Well, my first drilling arrived. A Colt Sauer 12x12x30-06. It has iron sights due to change to a claw mounted scope soon.
We went trap shooting yesterday. The gun points, shoulders and shoots well. It's surprising how light it really is.
I shot a round of trap and went 15 for 25. The sight picture is a little different for me as I've never owned a sxs shotgun.
My sixteen year old son beat me that round and was laughing at me. He said on the next round loser cleans the guns. I had to put the drilling down, pick up my regular shotgun and proceed to teach the little guy a lesson.
We know who cleaned the guns.
I love the drilling it is a lot of fun to shoot. Now for some rifle shooting.

Foxfire
I think you will really like hunting with your Sauer drilling.
Keep us posted on how the rifle bbl shootsw. Also try a few Brenneke slugs in the left bbl.

Fox,

Well...the needle is now in your arm, and you'll be hooked. As a Sauer 3000 owner in 12,12-30-06, I can sure imagine how much fun you'll have with this all around hunter's tool. Enjoy, my friend!

L2S

foxfire,

Glad you had a great Trap expereince with your new boomer. Plus teaching some upstart smirker with a purpose-suited .12 gauge Winchester Model 12 Trap Shotgun vs. the finer points of trap shooting with a Drilling AND respecting your elders has it's place - good luck with both the Drilling and your son! Said jokingly, of course!



You did mention something I have expereinced when shooting Trap (or Skeet) with a Drilling (or SxS) - the unusual "sight picture".

Try a lower gun mount; doesn't have to be all the way down to your waist but let the Drilling (or SxS) sit at say, just under armpit level and mount after calling for the bird. The "funny" double barrel sight picture is eliminated forcing you to concentrate on the clay pigeon alone, your instinct takes over and you tend to get to the bird just as fast as having the thing glued to your cheek.

Try, score a 25 and then invite your son back for another round, let's say; this time with another small wager?



Have fun with your new Drilling.

Gerry,
Thanks for the advice on mounting the shotgun, I'll give it a try next time out. The odd sight picture was a SxS configuration. I've never owned a SxS and so it looked odd looking down the barrel. But I'm sure i'll get used to it.

What to do with a young smart ass when he thinks he's better than the teacher?
Keep beating him into the ground (with a smile of course) because it's only a matter of time before youth, speed and his new grown experience take over and he's able to beat me. I only need to work on his humility so he doesn't embarress me to badly when he finally does beat me.

foxfire,

Ah, so good those days bygone......when we had youth on our side; the trim, lean bodies, when we could consume thousands of calories at one setting and and then cinch our belts up another notch, reflexes like a Cat on Speed., 20/20 vision and a full head of hair. All that & more but without the railcar load of shotgun shells behind us to accumulate some shooting expereince.

Be gracious & humble at the range but make it painful later!

Took the drilling to the indoor rifle range today. I wanted to put in some shooting time before the scope gets mounted. The indoor range is 25 yards so thats what we had to deal with.
The 30-06 at 25 yards with open sights is deadly. The gun more than does it's part as long as I do mine. The 30-06 impressed me.
On to the shotgun with slugs. Left barrel only, iron sights and 25 yards. Brenneke suggested as long as the gun was capable of 2 3/4" magnums to try the "Heavy Field Short Magnum" The gun really liked these rounds. 5 slugs touching at 25 yards 2" right and 2" low compared to the rifle barrel. I shot the K.O. slugs though they performed well they shot right 4" and low 2".
Last I tested the K.O. Sabot it's overall group was 2" right and 1" low but not as tight as the Heavy Field Short Magnum.
All three slugs are rated ok to use in a smooth bore and Brenneke assured me of no ill effects in a full choked barrel.
Today was a fun day at the range.

foxfire,

Fantastic performance from your left barrel with slugs.

Indicative of what we see here on the range. Brennneke's advice solid.

When the open sights are used for our applications here in Germany on Drive Hunts folks tend to load a rifle cartridge and two slugs in the shotgun barrels, the range limitations are normally considered about 50 meters or so with all three barrels. With the "Heavy Short Field Magnum" that would be in the area of about 4" low which would be pretty much O.K. Naturally the 1" low load ywould give you a better grouping potential.

I just got around to reading this thread. Sorry about coming in late.
I have a sauer 3000 like yours 12x12x30-06 luxus.
I had a 6x zeiss mounted on claw mounts. Although I'm not much of a bird hunter I have shot the rifle barrel quite a bit. Mine shoots very well as I'm sure yours dose as well.
one tip in case no one has yet mentioned it to you yet. When you shoot a group to test your accuracy be sure to let the barrel cool at least ten minutes between shots 15 menutes would be better.

I havent done much with mine at home except take it to the range. I did take it to Africa one time and shot a mountain reedbuck @ over 200 yards. It was pritty cool the P.H. asked if the Drilling was accurate enough for the shot. I said yes and then showed him. I could have ended up with egg on my face with that one but the drilling did it's part and for once so did I. I also took it to Europe on a three country trip were we hunted everything from ducks to red stag. It was in it's glory doing what it was desinged to do and it worked well.
I'm so much more of a big game hunter than a wing shooter that for me the way to go on the left barrel is with a einstucklauf(a small caliber rifle barrel insert). For me this makes the drilling a completly all around gun and it can aways be removed for a day of serious wing shooting. I've had the Sauer for about 16 years now and still haven't bought the insert barrel for it yet but some day a .22 hornet barrel will complement my Sauer

check out the post on special trap buttplate for drillings. room for einstecklauf & ammo too.

all in the butt so it is there when you need it.