Semi-Auto VS Over & Under

[@robclarke7602]

I have autos, SxSs, and O/Us. What I'll use depends on what I'm doing: Waterfowl = Auto; Upland = SxS with dual triggers; Clays = Auto or O/U (depending on my mood). There really isn't a wrong choice. As the old saying goes, "Boxers or Briefs".

[@windym709]

The first 100 straight in English Sporting was shot with a Remington 1100 in 1980 by Duncan Lawton at Buxton Skeet & Trap Club.

[@tonyashton780]

Steve Whitlock was a sponsored semi auto champ clay shooter too 👍

[@NotALot-xm6gz]

I bet it had a 26” barrel bored Skeet. 1100s are great for skeet.

[@windym709]

After impressing in Belgium Duncan then shot his 100 straight before being picked for a Great Britain selection squad competing in the French Championships at Villeneuve sur Lot in June 1980. There he shot well enough to be chosen for the World Championship squad. The selectors were proved correct in their choice. Only a couple of weeks later at the same French ground the rookie GB shooter took 2nd place in the World Championship shoot off. This Duncan describes as the perfect springboard to the following year’s World Championships in Madrid, where he became the youngest ever person to win, still using his trusty Remington semi. “I really wanted to be conformist and use a traditional over and under,” he adds, “but I had got used to the semi and how it handled despite it needing a lot of maintenance, as all semis do. I was renowned for having a bag of spares and stopping, often in the middle of a competition to get my screwdriver out and start stripping it down.

[@kurthansma9598]

Unlike in the UK, most large volume US shooters reload, other than for competition. Much easier to catch your empties as they eject instead of having to scrounge around on the ground for them, especially when they land in snow. Also, as your reloadable hulls start to get pretty scruffy you can still stuff them in an O/U when they would jam in an auto. As someone who lives in the northern US and shoots in weather that is at times 10 degrees F or colder, it's nice to balance the gun over your shoulder and put your hands in your pockets with hand-warmers.

[@danhill6333]

There was quite a number of A400 at US Open and Nationals. Most were fielded by women or youth. But the overwhelming majority were O/U.

[@Frizzenspark]

3 of the top shooters in the world come to mind immediately for shooting a semi auto: Desi Edmunds, Diane Sorentino, and Joe Fannizzi. Desi switched back to a semi auto from an O/U.

[@stevemaynard9003]

Duncan Lawton won World and National Sporting competitions with his Remington 1100 autos. I believe he was the first person to ever shoot 100 straight at an English Sporting CPSA competition.

[@stuartcrane9409]

Duncan was also the 1st person to shoot 100 straight at FITASC in Spain World Champs in 1970’s

[@ineedasecond]

Ive bought most of my guns from Duncan he is a great guy and always willing to help. His shop is always well stocked

[@AldoSchmedack]

My dad an I both choose a 1100 for a reason. Fantastic guns, very light, point of aim and pretty for an auto.

[@thebiggeezer1471]

I shoot clays with an M2. I'm 6'6" tall and the adjustability and gun fit is 100% better, for half the price of a quality OU. Yes there's tons of snobbery. I STILL have to listen to the old farts with their silver pigeons and 525's calling mine 'a bank robbers gun!'

[@davidwisniewski3119]

@@thebiggeezer1471I shot clays with my IPSC 3Gun M1S90 one time and raised some eyebrows.

[@jamesfairmind2247]

I use a Benelli Woodcock 20 bore as my everyday vermin gun because it only weighs 5.5 pounds with 3 cartridges in it. I shoot a lot of grey squirrels and one major advantage is that I can reload without taking my eye off a multiple fast moving squirrels running along tree branches. Same deal when shooting pigeon, the ability to keep your eye on the birds whilst topping up the mag is a key advantage.I try not to fire more than 2 so I can just keep stuffing into the mag rather than fiddle with the bolt. That way you can keep a very high rate of sustained fire up without ever looking down at the gun. Shot 537 pigeon in 5 hours one afternoon that way.

[@jimhans1]

A400 Multi-Target, been using one for over a year now for Sporting Clays tournaments, jumping classes every other month. Zero complaints, not had a single malfunction in over 8,000 rounds fired to date.

[@garymarson7170]

I have several semi=autos and over/unders. I gravitate towards the semi-autos because they are easier to swing in sporting clays and even skeet. And as a 73 year old shooter, recoil reduction is a plus. For example, today my son dragged me to shoot sporting clays all day. I wound up shooting 250 shots of 1 1/8 oz 1200 fps 12 ga in about 2 hours. Didn't even notice recoil effects in my shoulder. The gun was a new A400 Excel Gray 32 " with the kickoff absorber. And I get just as good an experience with my Benelli Ethos Super Sports in various gauges. Yeah, picking up shells is a pain, but with magnetic sticks I don't have to bend down. Semis are cheaper, shoot just as well. If they ever DO wear out (unlikely) you can just buy another one.

