O/U and Choking

RoosterTim

New member
I have always kind of wondered what other thought about what choke to put in what barrel for upland birds and which barrel you shoot first. For me I put IC in the top and Mod. in the bottom and then shoot the top barrel first. I have been told by some other hunters that I am backwards but I seem to down more birds with the first shot than if I set up the other way. What do you other double barrel shooters prefer?
 
I shoot two mods and shoot the top barrel first as well. Many people tell me that I am backwards too but with todays quality made shot guns they take all that into account when making them so the top and bottom barrels impact the same area. Personal preference is what it comes down to. My set up is like this for everything that has feathers, i.e. ducks, quail, dove, and pheasant. Just my .02.
 
I always shoot the top barrel in my o/u first and tight barrel in my sxs. I use improved and modified all the time
 
Shooting your bottom barrel first will cause less muzzle jump, allowing for a faster more accurate second shot. My chokes are based on quarry, weather, and time of season. Plus I hunt behind springers so I am probably one choke tighter than pointers right off the bat. One of my set ups for mountain quail is an ic shooting low base 7.5 followed by mod shooting high brass 6. I'll go much tighter on pheasants late in the season mod/full with 6&5 shot and have no problems bringing a 40-50yd pheasant down stone dead with my 20ga.
 
I use ic on bottom then mod on top for early season birds them I use mod on bottom and im on top later in the year. I dosent matter what I use all that matters is if it works for you! good luck!!
 
Which Barrel to Shoot First

I alternate barrels shot first on the theory that I am spreading the wear and tear equally. I am intrigued, however, by Quail Hound's post about the advantage of shooting the under barrel first for a quicker second shot. I also have a cheap gun without a barrel selector safety and the bottom barrel shoots first.
 
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Quail Hounds theory is right on the money. That is why you are suppose to shoot the bottom barrel first. But the top barrel then does not get the wear and tear the bottom does. So I alternate every 100 rounds or so Top first. With screw in chokes it easy to set your gun up. I use 7 shot and an IC or Light Mod. in the first barrel and a straight mod and 6 shot in the second........Bob
 
If you have a non-selective trigger the bottom barrel is always first to fire on an O/U. On a SxS the right barrel fires first.

Same with double trigger guns. You pull the front trigger first which is the bottom barrel on an O/U and the right barrel on a SxS.

But when you have a selective trigger and choke tubes you can pretty much do as you please. But the fact of less muzzle jump on an O/U by firing the bottom barrel first does make a lot of sense.
 
We should all be so lucky as to wear a gun out by shooting the same barrel too frequently. ;)

The theory about less muzzle rise by firing the bottom barrel first is not a theory, it is a fact. It is also why guns made without choke tubes have the more open choke on the bottom.

The only selective trigger I have ever seen used effectively is two triggers. YMMV.
 
They claim that on a SXS, by shooting the right barrel first. It pushes the gun back into your cheek. So you don't have to position your head for the second shot. I do believe it to be true..........Bob
 
They claim that on a SXS, by shooting the right barrel first. It pushes the gun back into your cheek. So you don't have to position your head for the second shot. I do believe it to be true..........Bob


Agreed. Also why right to left passing shots are typically easier for a right handed shooter. Pulling the gun toward you makes it easier to keep your head on the stock vs pushing it away from you.
 
We all use different guns and we all might need different chokes. When using the Citori 20 or 16 both chokes are I/C, firing bottom barrel 1st (habit). While this works the way I hunt with "flushers" on wild birds, hunting with far-ranging pointers or blocking the end of a corn field might require a Mod or IMod. In other words, use what works best for you.

As for degree of wear by firing low barrel 1st, I have not seen any hard data regarding that subject, and won't be the least concerned about it.
 
I shoot a Red Label and for SD pheasants I use a 5 or 6 in the top barrel which is choked skeet. I shoot a 4 in the bottom with a modified choke.
 
Bottom first, mod in bottom, IM in top. Last OU was Bottom first and I used IM bottom and full top. I just simply patterened the guns at 35 yards bottom and 45 yards top, with all chokes and that was what worked the best with My shells I want. Each gun was different. And yes there is a faster pickup and less jump for your second shot, when you shoot the bottom first.
 
Bottom Barrel First from Now On

We should all be so lucky as to wear a gun out by shooting the same barrel too frequently. ;)

The theory about less muzzle rise by firing the bottom barrel first is not a theory, it is a fact. It is also why guns made without choke tubes have the more open choke on the bottom.

The only selective trigger I have ever seen used effectively is two triggers. YMMV.

I am going to shoot my bottom barrel first from now on. The idea that I might wear out a barrel by just hunting is, as I think about it, silly. Ain't gonna happen.
 
I am going to shoot my bottom barrel first from now on. The idea that I might wear out a barrel by just hunting is, as I think about it, silly. Ain't gonna happen.

Yep, it's silly. There are plenty of single barrel guns around that trap shooters have put a quarter million rounds through.
 
Yep, it's silly. There are plenty of single barrel guns around that trap shooters have put a quarter million rounds through.

Thanks for confirming that I really was thinking silly, not just thinking that I was thinking silly.
 
Britchaser, I hate to break your bubble. But there a lot of other parts that make a gun go bang, besides the barrels. The firing pins are usually the first to go.........Bob
 
Why would shooting the bottom barrel first cause less muzzle jump?

Just a guess -- because it is closer to an imaginary line going forward from where the stock rests against your shoulder running parallel to your barrel. The farther apart those two imaginary parallel lines, the more the end of your gun is going to lift, that is, pivot upward from your shoulder, when you fire. The more the end of the gun lifts, the longer it takes to repoint for the second shot. Imagine the top barrel being ten inches above the bottom barrel. The end of the gun would probably go to vertical or maybe fly out of your hands over your shoulder when you pulled the trigger on the top barrel.
 
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