I'm sure folks' styles will differ, but when you move to the second trigger, do you shift your hand at all or do you keep your hand firmly in place and just move the trigger finger?

Antlers, of course it all depends on the size of your hand, but I move only the finger! On game like cape buffalo, even if the first barrel puts him down or not, I never remove the rifle from my shoulder,or hand from the grip and automaticlly pop him again while he's on the ground, or up the butt if he turns to run before he's out of sight. Then re-load!

........Congratulations, that is a beautiful rifle!

I have small hands so I have no choise but to shift my hand. Before going to hunt ele, I bought a SxS 12 bore with double triggers to help get used to the whole process.

Good advice Mac !

quote:

Originally posted by MacD37:
Antlers, of course it all depends on the size of your hand, but I move only the finger! On game like cape buffalo, even if the first barrel puts him down or not, I never remove the rifle from my shoulder,or hand from the grip and automaticlly pop him again while he's on the ground, or up the butt if he turns to run before he's out of sight. Then re-load!

........Congratulations, that is a beautiful rifle!

Depends on which gun I am using but generally move finger only.

And as Mac says, I pull it anyway then reload.

Darned if I know???

On all of my "real" double rifles (the SxS ones, all with two triggers) I was never conscious of moving either trigger finger or hand for the second shot. I would fire the first shot, and my trigger finger would almost magically be on the second trigger as soon as I was able to pull the finger and trigger again.

Of course, I have also shot double SxS shotguns all my life....and I still use my old "Elsie" (Smith) 16 ga. when I need a scattergun......
My first double (an Old Ithaca "Flues Model" 12 gauge) taught me to take doubles rather nicely and easily on Teal, and the Greener 12 would occasionally yield solid doubles on Geese, so maybe all those rounds down range are what made double rifles seem so natural without thinking about the triggers.

I do have very large hands, though my fingers are not abnormally long.

I have a Searcy in 470. If I rush the second shot, the right trigger hits the back of my trigger finger. I have had to practice making a slight hand shift to prevent this.

quote:

Originally posted by Antlers:
I'm sure folks' styles will differ, but when you move to the second trigger, do you shift your hand at all or do you keep your hand firmly in place and just move the trigger finger?

No. Proper grip places the second knuckle of the second finger of the shooting hand firmly against the back of the trigger guard, which obviates the possibility of it getting a running start against the knuckle. It also prevents the first knuckle of the trigger finger from getting smacked by the front trigger when the left is fired. Moving the shooting hand back from the guard will only get your fingers whacked.
-------------------------------
"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Thanks guys!

quote:

Originally posted by 400 Nitro Express:

No. Proper grip places the second knuckle of the second finger of the shooting hand firmly against the back of the trigger guard, which obviates the possibility of it getting a running start against the knuckle. It also prevents the first knuckle of the trigger finger from getting smacked by the front trigger when the left is fired. Moving the shooting hand back from the guard will only get your fingers whacked.

400, this was very helpful. Thank you.

Just move my finger!

I prefer to shoot rear trigger first,solves some of the problems mentioned.

quote:

Originally posted by wombat:
I prefer to shoot rear trigger first,solves some of the problems mentioned.

It solves the problem of me trying to pull the front trigger twice, too.

Not to be picky, however you know that right handed Doubles are designed (regulated) to shoot the right barrel (front trigger) first?

A little practice goes a long way. . .

quote:

Originally posted by wombat:
I prefer to shoot rear trigger first,solves some of the problems mentioned.

Does nothing of the kind. Knuckles can get wrapped if the grip isn't correct, regardless of order. Further, firing the left first to avoid a double discharge is a crutch, and no substitute for mastering double triggers.
-------------------------------------
"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
Not to be picky, however you know that right handed Doubles are designed (regulated) to shoot the right barrel (front trigger) first?

A little practice goes a long way. . .

All the practice in the world ain't gonna help a spaz like me. I did the double trigger shotgun thing and all that but when the poop was about to hit the fan I was trying to break off that front trigger.

