For whatever reason, over and unders and automatics are pretty much the guns used by professional shooters these days.

Can you say "Single Sighting Plane?

That is true, but you don't see many pumps either

One less thing to screw up. Can you say "Short Stroke"?

We may have to get the resident metallurgist Edgar to weigh in, but I think some of the pros have figured out for consistent shooting that sxs have some barrel flex. O/U's I think have it some but its supposedly more manageable.

I have heard about barrel flex before but, I don't know. Here is an article on it, maybe something to it.

https://shotgunreport.com/2016/04/06/barrel-flip/

I don't buy that...





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A quick lesson on hitting a flying target with a SxS.
Rule # 1: See the bird, shoot the bird. If you're seeing the bbls, go back to rule #1

I would not dismiss the value of having a third shot, as a long time waterfowler I can tell you a third shell in the gun can be very handy in the event of a swimming cripple. It can be the difference between retrieving or losing a bird. A third shot can also be used effectively on decoying geese (when the limit allows more than 2 birds) because they can't get away from the decoys that fast. With that said, I prefer old doubles for the same reason most of you do. I was up to Cabela's in Scarborough last week, I don't think they had ten used double guns in their Gun Library.

Pete, what do you deduce from the fact they have fewer than ten doubles? Cabelas not taking them in? They are selling faster than they can replace inventory? People are not trading them in so much anymore?......





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Re: barrel flex - I know barrel flex can be a factor in rifle shooting, especially with the very high performance/muzzle velocity/muzzle energy cartridges... but not with a shotgun that was bored and choked to produce consistent patterns of pellet count in a specific dia. circle at a specific yardage. Barrel flex in a rifle might cause variations of fractions of an inch at 100 yards or some other specific yardage but a variation of fractions of an inch, or even an inch or two in a shotgun won't make a bit of difference at 40 yards.





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