SXS - how do you deal with the second shot?

[Darkgael]

This, I suppose, is a technical question.
Scenario: I'm hunting grouse. I have a 12 ga. Navy Arms SXS. The dog goes on point. I approach, cocking the right barrel hammer as I do.
What about the left barrel? Do you cock both at the same time? Or do you cock again if a second shot is needed (kinda loses the grouse most of the time).
Part of me feels uneasy with both hammers back - why I don't know since my "modern" SXSs are cocked and ready on approach - and another part of me feels that if done one at a time, I have two single shots and a lost bird.
It isn't a big issue since, where I hunt, more often than not one shot is all a hunter gets regardless of the firearm.
Pete

 

[Jblk]

I always cock the hammer on the barrel that I am going to use first and follow up with the second in case of a miss.You can get pretty fast with a little practice.The trick is not to miss with the first barrel!

 

[Billnpatti]

I, too, have a SXS that I use most often for squirrel hunting. My personal preference is to cock only one barrel at at time. As far as I know, there is no one right way to do it. I find that the right way is the way that feels and works best for you. :thumbsup: When shooting a SXS, there is one rule that you must never forget and that is to remove the cap from the unfired barrel before loading the fired barrel. :hatsoff:

 

[Mike Brooks]

In that situation I would cock both locks.

 

[nessmuk]

I cock both barrels at the same time. If I only get one shot, then I let the other hammer all the way down and then return it to the half cock position.
If I am going to reload then I remove the cap before I reload.

 

[BrownBear]

I used a Navy Arms 12 SXS for close to 20 years for waterfowl as well as for snowshoe hare haulingbrass in front of beagles. I've gotta say that even though I have big hands, cocking both barrels at once is more of a good theory than a reasonable practice. The hammer spurs on the NA are pretty wide-set, and it's a bit of a chore to lever them back at the same time. You end up doing them one at a time anyway, so it's a lot faster to cock the second one after the first is fired.

Another bit of "lore" I'll pass on from my days of shooting large caliber double rifles. The traditional way to shoot them, at least among the geezers I shot with, was to fire the rear trigger first so there was no chance for your finger to slip off the first during recoil and hit the second. That works out pretty well for the NA 12 when wearing gloves, too. It's a bit of a religious experience to have the second barrel go off part way through the recoil cycle of the first, and probably not all that good for the wrist on the gun. Wonder how I know about that? :redface:

If you're going to cock both at once, I'd sure give some thought to firing the rear trigger first when wearing gloves.

 

[rich pierce]

I cock both barrels at the same time. If I only get one shot, then I let the other hammer all the way down and then return it to the half cock position.
If I am going to reload then I remove the cap before I reload.

Good move on removing the cap. Something that might not come to mind with folks not used to doubles. Safety first.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I cock them one at a time. With Quail, or Grouse, if you miss with the first shot, you rarely will get a second. The second barrel is for a second bird that rises when you fire the first barrel. :thumbsup:

 

[CoyoteJoe]

For that scenario I would cock both barrels.
But I don't have a good dog so far more often I am surprised by a flushing bird so I only find time to cock the right lock. Some doubles have hammers set close enough to cock both with one sweep of the thumb but it isn't easy and I always fear letting one drop before it reaches full cock. "Probably" it would stop at half cock but it certainly would not be good for the mechanism. The right hammer just seems to cock itself as the gun is mounted with no conscious effort on my part but cocking that left barrel after the gun is mounted is a slow and awkward operation. My first 12 gauge acquired at age 12 was an exposed hammer breechloading double and I thought of it more as a singleshot with a spare shell rather than a real double. :haha:

 

[Capt. Jas.]

I would cock both locks or just hunt with a single barreled gunne.

 

[Mike Brooks]

I haven't shot or owned a percussion double in many years. My hunting is done primarily with a flint SXS. I cock both locks at the same time with a sweep of my left palm with the wrist of the gun grasped in my right hand and the muzzles up at about 45*. Kinda pull back and push down with your left hand and push forward with your right. This method works especially well with my 19th century SXS cartridge guns. This is a technique you should practice before heading to the field.
It is very important to have small bored barrells with inset breeches with a SXS flint gun if you're planning on cocking both locks with my method. Probably wouldn't work with a big bore flint SXS as the cocks are too far apart. Should be very easy with some practice with any SXS percussion on the market.

 

[texcl]

I'de cock both barrels since the bird hasn't flushed yet, you will have less time when the bird is in the air, when surprised I cock one barrel at a time in order to save time on the 1st shot which is the most important one.

 

[AJFedak]

I have been using SxS for more than 20 years. I shoot skeet, trap, and for hunting. I can honestly say that in the beginning I would have also cocked both hammers. But now I can not honestly say when the second hammer is cocked. It would be like using a "pump action gun". Some time after the first shot you work the action.

I believe in time you will find the same results, keep the barrels down range and just let things happen.

 

[Dave K]

I agree AJ/OH. I have no idea when the barrels get cocked, but it happens when the action is going on. I never walk around with the barrels cocked. After so many years, it just seems to happen. I guess with practice, it becomes so old hat that I don't even know I am doing it.

 

[Britsmoothy]

When I expect action I cock both hammers and lower the second barrel if not needed, that way if I only prick the bird with the first shot I may be able to end it with the second.
Also sometimes a second wood cock may rise from the first discharge!

Brits.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I am one of those who cocks only one barrel at a time. Why? Because for me, going from the front trigger to the rear can lead to premature firing if the second lock is cocked.But then I always was a klutz.

 

[Lorne Johnson]

I only cock the one hammer for each shot . . . because i have had so many caps get knocked off the nipple by the recoil from the first barrel (which reall slows down that second shot). They can also come off in cover and lots of other ways when hunting or even training dogs.

Then again sometimes they stick so tight you need a tool get them off in order to reload a first barrel. (Nothing beats looking down a charged and primed barrel while reloading!)

 

[Bretwalda]

It is a good question you raise here ...but for myself I only cock one lock at a time. The second lock is easily cocked on the small action of my 15 bore if needed for a second shot. I feel that cocking them one at a time allows for a "safer" field position :v . With that being said... I would be comfortable hunting with someone who cocked both locks at once if they handled and pointed their gun in a safe manner at all times..I just will not do it :nono: !

 

[Mike Brooks]

Odd, all the worry about hitting the rear trigger and having a second discharge. When you hunt with a hammerless SXS as soon as you slide the safety forward both barrels are hot.
When I shoot skeet with a SXS flint, percussion , hammer cartridge or hammerless I always cock both locks, for singles and doubles, never had an accidental discharge.

 

[Lorne Johnson]

The rear trigger first is a Safari double-rifle practice. They weigh 15 lbs and still have a lot of recoil. It is not a SxS fowler practice.

Of course if your barrels are choked differently, which they often are, you could choose to go to the left barrel for a tighter pattern. It's not hard to do.