[@M.P.J.F_UKcitizen]

I think you probably answered your own question.... 40% snobbery, 40% lack of repeatability AND 20% top shooters get given "marketable higher end Guns" 😂😂😂

[@Urinehere]

100% hate picking up my shells haha

[@AwlDeigh]

Well done! Have 2 A400s and a bespoke Perazzi MX8. Always a conversation on what to shoot on what day. Right now the A400 will be put to 600 targets for Texas SC state shoot

[@garyallison1193]

I have an o/u I shoot for clays,I love it. I also have a Beretta A300 I use for hunting. Light easy to shoot and indescribable. Both great fun

[@michaelmiller8342]

A300 for the win!

[@davesimm]

I picked up a cheap 2nd hand A391 Urika 26" for my Mrs to use. It cycles 21g loads and it's smooth as butter. Hides all the recoil very well. Stick some bigger loads in, and its a great pigeon hide tool as well. Very fast and snappy. Great tool for certain jobs.

[@michaelhicks976]

the first 27-28 years of my shooting/hunting with shotguns was all done with pump and semi autos. Bought my first O/U 5-6 years ago. The simplicity of cleaning and the ease collecting spent shells when using extractors has me rarely use anything other than my O/U guns

[@derekgoulding6040]

Duncan Lawton , who has a Petrol station/ Post Office/ Gun Shop and general store just down the road from me, won so much with a semi automatic !

[@dan13jb]

I used a semi for several years (after being introduced to clay shooting on a SxS) because it was reliable for the low cost, lighter to carry, and delivered less felt recoil compared to a similarly priced SxS/OU. Main drawback was picking up all the shells, and a slightly longer reload time.

[@jpward999]

Hi Johnny, I’d be very pleased if you would see what you could do to make the “ultimate semiautomatic clays shooting gun” as you mentioned in this video. I suggest starting with a Beretta A400 due to its current popularity. I made the following modifications to my field grade Beretta AL-391 to improve its usefulness as a sporting clays shotgun: 1) FalconStrike hydraulic recoil pad 2) A ~90 mm length 25 mm brass rod installed in the stock and capped off with some elastomeric adhesive to prevent rattle. It was a snug fit in a pre-existing hole. 3) Installation of Beretta forend weights to counter the additional weight in the stock. The shotgun went from 7 lbs 1 oz to 9 lbs 1 oz. I can shoot up to 200 28 gram loads in a day with no fatigue now. I admit, the trigger is nicer on my Browning CXS, but would expect you to include a trigger job in any project gun.

[@bb5242]

I would change the feed mechanism such that it would only hold 2, but use a magazine that could load from the bottom and so you could just keep feeding it rounds but it wouldn't have the shell lift or mag tube. Not sure if that makes sense, but think 2-round semi with a rectangular mag that you push each round up into the bottom of the receiver and you can just keep feeding another and another really fast.

[@zackmay925]

I shoot clays to tune up for hunting. It makes sense to me to use the same gun for both endeavors. I can't imagine dragging an 8 lb blunderbuss around in the upland field. I also like the third shot when the covey doesn't all get up at the same time.

[@utdesertghost199]

Over the past 30 years I've gone back and forth between O/Us and semi-autos. Started with a Benelli M1 super 90, then to a browning sx, back to an auto with a Beretta AL391 and now a Fabarms elos n2 for my open gun and Al391 and A400 for my small gauge guns. Benefits to both for various reasons but my main is that I reload, and hate picking up hulls. Reliability wise I think they're both similar. My super 90 had over 250k through it and it was still going strong when I sold it.

[@CCH-R]

I used a Remington 1100 for years and did great with it. I didn’t want to wear it out, so I bought an over under as my main clay gun. Funny part is my average for trap is exactly the same😂

[@adamyelle4901]

Had a Beretta AlL391 and loved it, but jams (although occasional) and cleaning are the reasons I got rid of it and went over under.

[@RichardWaineUK]

Great to see another video with little Ant in it!

[@tgsoutdoors]

Little ant 😂🤣😂

[@duncanchestnut5583]

As someone who actually isn't a fan of over & unders, I think one benefit to the o&u is balance Far less weight and mechanisms required in it so the weight is more towards the center or even closer to your shoulder making snaping to a clay easier and faster

[@Zach-td5mb]

You could just buy a benelli and get that same feeling though lol

[@guydgreenfield]

nonsense

[@Rhino-mt1rf]

I’ve shot many Shotguns over the years. When I bought my A400 Excel Sporting, I felt like Harry Potter when he found his Wand. It’s a fantastic Shotgun and I’m really confident with it.

