrote:

Hi Kev, welcome to the doublegun fold. When things "click" and a gun speaks to you ya buy it From the sounds of it you might have a Lefever Nitro Special. It may sound odd but if it is a Nitro Special it is an Ithaca design, forerunner to the Ithaca NID. You are supposed to be able to pull either front or back trigger first, the front trigger should fire the right barrel, generally the more open choke and the rear trigger fires the left barrel which is generally tighter. This is the beauty of two triggers, it give the quickest selection of choke by the gunner. Two triggers take a little getting used to but once you get the hang of it you will be as fast as anything, it comes natural after awhile. Guns with single triggers come in two varieties, selective and non selective, obviously the selective single triggers (SST's) have a selector switch. Most people do not sheet steel out of old side by sides for fear of scoring the barrel or bulging the barrel. The other issue is most steel shells are at max SAAMI chamber pressure which is above the shells of the day when you gun was built. I have never owned a Nitro Special but I understand they are stout guns. Remember that gun as old dry wood. It can split. Be sure to keep your stock tight, check the screws that hold to the receiver and keep your loads light. I guarantee you could shoot all the 1 1/8 trap loads out of that you could ever afford to buy without problem. Good luck, if you got other questions ask. 10gacrowshooter knows a lot about side by's too.
If you are curious about how old your Lefever is you might find the year built on this website: http://www.doublegunshop.com/dgsnos3.htm

-- Edited by nhcrowshooter on Friday 4th of November 2011 10:58:01 PM

Thanks for the info. I'll have one before too long. smile

Kev

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shaddart · Guru

Hi Kev, I know this answer is late, but I just saw the post. I have 2 nitro specials, a 20 ga & a 16 ga & love them both. My avatar is a 20 ga nitro(not mine) I would'nt recommend shooting steel thru them, due to pressures. I have a 12 ga chas daly field hunter which is proofed for steel, while not my favorite sxs, it is a good gun. I also have a 20 ga ithaca skb, that if I want to shoot for ducks, I shoot bismuth. The bismuth is pricey, but I've been hoarding some for a few years now. I also have a 16 ga savage 311, 4 recurve & 2 longbows, so I guess you & I are on the same page. The only thing I use a compound for is carp because I don't want to mount the reel on my recurves. I'd go for that nitro, I don't think you'll be disappointed, if you ever see one in 20 ga, grab it they're getting rare. Jerry

Mainehunt · Guru

shaddart wrote:
Hi Kev, I know this answer is late, but I just saw the post. I have 2 nitro specials, a 20 ga & a 16 ga & love them both. My avatar is a 20 ga nitro(not mine) I would'nt recommend shooting steel thru them, due to pressures. I have a 12 ga chas daly field hunter which is proofed for steel, while not my favorite sxs, it is a good gun. I also have a 20 ga ithaca skb, that if I want to shoot for ducks, I shoot bismuth. The bismuth is pricey, but I've been hoarding some for a few years now. I also have a 16 ga savage 311, 4 recurve & 2 longbows, so I guess you & I are on the same page. The only thing I use a compound for is carp because I don't want to mount the reel on my recurves. I'd go for that nitro, I don't think you'll be disappointed, if you ever see one in 20 ga, grab it they're getting rare. Jerry

Jerry,

Thanks for the info on shooting steel. I would really like a side by side that I can shoot steel in, because I like to use the same gun for everything, crow/duck/goose. But I don't want to have to shoot bnizmuth either, too pricey for me...:)

Scottie_The_Boy · Veteran Member

I Just bought one of them Mossberg over/under Silver Reverse 12 gauges with the 5 screw in chokes.. and took it out crow hunting the other day as I got that itch to shoot. and called in a few shot 4 shells and got 3 crows..... using the top barrel with a full choke screwed in and the bottom barrel with a Improved cylinder choke... 2 3/4 #7 Shot remington ammo.

I Want to use it for waterfowl also, as that was partly my reason for spenting the money on a early Xmas gift for myself.

I Added one of them Vent rib snap on Fiber optic red sites to get on target quicker......As it came with a few in the packages and different sizes, I added a green Fiber optic one on the wifes 20 gauge remington 1100 vent rib barrel for pigeon and starling hunting.....

But I have always wanted another over/under after i sold my 12 gauge Boito shotgun... But it didn't have screw in chokes as it was factory Smooth bores with fixed chokes....

I Normally use 12 gauge 2 3/4" #BB and #2 for goose hunting... and this Mossberg will Except 2 3/4 and 3" ammo..... So I may be able to get one to pattern nice before Dec 11th arrives , to drop a few more Canada geese.

