Which bbl first?

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

As many of you know, I just purchased a Long Hunter SxS CZ Sharptail 12ga, that uses a single trigger.

Being that I'm right handed, which bbl do I want to fire first? Why?

Does it make that much difference? 

[Navy Davey]

Fire both at the same time if you miss with one you might get lucky with the other

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Most (older guns without a selector) single-trigger doubles from factory will be set up to fire the barrel with less tight choke first, enabling a close in "flush up" shot, followed by a second tighter choked shot at the (occasional , still) fleeing bird.

 

If your gun has cylinder choke (no choke restriction, in other words), it makes NO difference which fires first.  And for SASS, since almost all shotgun targets are set at same distance, again, no practical difference - you will have to use both barrels almost every stage.

 

I would see no reason why your "right handedness" affliction makes a difference, especially for SASS matches.  Everyone has their burdens in life. 

 

Practice your loading technique, and don't worry about your barrel sequence.  Just put the pattern in the middle of the target.

 

good luck, GJ

Edited December 7, 2022 by Garrison Joe, SASS #60708

[Eyesa Horg]

Run the same chokes and it won't matter.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

18 minutes ago, Navy Davey said:

Fire both at the same time if you miss with one you might get lucky with the other

Kinda hard to do with a single trigger 

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Yes, both barrels are cyl bored 

[Krazy Kajun]

I shoot an SKB SxS and am right handed and mostly shoot left to right unless there is some competitive advantage on a particular stage to start on the right.  I have my barrel set for left barrel first because....well for no really good reason but to know that it will always fire first.  The other good thing about knowing and keeping your barrel selector set ALWAYS on the same barrel is that if one of your firing pins or mechanisms malfunctions on a stage and you all of a sudden have a single barrel shotgun to continue the stage with you know what barrel to load.  I've had that problem before and recovered nicely from it.

 

Kajun

[Warden Callaway]

1 hour ago, Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 said:

Most single-trigger doubles from factory will be set up to fire the barrel with less tight choke first, enabling a close in "flush up" shot, followed by a second tighter choked shot at the (occasional , still) fleeing bird.

 

When I made a video of one of my 10 gauge black powder doubles, I found the right barrel patterned tighter than left. Didn't make me no never mind. But someone commented that my 10 was a water fowl gun.  First shot would be further out then second shot closer in. He may have made that up.

[Michigan Slim]

I use a Stoeger two trigger double. I pull the front trigger first and it goes bang. Couldn't tell you which one at the moment. 

[Chief Rick]

Right barrel first for me.

 

We have one bay set up with a flying bird that goes right to left.  First barrel (right) takes down the knock-down that triggers the bird.  Since I have never shot trap/skeet/sporting clays or any other waterfowl, I want the left barrel on the clay so that I have a built-in lead when swinging to the left.

 

Whether there's any science in doing it this way helps, I don't know.  In my mind it does.

[Boomstick Bruce]

4 hours ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Kinda hard to do with a single trigger 

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Yes, both barrels are cyl bored 

 

Apparently you've never fired my single trigger stevens 315...lol...

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

Doesn’t make a whit of difference at CAS distances. 

[I. M. Crossdraw, SASS# 8321]

Left, since my Stoeger's double triggers are flipped.

[Eyesa Horg]

Mine too

[Renegade Roper]

I believe Fast Eddie sets his up to fire the left barrel 1st.  You may want to ask him why.

["Big Boston"]

Interesting question, and I'll do a bit of research on that the next snow storm day. But, to my way of thinking, being right handed, you will in all likelihood load with your left hand. If you need a single reload, it makes logical sense that you want the left barrel to be the barrel that has the first pull of the trigger. 

 

In addition, the left barrel will have the least effect on rotating your body on recoil for the first shot. 

 

IIRC, most single trigger SxS shotguns have a safety that controls the first trigger. This lets you choose, so lets say in the field that most of the birds flush L-R, you'd want your right barrel to shoot first to keep your swing fluid for the second shot. So if your target in cowboy are always shot L-R, you may want the the firing sequence to be R-L. 

 

BB

[evil dogooder]

It depends on which target your shooting at. If shooting left to right shoot the right barrel first the recoil will push you to your next target. Opposite sweep start with the other barrel.

[Eyesa Horg]

Can't say I've ever felt any difference in recoil or a push depending on which barrel is shot first. Hard to believe a 1/4" between them would make any difference what so ever. JMHO

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

11 hours ago, "Big Boston" said:

If you need a single reload, it makes logical sense that you want the left barrel to be the barrel that has the first pull of the trigger. 

 

General SASS lesson received from a couple of the sport's greats - if you need one more makeup shot from a double barrel gun, ALWAYS pull a pair and load them.  Sooner or later, you will need the OTHER shell because you bobbled what you figured was your intended shot.

 

NEVER pull just one.