[@ShotawayFilms]

Duncan Lawton Remington 1100...might be someone to ask as he won a number of prestigious Titles.I think many of us grew up in UK regarding a semi auto as a knockabout/vermin/ pigeon hide gun where it excels.They were not considered for the driven shooting field for a number of reasons you have covered but not least aesthetically.

[@michaelplank8966]

2 shells in the gun it doesn't matter it's a snob thing if I'm going to pay for driven birds I'll shoot what I want I'll shoot a auto more people are in south deported it's all autos

[@jpdorsethq1280]

@@michaelplank8966 ''south deported it's all autos''?? please clarify.I don't think it is a snob issue as seen a good number of Semi-autos on clay shoots over the years.Driven shooting originally I think it was the broken ''empty gun'' syndrome and the old school attitude which really had nought to do with snobs or the landed gentry if this is what you mean.

[@afellowinnewengland6142]

For me, there are five advantages to the O/U versus a semiautomatic: 1) I can choke each barrel differently on the O/U to optimize for different distances. 2) The swing weight for me as a tall fellow with long arms is better on the O/U. 3) Less maintenance and chance for something to go wrong. 4) The O/U is more comfortable to carry on my shoulder when it’s open and puts others at ease it’s not loaded. Some clubs are uncomfortable with people carrying around a semiautomatic when they can’t tell if it’s loaded. 5) For those of us who like engraving and precision there’s more to enjoy on a O/U. I have nothing against semi-autos and I think they have certain advantages for other applications, but when it comes to trap and skeet I prefer O/U.

[@richardmoran5438]

Excellent points. And walking 6 miles in a marsh shooting massive steel loads... which do you want to carry much and shoot little?

[@mihaimihai9254]

You just nailed it!

[@michelt4390]

Well, a SxS would have been a better option... but yeah, you make sens ;-)

[@stevetodd693]

Picking up hulls off the ground is what i personally dislike the most. The balance, along with the shorter overall length with equal barrel length also helps a bit more than just snobbery…..but i’m American, so what would i know about any of that? (except snobbery)

[@AldoSchmedack]

Spot on and for me safety looks and class. I much prefer sxs or ou but use an auto.

[@wholeNwon]

My uncle was our state's trap shooting champion and he used a Remington 1100. I learned to shoot trap with his gun. For upland game, I use a SxS for the instant choice of chokes and, unless I'm actually walking up to a dog on point, I keep it broken open so that everyone knows I'm safe. Appreciate that is others, too. But as a skinny teen (long ago), the first time I fired a gun with fixed breech, the recoil really got my attention. The semi-auto was much kinder to my shoulder and the vent. rib was a great help for a novice. Would I rather miss a grouse with a Woodward or hit it with a semi-auto? Tough question. Guess I'd be influenced a lot by what I expected my shooting companions to be using.

[@Ze-Germanzuk]

The only reason I ditched my semi was because of jamming, tried every possible cartridge and kept the gun immaculate but I'd still get the occasional jam. It might not be often, maybe 1 in 100-200 shots but it's just frustrating when you're in a comp. As others have said, I also just never felt comfortable carrying a semi around. I trust myself but as you guys said it only takes one mistake and someone can end up dead.

[@inzerdody2023]

Ppl who don't feel comfortable around certain types of firearms shouldn't have any lol. It isn't good ng bang when it should not. This isn't the 30s and it isn't a sig.

[@dave_724]

I shot 750 cartridges on a cold day in December on a sim day with barbury shooting school and had 3 stoppages in -5 with 28g comp X and i wasn’t missing much my autos have been more reliable then my beretta silver pigeon ever was !

[@Jimmykid3]

I shoot an a400 multi target n love it I also have an old over n under and like that as well the switch was weird because of the barrel weight difference but I run the heavy weight forend cap on the a400 to help.

[@danjamison3727]

I have found at our local shooting grounds more and more older shooters (inc myself) are going to semi auto`s mainly because they are much lighter. I shoot an A400 excel and just bought an old 391 as it will recycle all weights of ammo inc 21 gram However have had a few looks on the DTL stand. Another great video keep em coming

[@leophelps413]

I regularly use a benelli ethos 20 ga for sporting clay recreational shooting and love it . I also like many in the USA use break action O/U and SxS . For me the Ethos is a joy to have fun with clays and I do bring my magnet stick to pick up hulls. Another fun video , hopefully our planet is big and open enough to allow everyone to enjoy all types of clay shooting . Thanks

[@merv690]

another brilliant video, even though you never came to an answer to the question, it was great listening to you both and great to see Ant in the video again

[@MScholtz]

I have a miruku and a benelli clone. The O/U gives you 2 different chokes so you can switch between them depending on the shot. The semi takes alot of recoil out of it. But a little more technical to use.