Take care and best wishes

shaddart · Guru

Kev, I certainly understand wanting to do everything with 1 gun & I think thats that can be done, if you don't throw the ducks & geese into the picture. I bought my chas daly sxs for exactly that reason, while far from my favorite, it does shoot well with blackcloud & my handload 6s for crows. I'm really careful not to shoot steel or high pressure loads thru my old lefevers, my 20ga was made in 1923 & i'd be sick if anything happened to it. I know this isn't a good answer, but I really don't think there is one, unless you're able to either buy or load bismuth, to pricey for me. I'm becoming more of a crow hunter & less of a duck hunter every year, I can shoot all my doubles & I don't have to bring them home & clean them !!

shaddart · Guru

Kev, nhcrow or 10gacrow can probably help you out more than I can, as they both shoot old parkers & reload their own shells. Jerry

Mainehunt · Guru

shaddart wrote:
Kev, I certainly understand wanting to do everything with 1 gun & I think thats that can be done, if you don't throw the ducks & geese into the picture. I bought my chas daly sxs for exactly that reason, while far from my favorite, it does shoot well with blackcloud & my handload 6s for crows. I'm really careful not to shoot steel or high pressure loads thru my old lefevers, my 20ga was made in 1923 & i'd be sick if anything happened to it. I know this isn't a good answer, but I really don't think there is one, unless you're able to either buy or load bismuth, to pricey for me. I'm becoming more of a crow hunter & less of a duck hunter every year, I can shoot all my doubles & I don't have to bring them home & clean them !!

I couldn't possibly give up my waterfowl hunting. biggrin

Here in Maine, I love how the crow season opens in August, because I can really concentrate on crows and nothing else. Then When duck season opens, crow is over. If they were at the same time, I would mostly hunt waterfowl. The ducks are too tasty to not shoot and eat.

Not sure what to do about shooting same gun for everything. I might have to just use the double for crows and go back to my pump for waterfowl. Don't want to, but not much I can do about it besides shooting expensive bizmuth.

THank you for your help.

Kev

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nhcrowshooter · Guru

Mainehunt wrote:
I couldn't possibly give up my waterfowl hunting.

Here in Maine, I love how the crow season opens in August, because I can really concentrate on crows and nothing else. Then When duck season opens, crow is over. If they were at the same time, I would mostly hunt waterfowl. The ducks are too tasty to not shoot and eat.

Not sure what to do about shooting same gun for everything. I might have to just use the double for crows and go back to my pump for waterfowl. Don't want to, but not much I can do about it besides shooting expensive bizmuth.

THank you for your help.

Kev
<><

Kev, you don't have to give up waterfowl hunting because the crow season is open at the same time. You can split yourself between mornings and afternoons or hunt crows on bluebird days etc. I believe the more you crow hunt the less you will waterfowl hunt as the years go by, it's natural. It's the draw of steady action not tastey birds. Unfortunately for you Maine does not allow crow hunting in Oct and early November. You literally do not know what you are missing when it comes to crow hunting as Oct and early November is the best time to shoot crows in this part of the country. The rest of the year pales in comparison.

As far as doubles and steel shot, if you are determined to shoot steel shot you should avoid any of the American classic's, none of them were designed to handle the high pressures and ballistic issues of steel shot. If I was determined to shoot steel shot through a double gun I would look at more modern doubles that are well designed and handle well such as the Ithaca SKB and Browning BSS. I would shoot gun such as those with more open constriction than M/F.

Mainehunt · Guru

nhcrowshooter wrote:
Mainehunt wrote:
I couldn't possibly give up my waterfowl hunting.

Here in Maine, I love how the crow season opens in August, because I can really concentrate on crows and nothing else. Then When duck season opens, crow is over. If they were at the same time, I would mostly hunt waterfowl. The ducks are too tasty to not shoot and eat.

Not sure what to do about shooting same gun for everything. I might have to just use the double for crows and go back to my pump for waterfowl. Don't want to, but not much I can do about it besides shooting expensive bizmuth.

THank you for your help.

Kev
<><
Kev, you don't have to give up waterfowl hunting because the crow season is open at the same time. You can split yourself between mornings and afternoons or hunt crows on bluebird days etc. I believe the more you crow hunt the less you will waterfowl hunt as the years go by, it's natural. It's the draw of steady action not tastey birds. Unfortunately for you Maine does not allow crow hunting in Oct and early November. You literally do not know what you are missing when it comes to crow hunting as Oct and early November is the best time to shoot crows in this part of the country. The rest of the year pales in comparison.
As far as doubles and steel shot, if you are determined to shoot steel shot you should avoid any of the American classic's, none of them were designed to handle the high pressures and ballistic issues of steel shot. If I was determined to shoot steel shot through a double gun I would look at more modern doubles that are well designed and handle well such as the Ithaca SKB and Browning BSS. I would shoot gun such as those with more open constriction than M/F.

Thanks for the heads up on those 2 guns, I'll check them out.

Kev