Doubles Point of Impact-Your experiences!!

ebutler462 · March 18, 2007, 08:00 PM

I have a fever for a new gun and am leaning toward a SXS or O/U, maybe a Spartan or Stoeger. I would like to know if anyone has experienced cockeyed POI on either of these makes. I am leaning toward the Spartan. Some gunners pattern their guns and check for point of Impact. What has been your experience with these guns hitting where you point them? Please comment as the fever is getting worse since the Spartan with auto ejectors and single trigger is only $333.99 at my local dealer.

BTW, I have a pretty decent collection of pumps and autos, namely SKB's and Franchi's, and a Nova pump. Love them all but when the fever strikes, all I can do is cure it. Help me with your experiences with doubles. I read somewhere that Baikal as a part of their proof process double checks the POI. Actual experience is what counts. So before I whip out the checkbook, help me.

Arub · March 19, 2007, 06:17 PM

I have no experience with the two brands you mentioned, but as you also mentioned Bakai, here goes.

I just bought a Remington coach gun, made by Bakai and imported by Remington. It's side by side w/20" barrels. Shoots POA =POI.

I have never shot sporting clays in my life until last weekend. Took the Bakai to the club and shot two rounds. Scored 17 out of 25 the first go at it and 22 out of 25 the second time out. For a $300 gun I doubt if there's better out there. If the 20" barrels do that well the longer version should do great.

By the way, don't take a coach gun to a skeet or sporting clays shoot unless you can take a lot of kidding.

Yellowfin · March 20, 2007, 08:40 AM

I haven't shot those particular brands either, but grew up with O/U Browning Citoris. If you can get your hands on a Belgian one that's the only shotgun you'll ever want. As far as I could ever tell the POI is perfectly matched on them, never being able to tell anything at all about the two barrels being different. I just picked up a side by side Browning Special Steel 20 from my late grandpa and took it out and ran a box of clays through it in two days and was again totally unaware of which barrel I would shoot at the time, most of the time shooting once per bird and keeping the second barrel loaded for the next and not see much if any difference. The only real difference is getting used to the sight picture of a side by, but after a few missed passes it became just as handy. Honestly I think if there were as many problems with side bys as a lot of the stuff in print says then we'd have seen tens of thousands of shotguns sent back to the factory over the course of almost a century instead of having kept them. If grandpa shot nearly every bird of his life with them, they can't be all that bad, can they?

williamd · March 21, 2007, 01:39 PM

Never had an issue with any brand of SxS or OxU on POI or POA. The misses seem to always be with the handler!

skeeter1 · March 21, 2007, 05:46 PM

I can't comment on the shotguns you're looking at, but both of my Ithaca/SKB SxS doubles shoot just fine, both at the trap range (25-straight isn't uncommon) and when waterfowl hunting. They're rather expensive, but the only one I can blame for a miss is me. The shotguns work perfectly, and I've got a soft-spot for SxS doubles. I've been shooting them for 30 years, and for me SxS shotguns are the best. I know I'm probably in the minority.

banditt007 · March 21, 2007, 07:21 PM

using shot in them they are probably fine, however i'm sure if you tried to fire slugs out of the barrels you'd find a definite POI difference.

skeeter1 · March 21, 2007, 09:33 PM

Quote:

using shot in them they are probably fine, however i'm sure if you tried to fire slugs out of the barrels you'd find a definite POI difference.

That was pointed out to me by Chuck Hawks, so I've given up any intention of shooting slugs through a SxS double. Birdshot and buckshot is fine by me. For something more, well, that's what the rifles are for!

March 18, 2007, 08:00 PM	#1
ebutler462 Senior Member Join Date: March 16, 2007 Location: NC Posts: 437	Doubles Point of Impact-Your experiences!! I have a fever for a new gun and am leaning toward a SXS or O/U, maybe a Spartan or Stoeger. I would like to know if anyone has experienced cockeyed POI on either of these makes. I am leaning toward the Spartan. Some gunners pattern their guns and check for point of Impact. What has been your experience with these guns hitting where you point them? Please comment as the fever is getting worse since the Spartan with auto ejectors and single trigger is only $333.99 at my local dealer. BTW, I have a pretty decent collection of pumps and autos, namely SKB's and Franchi's, and a Nova pump. Love them all but when the fever strikes, all I can do is cure it. Help me with your experiences with doubles. I read somewhere that Baikal as a part of their proof process double checks the POI. Actual experience is what counts. So before I whip out the checkbook, help me.

March 19, 2007, 06:17 PM	#2
Arub Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2001 Location: UCLA (upper corner of lower Alabama) Posts: 533	I have no experience with the two brands you mentioned, but as you also mentioned Bakai, here goes. I just bought a Remington coach gun, made by Bakai and imported by Remington. It's side by side w/20" barrels. Shoots POA =POI. I have never shot sporting clays in my life until last weekend. Took the Bakai to the club and shot two rounds. Scored 17 out of 25 the first go at it and 22 out of 25 the second time out. For a $300 gun I doubt if there's better out there. If the 20" barrels do that well the longer version should do great. By the way, don't take a coach gun to a skeet or sporting clays shoot unless you can take a lot of kidding. Last edited by Arub; March 19, 2007 at 06:18 PM. Reason: last statement

March 21, 2007, 01:39 PM	#4
williamd Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2007 Location: SoCal Posts: 801	Never had an issue with any brand of SxS or OxU on POI or POA. The misses seem to always be with the handler! __________________ "Outlaw guns and only outlaws will have guns!" Unfortunately, we may be moving in that direction. NRA Benefactor, Conservative!, VN '64-'65. Never sell a gun or a car ... and retire rich!

March 20, 2007, 08:40 AM	#3
Yellowfin Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2007 Location: Lancaster Co, PA Posts: 2,311	I haven't shot those particular brands either, but grew up with O/U Browning Citoris. If you can get your hands on a Belgian one that's the only shotgun you'll ever want. As far as I could ever tell the POI is perfectly matched on them, never being able to tell anything at all about the two barrels being different. I just picked up a side by side Browning Special Steel 20 from my late grandpa and took it out and ran a box of clays through it in two days and was again totally unaware of which barrel I would shoot at the time, most of the time shooting once per bird and keeping the second barrel loaded for the next and not see much if any difference. The only real difference is getting used to the sight picture of a side by, but after a few missed passes it became just as handy. Honestly I think if there were as many problems with side bys as a lot of the stuff in print says then we'd have seen tens of thousands of shotguns sent back to the factory over the course of almost a century instead of having kept them. If grandpa shot nearly every bird of his life with them, they can't be all that bad, can they?

March 21, 2007, 05:46 PM	#5
skeeter1 Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2006 Location: Northeast Ohio Posts: 3,403	I can't comment on the shotguns you're looking at, but both of my Ithaca/SKB SxS doubles shoot just fine, both at the trap range (25-straight isn't uncommon) and when waterfowl hunting. They're rather expensive, but the only one I can blame for a miss is me. The shotguns work perfectly, and I've got a soft-spot for SxS doubles. I've been shooting them for 30 years, and for me SxS shotguns are the best. I know I'm probably in the minority.

March 21, 2007, 07:21 PM	#6
banditt007 Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2006 Posts: 694	using shot in them they are probably fine, however i'm sure if you tried to fire slugs out of the barrels you'd find a definite POI difference.