[@delwhin]

A5 browning sweet 16 is by far my favorite semi auto!

[@aspen3542]

Picking up empty shells off the ground while shooting clays is enough reason for me to use a O/U.

[@nathanhileman3848]

Agreed

[@Fowlfeatherfranklin]

As an American, I think the reason we use them is 1. 3shots or 5 shots, depending on game we’re hunting. 2. The speed of follow up shots. And finally I think it’s “snobbery “ to a point for us just as you all feel that way about the O/U. That being said out of 8 shoutguns I own, 1 is a SxS,1 is an O/U, 2 are pumps and 4 are semi automatic. And I do agree with you that semiautomatics aren’t as safe as SxS or O/U. At the end of the day I think it comes down to what you shoot best and like. Thanks for another great video.

[@bb5242]

Every US gun shop I go into has dozens of pumps and semis and only a few o/u or singles

[@TheNewHuntersGuide]

Thanks for the video! I just want to say, I'm a big fan. Your channel has been some inspiration to mine. Your Gun Fit 101 video is the best of it's kind on KZbin. I did one of my one but yours was so good I had to take it another angle because there just wasn't anything I could add to your thorough approach. Thanks for the videos!

[@jameshan6179]

Joe Fanizzi has won Nationals as well as a few other podium finishes with a Beretta a400 I believe

[@davidjohansson2282]

Like mentioned before Remington 1100, if you want a big heavy Semiauto just buy a 1100 it's 8lbs or 3.6kg.

[@AnthonyNewman-pq3el]

i remember Duncan Lawton winning with a old Remington 1100 joe fanizza and Diane Sorrentino both use semi autos , but cant think of anyone in England recently

[@garyholliday5169]

I have both and enjoy shooting them both at clays and game. The obvious thing to me is if I am shooting clays and one of a pair is a closer target it is easy to flick across and fire my more open choke at that ( shoot 1/4 and 1/2 ) or visa versa.

[@adriantyler6911]

Well the highlight for me was at 2:40 and at 2:50 when MKQueen made an appearance! Semi's do have their place as a tool for sure, that M2 is fantastic.....shame we can't have the M3 over here too!

[@psobecke]

John Fanzinni won the US NSCA national Championship shooting an A400

[@WalterLamon]

Thanks for the topic and your excellent videos. I own both Over and Under, and semi-auto. At my age,74 I shoot my semi-autos far more than my O/U's. Most days I will shoot 4 rounds of trap. (9 is the most I have shot in a day). I am much more comfortable driving home after shooting the semi-auto.

[@tonyashton780]

Really enjoying your videos especially this one .When I was in my 20,s I regularly used a Rizzini over & under 12.Everything from Woodpigeons,Rough Shooting and clays.I am now in my mid 50,s health is shocking due to previous working life and 2 heart attacks.I have used a gas semi auto for the last 15 years or so.They are a fantastic tool designed to do a job,pretty they ain't.But mine can be used for Clays,Vermin,Wildfowl which I do .Safety isn't an issue on the clay ground open bolt breech flag or it stays in a gun slip.If you can't run a semi auto safely you shouldn't have a ticket.Any jams or non firing field strip I always carry cleaning rod + Jag.I have a magnetic telescopic stick pen no bending to pick up cartridges.I have Teague chokes for mine 1/4,1/2,5/8 ATA Mobil Extended.Patterned with different cartridges.Eley Pigeon HV Fibre 6 32 gram for all field use,Gamebore White Gold Fibre 28 gram 7.5 clays,Express Super Game AAA Fibre 36 gram (fox drive).Steel Eco Wad 32/36 gram 3 shot,1/4 choke for Duck & Geese ,Canada Pest Control.I have owned ; Remington 1100 Winchester 1400 Beretta 303 Beretta Teknys Browning Gold Hunter Benelli Montefeltro (inertia too much for chest/shoulder,ongoing cardio issues) Paragon Bronze (awful fit ) Armsan A612 Synthetic fitted,patterned,Teague Chokes initially fully stripped cleaned lubed new gas o ring.It is flawless for me I was truly shocked ....value for money,fit,reliability and the fact that Ivan at Teague never had any issue taking my order and supplying The ATA Mobil Ext which are extremely good. We should use them more most clay grounds will stick to CPSA rules 2 shots only open bolt breech safety flag and or bagged.Be courteous & safe collect your empties!Give a semi auto a try 🤞😉👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@tonyashton780]

Just subbed too I am enjoying the content massively you cover everything.Longthorne maintenance was an eye opener.Stay safe

[@danmarks1830]

I use both a semi auto and pump action for waterfowl and totally agree if you put the wrong shell in either shotgun it will jam but when you have the right shells they run just fine with no hiccups

[@johnnybriggs1885]

Being a waterfowl hunter, I primarily run browning auto 5's or the Beretta A400 extreme plus automatic and just recently picked up a few Citori's for clear weather days. My concern with the o/u's is they are beautiful guns and using them in a waterfowl environment is risking cosmetic damage. I also noticed the o/u's receiver length necessitates longer barrels to accommodate for the receiver length difference from the semi autos. So in my autos, i utilize a 28" barrel and in the citori's I had to increase the barrel length to a 30" to get the "swing factor" in check.