Hell, my fathjer bought me a Ithaca Mod. 37 when I was a kid. I never could get the hang of pull the trigger, pull the pump back, pull the trigger, pull the pump back, .....

That shotgun was a piece of crap.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:
[

All the practice in the world ain't gonna help a spaz like me. I did the double trigger shotgun thing and all that but when the poop was about to hit the fan I was trying to break off that front trigger.

Hell, my fathjer bought me a Ithaca Mod. 37 when I was a kid. I never could get the hang of pull the trigger, pull the pump back, pull the trigger, pull the pump back, .....

That shotgun was a piece of crap.

........... doesn't sound like the old Mod 37 was the problem!

............. ...............

Here is my technique:

1. Hold your index phalange at a 42% angle to the centerline of the stock.
2. Bend the first knuckle of your index phalange at a 22% angle, to accomplish this you may need to bend the second knuckle at 10.5% angle.
3. Touch the trigger with the middle section of the first knuckle of the index phalange.
4. Pressure of the hand segment between the thumb and index finger should not exceed 15.7 pounds per square inch on the hand grip section of the stock; if pressure exceeds 15.7 pounds per square inch, release and repeat from Step 1.
5. Lightly begin applying back pressure to the trigger until it releases.
6. Change the angle of the index phalange to 47% from centerline and shift position to rear trigger.
7. Check for 15.7 pounds per square inch of pressure on the hand grip section of the stock; if pressure exceeds 15.7 pounds per square inch, release and repeat Step 6.
8. Lightly begin applying back pressure to the rear trigger until it releases.
9. If the rifle does not fire, check to ensure that Steps 6 through 8 have been applied to the rear trigger and not the front trigger.

Alternatively:

1. Fire the front trigger.
2. Fire the rear trigger.

Like golfers, sometimes I think we overthink what is meant to be a simple process.

I do agree with 400's grip, as I have shot double shotguns all my life. I have never had a finger slapped by shotguns or my .470NE.
Mike has a good point as well...you need to Shoot, Shoot, Shoot...it becomes second nature.
ND

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
Not to be picky, however you know that right handed Doubles are designed (regulated) to shoot the right barrel (front trigger) first?

A little practice goes a long way. . .

Maybe, maybe not. Have you ever tried left barrel first to see if that's true?

quote:

Originally posted by 510wells:

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
Not to be picky, however you know that right handed Doubles are designed (regulated) to shoot the right barrel (front trigger) first?

A little practice goes a long way. . .

Maybe, maybe not. Have you ever tried left barrel first to see if that's true?

I can tell you the manual for the Heym DRs says exactly what Rusty posted. That doesn't necessarily mean it won't shoot well going left first (I've seen posts that said there was no difference for some rifles), just that the manual says it was regulated that way and you should shoot it that way. It also says to shoot the left within 8 seconds of shooting the right.

I'm sure I'll try the left barrel first sometime, since having a solid in the left will be necessary eventually.

Rusty is correct, but with some rifles it doesn't seem to matter. The simple solution is to fire a good group of four shots at 50 yds fireing the RT barrel first, then the LFT, then the RT, then the left. on a target, and then when the rifle cools back to "ROOM TEMPRATURE" fire a group on another target in the opposite sequince, and look at the two groups side by side. This part is fact! All double rifles are designed to fire the first shot from a cool barrel, and with only 8 seconds between the subsequent shots.

The barrels are not bothered by normal barrel hormonics, like a single barrel, because they are both tied to the other, but they are effected by the heat transfere, of one barrel to the other, hense the reason for the no more than 8 second delay between shots.

The carrying of the rifle with a solid in one barrel, (ususlly the left barrel) and a soft in the other is common practice. At close range it doesn't matter at all, so either barrel my be fired first. This is because the first shot on buffalo should be a soft if the shot is where it can be placed in the boilerroom, then followed by the solid as he runs away. All subsequent shots should be solids to get into the engine room from behind or rakeing shots from behind.

With things like Brown Bear all my shots will be softs!