 

good luck, GJ

 

 

["Big Boston"]

17 hours ago, Eyesa Horg said:

Can't say I've ever felt any difference in recoil or a push depending on which barrel is shot first. Hard to believe a 1/4" between them would make any difference what so ever. JMHO

 

Theoretically speaking, it seems logical that there would be some affect. After all, the centers of the bores at the muzzle are about an inch apart. That makes the center of each bore about half an inch offset, left and right at the muzzle, a bit more at the breech. Then you have to consider whether there is any cast off built into the stock. IMHO it would be more important to have the first barrel on the side that you would load a single. 

 

Perhaps not enough of a difference to be felt, but I'm thinking if you tried both ways, one would be faster. A slow motion camera should show what happens. 

 

BB

 

Addendum: I did a quick search on the subject, and it appears as if my theory is correct:

 

"due to the configuration of the side-by-side’s barrels, the recoil comes back in a dogleg fashion – backwards and slightly to the side, following the line of the stock which, typically, would have more cast in it than in the over-under." 

 

and in SxS double rifles:

 

"Where the side by side doubles are different, and the bigger the caliber, the more pronounced the difference, is that neither barrel is in the same vertical axis as the stock grip and stock. The left barrel is left of the stock, and the right barrel is right of the stock. What this means is that the left barrel pulls the rifle left under recoil, and the right barrel pulls the rifle right under recoil. This is the "yaw." The two shots diverge under recoil. Always. How much to the left and to the right? It depends how long the bullets take to go through the barrels (bearing surfaces, velocity, barrels length, etc.), hence how long the recoil lasts, and how much recoil and yaw there is (caliber, bullet weight, velocity, powder charge, etc.)."

Edited December 9, 2022 by "Big Boston"

[Eyesa Horg]

3 minutes ago, "Big Boston" said:

 

Theoretically speaking, it seems logical that there would be some affect. After all, the centers of the bores at the muzzle are about an inch apart. That makes the center of each bore about half an inch offset, left and right at the muzzle, a bit more at the breech. Then you have to consider whether there is any cast off built into the stock. IMHO it would be more important to have the first barrel on the side that you would load a single. 

 

Perhaps not enough of a difference to be felt, but I'm thinking if you tried both ways, one would be faster. A slow motion camera should show what happens. 

 

BB

I'll take your word for it, but with targets at 8yds., I just can't envision it making a difference. And pulling the rear trigger first for the opposite direction would not work with my old brain and muscle memory!

["Big Boston"]

And then there is that 8 yard thing, that would negate any difference I suppose. 

 

And to top it off, how many cowboy SxS shotguns are just cut down hunting shotguns. Regulation of those is probably not that great, but at 8 yards it doesn't matter. 

 

Thanks for the stimulating sass wire discussion, TTFN.

 

BB

[Krazy Kajun]

On 12/8/2022 at 9:14 AM, Renegade Roper said:

I believe Fast Eddie sets his up to fire the left barrel 1st.  You may want to ask him why.

The SKB’s have a barrel selector so you can choose whichever you like. Fast Eddie has his set for right barrel first. He is a HOF skeet shooter so he probably does it right.

 

IMHEO at 8 yards there’s not enough difference in the yaw of the recoil impulse to really make a difference. And given that my barrels were cut to 22 inches I am shooting a cylinder choke. And I like left to right so mine is set to shoot left barrel first. YMMV. 
 

Kajun

Edited December 10, 2022 by Krazy Kajun

[Assassin]

I have no idea which barrel shoots first on any of my sxs shotguns. Makes no difference. There are many other variables to work on that will increase gun and shooter performance.

[Chancy Shot, SASS #67163]

When you have made your choice, make sure the barrel selector is fully one way or the other.  If it is midway between, nothing happens.  Don't need to ask me how I know.

 

Chancy

[SGT. ELI 35882 GUNFIGHTER]

I fire right barrel first, if for some reason the inertia connetor doesn't make the switch to the left barrel I do not have to do the butt slap, I simply push the selector with trigger finger, if I was left handed I would set it the other way. 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Well, I put a bunch of shells through it today. 

What a sweet shooting SG! 

Tried right bbl first and then left bbl first.

Could not tell/see any benefit either way, even on clay birds. 

Each bbl patterns well with uniform placement of shot. 

Both bbls pattern between cyl and imp-cly, and regulated to the sight.

I could not be more pleased with this shotgun.

THANK YOU LONG HUNTER

Now, if I can just teach my left hand to load the shells.... 

 

[Lazy Eeyour]

Applies more to skeet shooting: Inside barrel first so it pushes straight back into your shoulder. With a double trigger the back trigger is for the left barrel. Right handers spend money to have them changed.

[Eyesa Horg]

It took about 20 minutes or less to swap triggers on my Stoeger following Larsen's article. Did it before using it and like the straight back finger slide.

[watab kid]

On 12/7/2022 at 6:24 PM, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

Doesn’t make a whit of difference at CAS distances. 

what he said - if you are on target who cares which hit them first , its when you miss that you start thinking too much ,