[@ChrisUKFF]

I can run pretty much any shell in my Armsan A612 and in my Beretta A400 sporting. Even 21/24G

[@Will-yy7cg]

When shooting semi-autos, I can feel the bolt moving around which I find to be very distracting.

[@johnwilmott8063]

Thanks to both of you. I've just ordered a Winchester sx4, as opposed to a b525. And saved quiet a bit of £.😁 Would appreciate a review of the sx4.

[@russelllevan3878]

Target Focused life channel..SX4 vs Franchi vs Benelli

[@arsenioarvanitakis6549]

on modern semi autos vs. the older ones is the modern ones have a very heavy trigger pull probably for safety reasons.

[@codydunlop9202]

I own a couple O/U but i do have an SX4 upland field and it's an amazing gun for the price, I've never had a single issue with it. Enjoy!

[@YouTubeCensorsAndSuppresses]

Target Focused Life on YT has all the info you need. SX4 will outperform most other semis for a fraction of the price.

[@dallonperry3639]

I live in northern Canada and I grew up shooting trap with a guy that had a few Browning auto 5's. This one was a Duck Unlimited and that gun was art, plus most auto 5's are to me.

[@yeahbee8237]

I started on a semi, went to a adjustable o/u and then a semi again. I shoot as well with the semi but I feel less hindered dragging it thru the brush and mud.

[@chadnolte9134]

From what I can tell, when it comes to clay shooting I think we tend to follow what the top shooters are using and what your budget can handle. Yes more US Open and US National Champions use an O/U. But you also have great shooters like Joe Fanizzi who could shoot what ever gun he wants and has stuck with an A400. Second, I would much rather clean and maintain an O/U than and auto.

[@RustyControls]

I think two reasons youve covered. Easier to tell when safe and shells don’t eject so easier to keep stands clean.

[@danawalkerley1395]

You finally got to the real point at the end. Especially for those reloader folks.

[@trevordutton634]

I shoot with both, I have tried Miroku, Browning 525 and 725 and hated them all bought a Beretta Excel and didn't look back. Until I visited Holts and bought a rusty Lanber for £85. I now use that all the time because it suits me.

[@pistolsscaramanga]

I shoot a 1982 Remington 1100. A bit of a time capsule shotgun that was never really used until recently. It’s beautiful! I always get comments on it especially from older shooters that have owned one and shot one competitively. With nice wood furniture and a little bit of scrolling on the receiver, it sits nicely in the rack next to all the beautiful over/unders. The shell spitting is a problem that over under shooters turn their nose up at. They don’t like to stand beside me. Lol I bought a little device that sticks onto the receiver and grabs the shells as they come out. Perfect for trap. Everywhere else, I let them fly. Be free little shell be free, fly away. C

[@ardenpowers7730]

I needed to add weight to my 391 to make it around 9 lbs. At that point, I could get a smoother more controlled swing. I'm now shooting a Ceasar Guerini Summit Ascent with a more likeable feel and flow to the target in sporting. Thanks for sharing . . .

[@audieladd2476]

The Old Belgian Browning Auto 5 was a "thing of beauty," especially in the higher grades.

[@supermaes]

I use my Beretta 1301 comp pro for clay shooting mainly because of the lighter recoil. Ever since I broke my shoulder, I just got way more sensitive to the bang against my shoulder. That said, I get a lot of remarks from fellow shooters, most of them positive, but you sense its just not something normally people see at the range. I think it has to do a lot with snobbery, but also O/U is just what most are used to.

[@seibrav]

Just getting started in sporting clays. Thanks for all the info.

[@06triton06]

Don't know if this counts but the jr us open at backwoods was one by a kid shooting a berretta a400 excel. He shot 98 out of 100 on day 1 and 100 out of 100 on day 2

[@danhill6333]

Outstanding!

[@blakebeeler693]

For me it’s the fear of a failure to feed and the additional cleaning time that takes me back to the Browning o/u over my A400 for clays.

[@Quentin217]

Here in America, we have had pumps and semi-autos for more than a hundred years, but over/unders are still as popular as they ever were. Furthermore, with the advent of computer-controlled machinery (CNC Machines), side by sides are becoming more popular again. I bought a quality new Turkish Khan Tri Star Bristol a year and a half ago for just $1,200 or so. It works.

