Which Barrel First?

[Joe Suits]

I just got a Beretta 687 Silver Pigeon II over/under, 20Ga. I was wondering which barrel, top/bottom, do most people shoot first at upland game?

Thanks!

[Fishook]

I hunt over a lab which will generally flush upland birds. I shoot a Win 101 with Imp/Mod for the bottom barrel and Full for the top barrel. I would say 99% of the time I shoot the bottom barrel first. I can select the top barrel first but I rarely try to change the barrel selector as a bird is flushing. If you are hunting ducks/geese, you have to play it according to how the birds are reacting to your set up. The closer the bird, the more you want the open choke to be used. That said, I do not shoot steel through my 101 so I do not hunt waterfowl with it.

[Walleye Guy]

It doesn't matter. If you have different chokes tubes, shoot the most open choke first. With a 20 gauge I would stick with Modified.

[wishiniwerefishin]

In my o/u, i shoot the bottom barrel first 99% of the time. I have i choked improved on the bottom and modified in the top. You usually want to shoot the more open choke first, as the bird flies further if you happen to miss you want that extra range of a tighter choke for the quick follow up shot.

[gspman]

For our shooting, the rule is the bottom barrel should have the most open choke of the 2 barrels and be shot first. The reasoning is that the lower barrel is more in line with the stock and the recoil will be directed straight back with less muzzle jump thus making it easier to line up for a follow up shot if it is needed. The top barrel being less in line with the stock will cause more muzzle jump and would make for a more difficult second shot if it is shot first.

In driven shoots in England they will often put the tighter choke in the bottom barrel as the birds are coming at them and they will use the tighter choke first when the bird is further out and the more open choke second when the bird is closer.

gspman