Advantages of an Over / Under?

[joel1316]

I've got a small collection of sporting shotguns, all pumps. I'm looking at the Mossberg Over Under that goes for about $450-$500 at Big 5. I'd like to hunt birds one day, stuck on four legged animals at the moment and I shoot skeet sometimes... Basically, can anyone help talk me into an over under instead of a Benelli Nova or a Mossberg semi auto 930?

[Fjold]

It gives you an instant choice of chokes for different situations. Plus they're lighter and shorter (for the same barrel length) than pumps.

[joel1316]

Lighter, shorter is definately a plus! Thanks!
I'm actually not really looking at the semi auto as I'm spoiled with not having to clean much in a pump action. I'm assuming that an over under doesn't get too dirty right?

[Mute]

Also a different load in each barrel.

[Fjold]

Lighter, shorter is definately a plus! Thanks!
I'm actually not really looking at the semi auto as I'm spoiled with not having to clean much in a pump action. I'm assuming that an over under doesn't get too dirty right?

No gas going anywhere but out the end of the barrels.

No pistons, operating arms, etc,. Wipe off the breechface, clean the barrels of powder residue, wipe on a protectant (CLP, gun oil, etc) and you're done.

[AJAX22]

It's just an elegant choice for hunting and skeet. If I could afford a high end double over under I'd get one.

its an almost instant followup shot as well.

I learned to shoot skeet on a over under (someone was VERY generous and donated one to the boyscouts) even as a new shooter it just handled so much better than any of the pumps or break actions that were our other choices.

no moving parts, no wide akward grip, its probably the most pure experiance you can get with a shotgun for hunting or competition.

[joel1316]

I can't justify the cost of high end O/U, so a Big 5 Special will have to suffice. I'm reading some pretty decent reviews regarding the Mossberg... I'm hoping to pick one up on Wednesday...

[Sydwaiz]

Look for a used Browning Citori field grade. It will still be better than a new Mossberg o/u.

[mike100]

To me, the whole point of an O/U is prestige and snob factor at the clay sport of your choice. If you spent less than $2k, you will get noses turned up at you...may as well just bring the pump you already own.

I also like 870 trap pumps..pretty nice looking and fancy enough(for a pump) to rest on the rack next to the high dollar guns.

[Joe Register]

Pros

I used to hunt ducks with a Ruger o/u. It never once failed. Reliability is a strong point with o/u shotguns. They also look good. They digest reloads well. They are easy to break down to clean and transport in a smaller case. You have a choice of two chokes. You don't need to chase your hulls if you reload.

Cons (for me): The gun just looks too nice to get caked in mud. It kicks considerable harder than a gas operated auto. I prefer a long barrel on my shotguns as it is easier for me to swing smoothly. If you want that third shot then an o/u isn't for you. You need to buy more chokes if you are not satisfied with what came with the gun. If you do bend or ding the barrel then most pump/auto barrels are cheaper to fix/replace.

I use a heavy autoloader for clays, a heavy autoloader for ducks, and a lightweight 20g for dove or any hunting that involves a lot of walking and not much shooting.

[aplinker]

To me, the whole point of an O/U is prestige and snob factor at the clay sport of your choice. If you spent less than $2k, you will get noses turned up at you...may as well just bring the pump you already own.

I also like 870 trap pumps..pretty nice looking and fancy enough(for a pump) to rest on the rack next to the high dollar guns.

BS

I have a Perazzi and the 40 year old Charles Daly I inherited from my grandfather (and my favorite O/U) gets far more looks, questions and ogling than almost anything I shoot. I can't explain why, but everyone who touches it loves it.

Everyone's right about the advantage of a O/U -- you can change the chokes and load in each barrel. Typically people will opt for a wider/tighter configuration in each of the respective barrels -- to allow for good patterning at longerr distances for the 2nd shot. They're really reliable, 2nd shot is instantaneous, and they're a lot less "nose heavy" because the action is almost non-existant, making the overall length less than a semi/pump for the same barrel length.

[WolfMansDad]

Double-barrels of either kind, over-and-under or side-by-side, typically balance and swing MUCH better than pumps or autoloaders. If you are pass shooting ducks, geese, or doves, your hit-to-miss ratio will go way up once you start using a double. Of course, you still have to put in the practice, but you will progress at wing shooting faster with a double than with any other kind of gun.

That said, I do most of my hunting with a 20 gauge BPS Upland Special, which is a pump. I have a nice double for clays, but the BPS is lighter and easier to carry. When I hunt, I carry the gun a lot more than I shoot it, so that matters to me. I shoot the double better, but the kinds of shots I typically see in the field (quail, chukar, pheasant, all going away) don't require a lot of skill. The pump is adequate to bring those birds down.

Instant choke selection in a double isn't always a given, either. Most over-and-under shotguns come with one trigger and a selector switch on the safety. That's too cumbersome to use in the field, and you will usually wind up just shooting whatever is in the first barrel first.

I would love to have a good, sidelock double that was as light as the BPS and had two triggers, but such guns typically run between three and six thousand dollars. Sure, you can get inexpensive doubles, but as the price goes down, the weight goes up and the balance goes to hell. I'm not convinced a cheap double offers much of an advantage over a pump.

[WolfMansDad]

I'll tell you a story about double-barreled shotguns. When I was about twelve, my dad took me on a group dove hunt. There were twenty or thirty men and boys from our small community in the field (it was a big field), and all but two were armed with pumps, autoloaders, or single-barreled breakdowns. The two who had doubles were my dad and another gentleman we'll call Lewis. Dad had his favorite L.C. Smith 16 gauge, and Lewis had a Beretta over-and-under 12 gauge. I had my mother's browning pump 20, which was not the same as the one I now have, and couldn't shoot it for squat.

Whenever a dove would fly in, most of the guys would just blaze away with their pumps or autoloaders, and the dove would usually fly away as safe as can be. Those guys typically fired two or three boxes of shells and brought down three, six, or some such number of birds by the end of the day, never more than ten. They were not very good shots.

Dad and Lewis were both excellent shots, and they both limited out (thirty-three birds) well before the end of the day. I watched them both closely and kept a running tally. Lewis missed a total of ONCE. He fired thirty-four times to get thirty-three doves. Dad missed NONE! He brought home thirty-three doves and thirty-three empty shells. This fact was not lost on my young mind, and it wasn't lost on Lewis, either. He was pretty steamed that WolfMansGrandDad (as we'll call him here) should out-shoot him by one bird!

Much later, when somebody asked us how the hunt went, Dad quietly said, "Lewis missed one," and that was the last anybody said about it.

[Fjold]

Instant choke selection in a double isn't always a given, either. Most over-and-under shotguns come with one trigger and a selector switch on the safety. That's too cumbersome to use in the field, and you will usually wind up just shooting whatever is in the first barrel first.

Not always a given except for us old fashioned types who prefer double trigger, double barrels.

[joel1316]

I don't run into many snobs at the range, so I think I don't have to really worry about that
The pro's definately outweight any con's it seems. Instantaneous second shot, easy to clean, easy to swing, don't have to find shells on the groun, smaller, lighter, better balanced. I'm sold... Thanks!