[@JamesJones-cx5pk]

I just bought my first over-under on my 50th birthday and I absolutely love it. I m never going back to a semi-auto.

[@bill-qv3er]

I shot an A400 Upland in 20 gauge for skeet and am very successful. I have a 1953 Browning Superposed in 12 gauge but am hesitant to shoot it much. I want a Beretta O/U but just cannot afford it right now. Hopefully in the near future. Great video !

[@MajorJimPlays]

I’ve owned and shot a side by side, over and under, pump action and semi auto at clay grounds and the only reason I don’t shoot the semi auto anymore is I don’t like the recoil impulse. I prefer the single spike of a pump action or SXS or O/U. I don’t shoot over and under a though as I really don’t like the way they look or feel so it’s either a side by side or a pump action and my favourite is always going to be the pump gun. You can’t beat the feeing of it.

[@neilfoster9517]

Funny Team Beretta has some world class shooters now using A400 Excel guns. They are re-stocked and completely worked over in every way by Cole or Beretta gunsmiths but these folks can shoot. The only and I mean only possible draw back is picking up your spent hulls at the practice clubs.

[@robbielatta8343]

Not sure that it is related, however it very well could be due to the regulation of owning semi-auto weapons in the U.K. Not wanting to normalize it. Either way I love the feel of shooting an O/U or double barrel. I shout trap, skeet and clays with a Beretta 1301 Comp Pro. The barrel is too short but it gets the job done

[@zachpainter120]

Just switched to an A400 from an O/U. Better sight picture for me. If you have an eye dominance issue you can see through the gun better as well. I keep a spare trigger and some parts in the range bag just in case. Recoil is basically nonexistent vs my O/U.

[@Secret_Squirrel1]

American here. I much prefer an O/U for both sporting clays and field hunting. It’s so much more enjoyable.

[@nickherron3599]

I shoot a semi auto for most of my sporting events and love it. The only actual drawback is the mess. Otherwise it’s been flawless. The only mental drawback is they aren’t nearly as pretty. My shoulder prefers the SA.

[@briantrent1155]

I got a browning over under and a beretta a400 xtream plus and use them both. If i do a 100 clay tournament i will use one or the other and if i shoot a 100 clay and 50 clay tournament the same day i will use a400 for big tournament and over under for small tournament. I like the a400 for light recoil and ease of operation. I like the over under for the looks and being able to manually remove spent shells and no mess. Although you can get a shell catcher for semi automatic Ive been looking at a beretta a400 xcel sporting gun that has some nice wood and color to it. A really fancy looking semi automatic for $2800

[@rosserpace3602]

I shoot both a CG Summit and a Beretta A400 Multi-sport. They are very different guns. I use the CG for standard sporting clays and the Beretta for 5 stand and trap.

[@MartShoots]

I shoot (clays only) and I shoot with: two over unders, one semi auto, one side by side single trigger & one side by side hammer action twin trigger. I rotate them, so I keep familiar to each one. My Semi auto is a Beretta A400 Multi Target, but I always reach for it last because of the feeling I get with it spitting shells 10 feet to the right and what others think... I ALWAYS have a magnetic stick and pick up the shells, even take my son to pick them up for me quicker! But I still reach for it last. I use a solid red plastic block to show its safe, in the slip straight away so fewer people will worry. But I still reach for this gun last. Shame, it's a looker and a great 'hammer'. Heard too many snide remarks shooting it too.... When I shoot the O/U's, no one says anything. When I shoot the side by sides, people look and some nod.... especially the hammer gun. My O/U I shoot best (highest scores) with. My side by sides both makes me feel happy to shoot esp. the hammer, my High rib, Monte Carlo semi auto with gorgeous wood makes me worry about shooting it. Which one am I taking out today? My Semi Auto :O Infact Johnny saw me shooting the semi at Barbury only a few weeks ago!!

[@brtshpestcontrol9536]

It shouldn't really make any difference whether you shoot a single barrel, S/S, O/U or semi, as every one is just a tool that shoots the same cartridge, there is obviously some etiquette involved in some circles, but I think the main reason semi's aren't more popular is that most like their gun of choice to have some class, something semi's seem to lack! I'm an ex-keeper and used every type for a variety of purposes to good effect, and just purchased a Beretta 1301 for vermin control as my Browning is starting to show signs of wear and tear after 30 years of use, plus not sure steel will agree with it! Keep e'm coming guys, really enjoy your channel!

