On a sxs double shotgun, Which barrel is the more open choke in? the right or left? On an over and under is it usually the bottom barrel? Thanks, studdog

Whichever barrel is fired first has the more open choke for obvious reasons.....all of my doubles allow me to select which barrel to fire first......I always shoot the right on SxS and top on o/u.

Usually the right barrel on a SXS is the more open choke and it is usually the bottom on an O/U, this, assuming fixed chokes, of course.

BTW, there are often good reasons to shoot the tighter choke first, incoming doves are an example, take one back of the lead bird farther out with the tighter barrel and shoot the lead bird, who usually is not ducking and diving as badly (because he hasn't seen his buddy fold and fall) with the more open choke when he would, obviously, be closer. Big mistake many shotgunners make is to let the bird get right over them, EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to maintain a cheek weld and swing while leaning backwards. If it happens, far better to just turn around, remount, and take him going away.

The bottom barrel of my fixed choke O/U is choked half and the top one full, but it has a single selective trigger

With S/S it depends on the gun. On many single trigger non-selective guns the right barrel is the more open (cyl or mod) and fires first and the left will be tighter (mod or full as case may be). But on two trigger guns the left barrel is usually fired first, which is the rear trigger or left trigger and it's the more open. The right barrel will usually be fired on the farther target and of course is your front trigger.

Examples - on my Browning single trigger non-selective S/S the right was mod and the left full. But on my two trigger A.H. Fox the left barrel is the more open ("loose" improved cylinder) and the right barrel is "loose" modified. The "loose" term is a slang expression my smith uses.

I agree with those who said the bottom is the more open on the O/U. Example - my fixed choke Ithaca.

I'm not sure the reason why it's like that, unless it's something to do with the bottom having less recoil and being fired more. I'll therefore take an educated guess that on O/U two trigger guns the rear trigger is the same as on the S/S, and fires the more open barrel or the bottom one. But, I've never owned a two trigger O/U.

Hope that helps.

quote:

But on two trigger guns the left barrel is usually fired first, which is the rear trigger or left trigger and it's the more open. The right barrel will usually be fired on the farther target and of course is your front trigger.

Shack:

Of course any SxS with double triggers can be made to fire either barrel with either trigger but the NORM is for the front trigger to fire the right barrel as you said, but the right barrel is NORMALLY the more open choked barrel if the barrels have different chokes in them, and the right, more open choked barrel is NORMALLY shot first. I just went through quite a few SxSs I've got sitting around to check and they all have this arrangement but none of them were Foxes.

Thanks for the replies. I guessed SXS right would be more open and O/U bottom would be more open.

No question is ever stupid, it is how we learn. But sometimes we might get stupid answers.

Maybe I should flip flop the chokes on my O/U after reading this post......always worked well the way I have it though so.........

Norton:

The reason tradition has us shooting the lower barrel first in an O/U is not just superstition, it is that the lower barrel is more centered on the stock and your shoulder and produces a bit less barrel flip/rise than the top barrel, therefore shooting the lower barrel first lends itself to a slightly, and I do mean slightly, faster recovery/second shot.

Several of my duck and upland hunting buddies adopted your method of shooting the upper barrel first. Why, well so they could open the gun, let the ejectors throw the empties out and reload ONE shell in the top barrel (much faster than trying to get one into the lower barrel) to get that third shot off on a covey rise or a retreating duck. It is a good system and I tried it for a while but had shot so long with the lower barrel first that I never really got proficient in the opposite method.....something about an old dog and new tricks, etc.

On the O/U there's a question which barrel is best for trap, upper or lower. I've tried both extensively without really coming up with an answer, but I find myself gravitating to the upper. No particular reason, even though everyone says the lower has less recoil. It may well, but whatever recoil difference there is, is not enough to be obvious. At least that I can see.

There may be some lingering suspicion that the pattern might be more on target with the upper, though I doubt that.

Well, Gato.......once I land one of those all-weather O/Us I'm looking for to use for fowling I'll remember that, since I'm so used to having that 3rd shot.

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Originally posted by Norton:
Well, Gato.......once I land one of those all-weather O/Us I'm looking for to use for fowling I'll remember that, since I'm so used to having that 3rd shot.

I thought you bought that one on GB? Obviously not.

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Originally posted by Gatogordo:

quote:

Originally posted by Norton:
Well, Gato.......once I land one of those all-weather O/Us I'm looking for to use for fowling I'll remember that, since I'm so used to having that 3rd shot.

I thought you bought that one on GB? Obviously not.

I'm watching one on GB right now......All-weather in camo. Just waiting to pull the trigger(no pun intended).