Anyone else prefer semi-autos above over and unders?

[Shadowchaser]

I've been shooting for 15 years and have always found myself drawn to semi autos. 

I first picked up a gas operated one after about 12 months of shooting due to the reduction in recoil.  Though at the time I was still learning and was shooting these horrible D&J 28gr shells through a light weight o/u. 

One thing I realised recently is that I've never owned an o/u that I've been 100% satisfied with.

I have just one o/u at the moment which hasn't seen the light of day this year (I know it's not been a great year for shooting, but I have managed to get out on a decent number of occasions).

I like the look and feel of a semi-auto. 

What do you think?                                                             

 

 

[Imperfection]

I prefer semi autos due to bit less recoil. I damaged my shoulder a number of years ago which flares up occasionally and taking the s/a means i can still attend.

[Walker570]

I do like my 16 gauge Remington 1100 in a pigeon hide, no problems opening barrel to reload just keep sliding them in. I preferred a side by side for walked up days, sit better in the crook of the arm and usually lighter. Used O/U almost exclusively for clays back in the 60s and 70s but also a Remy 110 which had a Cutts fitted and was not welcome on the line. Also shot a BSA semi auto for clays back then.  Today my main go to shotgun is my little Yilditz O/U 410 for everything other than serious ducks and geese which I rarely do these days.    Limited to one ????   Has to be the Remy 1100 16 gauge semi ....does what it says on the packet.

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, I wish they made one that dropped the empty at your feet🤔😀

[Spr1985]

This is a difficult one for me, I absolutely love my a400 semi auto for pigeons, crows and wildfowling and would go as far as using it for rough shooting should the opportunity it’s arise.  but, for clays and game it’s the over/under every time. If I had to choose, the. It’s the over under as I can do everything with it without it being frowned upon 🤣

[tweedledee]

Truthfully yes..just sold my ou so it will be a semi I shoot from now on

[Shadowchaser]

6 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, I wish they made one that dropped the empty at your feet🤔😀

It was either Beretta or Remington that came out with a semi auto that ejected the shells through the carrier section. It must be a good 8 - 10 years ago. I remember reading about it in Sporting Gun.  The idea never took off. 

[B725]

I use my 50 quid Winchester xtr for everything but game shooting.

[Harnser]

I have a beretta gas gun used mainly for pigeon shooting . I have used it for driven shooting and there is no better gun for the job . Low recoil and ease fo loading . Shame so many see the self loader a no ,no on the peg .

harnser

 

[Harnser]

32 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

Hello, I wish they made one that dropped the empty at your feet🤔😀

An old keeper friend bent a piece of fencing wire around the action of his 1100 and adjusted so that the empty’s hit the wire on ejection . They all fell at his feet . Not very pretty ,but it worked a treat .

harner

[Shadowchaser]

1 minute ago, Harnser said:

An old keeper friend bent a piece of fencing wire around the action of his 1100 and adjusted so that the empty’s hit the wire on ejection . They all fell at his feet . Not very pretty ,but it worked a treat .

harner

Not a bad idea.  One of my semi autos throws the empties about half a mile.  Sometimes I think I'd be better firing them at the target instead! 

[Stuarta]

I use my Beretta AL391 for rough and vermin shooting and often for sporting clays. I have a over and under, a Beretta EELL 687 and I do get it out of the cabinet and shoot it occasionally, if I could only have one gun it would be the auto. Thank goodness I don’t have to make that choice.

[Shadowchaser]

For those of you that shoot clays with an auto - how do you look upon picking up the empties? 

It can be a bit of grey area, as I know it's the right thing to do and some grounds may ask/insist that you do. 

However if I'm the last in my group to shoot and the next group is ready to shoot, I don't want to be hanging around, possibly in the eye line of the next shooter whilst I pick up my empties.  And of course some empties end up in the shooting zone. 

[oldypigeonpopper]

8 minutes ago, Harnser said:

An old keeper friend bent a piece of fencing wire around the action of his 1100 and adjusted so that the empty’s hit the wire on ejection . They all fell at his feet . Not very pretty ,but it worked a treat .

harner

Hello, interesting Harnser, I had to make some magnetic walking sticks as I was fed up scrabbing about in the hedge 🙄😁

Edited November 22, 2020 by oldypigeonpopper

[strimmer_13]

10 minutes ago, Shadowchaser said:

For those of you that shoot clays with an auto - how do you look upon picking up the empties? 