[@jerroldshelton9367]

I take it that you've never shot Callipepla californica in the wild over its native range. Hinge guns have some definite advantages for this, particularly guns like an A y A 4/53 in 28 gauge with straight grip, splinter fore-stock, and double triggers. If I worried about "class," I wouldn't be the fan of the Yildiz SPZ ME that I am. I formerly shot a Parker Hale (Ugartechea) 20 gauge, but the Yildiz SPZ ME appeals because of its single-selective, "pure mechanical" trigger that doesn't need recoil to act on an inertia block to reset. With only one trigger, there's more room for my gloved fingers. Also, my "Uggie" would try to turn into a pile of ferrous oxide at the mention of the word "moisture," while my Yildiz SPZ ME guns with their satin black chrome exterior barrel finish and chrome-lined bores and chambers still present as new in spite of humidity, rain, snow, sleet, dog slobber, and such. Having two different choke constrictions in the superposed and double guns is a major benefit in hunting valley (or California) quail, in my opinion. Also, with a hinge gun, I can render the gun safe by breaking the action open to deal with my dog's "pricky paw," but if whilst doing that a bird flushes, I can close the gun and quickly get a shot off where I might not with a pump or autoloader.

[@basshnter1997]

I find the recoil impulse of an O/U makes it quicker and easier to get on your second shot.

[@MartShoots]

I shoot O/U, SxS and semi. The semi with its very liitle recoil gets me on the second clay much quicker. Just my observations....

[@basshnter1997]

@@MartShoots It isn't the power of the recoil but the stroke of the bolt that's distracting. I find the Beretta A400 to be way worse in this regard compared to my Remington 1100 or Franchi affinity. Btw, I love semi autos. The 1100 for its soft recoil and the Affinity for its light weight, reliability.

[@MartShoots]

@@basshnter1997 i understand now, that's a good point. Now you've mentioned it I'm probably going too as well now!

[@cpenland]

A Southern Appalachian Highlander here, I started Sporting Clays with an O/U, 4 years later switched to semi-auto, went back to O/U in 2019. Being able to switch out a barrel choke for the second bird in a station or switch barrels with the selector and catching my ejected shells in my hand - not necessarily in that order. And, I didn't look forward to disassembling the semi-auto to clean it... O/Us are beautiful and represent the sport. I am O/U for life, I am pretty sure, at this point.

[@tgsoutdoors]

I think OU’s representing the sport is a great way to put it.

[@daboo7725]

Hay Johnny Just a curious fact. In 1978 Remington established a world record for number of shells fired without malfunction, cleaning or parts breakage. Many manufacturers have tried and failed to come close to the record. The gun you may ask,, well it was a Remington 1100 LT 20 The huge benefit of shooting an auto is less shooter fatigue/ shoulder pain at the end of the day. I'm 60 years old and know guys 10 years younger then me already complaining of sore shoulders after a couple rounds of trap. I've been shooting 25 + years and my shoulder feels great. I hope to shoot another 20 if the rest of my body holds up. And my go to gun is a Remington 1100 competition.

[@harryminkley1336]

I think one issue with Semi autos vs O/U is the shell disposal at clay grounds. Easy to catch and throw away O/U shells when they eject. However, unless you want a bag attached to your semi auto then you have to get a magnetic stick to waft around and collect the shells to then throw away. And you can't beat the satisfaction catching 2 shells after hitting a cracking pair of clays + the smoke coming out the barrels after shooting a stand and opening gun or blowing the smoke through the barrels.

[@rampage_pwny3063]

American here you guys discussed most of the important parts of firearm differences and the culture. Everyone can appreciate the classic looks and excellent build quality of a fine over-under. Now in the states it's more important to me that I can mag dump in trash on the fourth of July and an autoloader is the obvious choice.

[@mattyv2874]

I’ve shot semi’s for years. Then I bought an O/U and now I strongly prefer the O/U when shooting sporting clays. I use the semi only for duck hunting now.

[@KLD2929]

I wander if the jamming is because on European shot shells, there is a tighter shell tolerances than U.S. made shells?

[@thescottishfarrier]

Safety, beauty, workmanship, satisfaction of opening and closing that o/u. There’s no competition

[@notsure7874]

Harry Whittington would disagree with you on the safety thing :D

[@duncanandrews1940]

My last competition shotgun before a shoulder injury stopped me shooting clays was a Benelli Montefeltro 12/76 which replaced a Miroku MK 38 Sporter 12M Teague. I loved the Benelli, probably the best shotgun I have ever owned.............

[@timcartwright4679]

Bought a Semi Auto Breda for Skeet and I'm always self concious that the other shooters can't tell if I'm unloaded...

[@yeahbee8237]

Just dont wave the barrel about?

[@mikeasel144]

I have some Browning skeet guns with sub gauge tubes and a Kreighoff with tubes. I also have a Remington 1187 premier trap and a BT 99 . I belong to NSSA and shoot registered skeet . Being able to shoot the same gun at all four gauges is very important. It would be hard to get semi autos to point and swing the same. Maybe the next time you go to Texas talk to a skeet shooter . There have been a lot of 12 gauge world championships and state championships won with auto loaders.

