Forums.NitroExpress.com

Some guys especially like classic side by side double rifles, rather than over/under double rifles, while a smaller number of guys like the over/unders. As a result, over/unders don't tend to sell as easily as sxs, even though it is more expensive to produce a same quality over/under. Personally, I like them both, but prefer sxs, if it suits what sort of hunt I am involved in. When hunting in Montana, for example, just south of you, of course, shooting distances tend to be longer than here in Oregon, when hunting in the thick coastal mountain range, or in the Cascades ---same in much of British Columbia. Also, I think that scopes are more suited to over/unders than to sxs, so when I am hunting more open country, I use a scoped over/under, but when hunting in thick cover, I use a sxs; no iron sights. The Italians are now world leaders in making the world's best over/unders; more and more Italian makers are now producing increasing numbers of sxs, so it may not be long before the Italians are among the best double rifle makers in the world. The Germans were the first to make some of the best over/unders, I think, and they continue to make some excellent over/unders, as well as sxs double rifles. If an over under tends to fit the purposes you plan to put it to in hunting, and if you like over unders, by all means, buy one; I doubt if you will ever regret it. Yes, I am aware of all the arguments against an over under, such as they must be opened more for reloading, than a sxs, etc., but in all my years of hunting (around 40+), I have yet to need more than one or two shots to kill an animal, so didn't need to reload, and I am sure that most animals would not stand around long enough for your two shots, your reloading, and trying to fire a third or fourth time. I hunted with bow for years too, and it made me a far better hunter, so I now think that it would be good for every hunter to bow hunt for a time, for same reasons.

Post Extras