It can be a bit of grey area, as I know it's the right thing to do and some grounds may ask/insist that you do. 

However if I'm the last in my group to shoot and the next group is ready to shoot, I don't want to be hanging around, possibly in the eye line of the next shooter whilst I pick up my empties.  And of course some empties end up in the shooting zone. 

I make them wait, manners cost nothing. I usually make a point of picking up extras right under my feet seeing as some are either too fat/lazy/arrogant to bend down to get the ones they ejected out. Really grates my goat to see rubbish all over the stand 

[Shadowchaser]

1 minute ago, strimmer_13 said:

I make them wait, manners cost nothing. I usually make a point of picking up extras right under my feet seeing as some are either too fat/lazy/arrogant to bend down to get the ones they ejected out. Really grates my goat to see rubbish all over the stand 

That's a good approach.  I was once behind a group of shooters and one of them (with an o/u) ejected his shells straight into the bin if he hit the birds, but if he missed even just one of a pair he opened the gun and let them fly everywhere, whilst at the same time cursing that he'd missed. 

Another time one bloke attempted to eject his empties into the bin but missed every time.  

If I shoot o/u or sbs, I just catch the empties in my hand a throw them in the bin. 

[Ultrastu]

I have a magnetic telescopic rod for collecting shells that go in the hedge .

But I'd still prefer a sa. That ejects downwards  

[strimmer_13]

9/10 now I use my pump, and 9/10 ill try and eject into the bin if it's safe (I'll move the bin a few feet out the right hand side of the stand if need be where I go as it's only a plastic half a 45 gallon drum). I always pick up emptys. 

Ive never shot anywhere different than my local, so can't comment on what the litter is like anywhere else, but where I am, it's perfectly safe to cross either side of the stand to pick up a empty, though you might get a thorn or 2. Doesn't bother me as Im used to it anyway for work as it's full of ******. 

Back to your original question, I use my sxs hammer for walking and a treat, pump for nearly everything, and o/u if in the cattle sheds as I don't like handling shells that land in cow ****. Just sold my last semi as I don't like the feeling of it loading itself. Stupid I know. 

[Scully]

I really like my SA’s, but then again I really like OU’s, and my pumps. 🙂

If push came to shove I still doubt I could choose; I’d be really sorry not to be able to use them all.

As for ejected empties at clay grounds, I just pick them up, it’s no biggy. 

Edited November 22, 2020 by Scully

[Taileron]

I have always had a semi in my cabinet apart from now. I sold (virtually gave away) my Affinity to a good friend who was down on his luck and needed a boost. I have just (today) ordered a new Affinity De-lux, hopefully it will be here soon. For walked up I now use a S/S, I was using my O&U, this is simply for ease empty case retrieval. Pigeons ( in a hide) and clays I have and always will prefer a semi.

1 hour ago, Harnser said:

An old keeper friend bent a piece of fencing wire around the action of his 1100 and adjusted so that the empty’s hit the wire on ejection . They all fell at his feet . Not very pretty ,but it worked a treat .

harner

Saw a bloke at millride using an elastic band to the same effect, worked very well.

[London Best]

I have only ever owned SxS’s but have some experience of using O/U’s and a little, very limited experience of using S/A’s. From that limited experience I found the S/A’s much more to my liking than O/U’s.

[WalkedUp]

In a hide a semi auto takes some beating. The gun is always live, magazine topped up without breaking the barrels etc which is when a pigeon always sneaks in. 

[The Heron]

38 minutes ago, Scully said:

I really like my SA’s, but then again I really like OU’s, and my pumps. 🙂

If push came to shove I still doubt I could choose; I’d be really sorry not to be able to use them all.

As for ejected empties at clay grounds, I just pick them up, it’s no biggy. 

+1

[Stonepark]

In my view the OU is a compromise between the SxS and the semi auto.

 

I would use a semi for all my shooting but convention dictates otherwise.

 

Single sighting plane, pointable, reduced recoil, shimmed stocks, magazine, etc make a semi very effective and deadly even for a novice shooter.

 

 

[Houseplant]

I traded in my Miroku for a Browning Maxus. The Miroku was a lovely gun. As a gun, I preferred it, but the Maxus is much better suited to my style of duck shooting.