I have a copy of an old article written back in the late 70's, I think, where the great pigeon shooter Billy Perdue was interviewed and it was published. I haven't read it in a while but can remember a few choice mentions.
He favored a S X S in a time when they were "out of favor" for flyer matches, and stated his reason for shooting one. He said that flyer shooting is a game of elevation, mostly, and that the first shot at the bird, as it is rising from the trap, is managed more easily with a S X S because the barrels are in clearer view in the out-of-focus field of vision.
There was one particular S X S, that he ordered custom made for himself, with which he had great issues with the regulation of the barrels. He eventually rid himself of it, and a friend of mine owns it. It still has stickers all over the stock from shoots in the USA and abroad. He can't shoot it worth a darn, and I've never had the heart to tell him what is wrong with it. Hope he's not reading this.
My favorite quote of Billy's is what he said when asked how he had been so fortunate as to be able to shoot flyers around the globe for so many years. This is not a direct quote, but close ........ said he: "I was born into money and I never did anything to mess that up".
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