[@robertweinstein6441]

They (semi’s) also tend to miss feeds, shell fails to clear the action. They also don’t eat reloads well.

[@tomski0007]

Maybe you could use your contacts and see if longthorne will make you a dedicated clay semi auto. And if more grounds put on more shoots for semi autos only it could perhaps change the market. Would love that.

[@jackruane1189]

I shoot DTL and in the world of trap you would never see anyone shooting an auto, the biggest problem is the feel and refinement; when you fire a shot with an auto you can feel the weight and balance change as it cycles the new shell and when you have to be as precise as you do with trap for that second shot, that makes a massive difference.

[@paulhill6443]

Hello great video years ago I used a beretta 682 s/sport but I’m thinking bout coming back & having a go again but this time I’m liking the auto & would love to try one cheers paul hill

[@extremetaz]

Have shot both, enjoy both, and am just as well able to miss a target with both. I just find a break action more comfortable to walk with. That's literally the only difference I'd be bothered enough by to factor into a buying decision.

[@cstem44]

Could you please tell which brand and model of glasses 🤓 those you are wearing or even post a link please?

[@tgsoutdoors]

www.edwardseyewear.com/Store/Hiroki-II-c130345628

[@DaveThomspon]

I shoot both for clays and hunting. The third shot of a semi has brought down birds on many occasions and wasted shells on others. I find with the o/u when hunting I am more conscious and careful knowing there are only two shells. Highest score in sporting clays was over 80/100 with a Benelli Super Black Eagle ll. My favorite semi is an M2.

[@hissingoose]

Pretty much every serious duck and goose hunter will use a semi in NA; the top 3 I see are the a400, a SBE, and Maxus. When you’re potentially going through 3-4 boxes on a mixed hunt (especially with snow geese) a semi is the most comfortable and effective by far, with the gas guns being the most pleasant. Even on a dedicated dark goose hunt I may only go through half a box or less to limit out, it’s so much more comfortable shooting waterfowl loads through a semi than my SxS that I use for upland.

[@engineer6250]

When using a pump or semi at our local clays ground I always have my fellow shooters use a chamber flag to show clear, I also encourage them to catty their shotguns with the chamber flag outwards , as a result we have no issues and no challenges from management. Our local clay ground however does not allow Section 1 shotguns to be used, due to insurance regulations

[@boilingatoms5212]

In Norway there is a rule to only have 2 shells in a shotgun when hunting so if you have a semi auto or pump action, its only allowed to have 1 in the chamber and 1 in the mag. exeption is Roedeer hunting where you can have 1 in the chamber and 2 in the mag

[@dross1492]

Mainly class. Many don’t like littering the area w hulls- and really 1st class autos are available in the past 20 years.

[@dave9309]

I have a 1st gen Browning Maxus, it's a beautiful gun, it still has the regular black barrel, but it has a polished aluminium receiver that's also engraved and excellent quality wood furniture, it uses a hinge lock system to secure the fore end rather than a screw cap, so it comes away similar to a U/O and makes it quicker to remove the barrel if it were to jam, that being said in the 5+ years I've had it I've not had a jam. As for loading, it's very slick, Browning has an auto feed system that automatically feeds the first shell you load into the chamber from the feed port as long as the bolt is locked open, so there's no need to use the bolt release. The gas system is very well tuned and auto regulates, I use the cheapest 28g target loads with no cycling issues. The club I shoot at has no issue with Semi's, I'm just one of many auto shooters, in terms of visual safety, most of us use bags with a sprung stand which we store our guns in while between pegs, so people aren't typically walking around with their guns on display. I would imagine any snobbery surrounding semi auto use would exist within the sphere of exclusive clubs, where the price tag on your shotgun holds more weight.

[@karrolsmulovic6596]

RE picking up shells, most of the folks at our local clay ground shoot o/u, we pickup our shells from our semi auto and pumpers, not seen the o/u boys picking up theirs!

[@garysadowski17]

Snobbery is the main reason for O/U's used for clay shooting. The second (as for me using an O/U or break action for trap) is picking up the empty hulls off of the ground, especially if you reload shot shells. They made a shell catcher that trap shooters installed on the ejection port of the receiver to stop the empty from ejecting so it can be removed by hand. I've seen so many people shooting O/U's, for snobbery reasons, that normally would use repeating shotguns just eject there empties all over the shooting stations and leave. Additionally, clay shooting is a chance to have a beautifully made gun and shoot it without damging it. As for the competition circuit, EVERY top competitive shooter is given their guns and sponsored for marketing reasons by the manufacturers.