Over/Under shotguns do something none of the other action types have yet mastered … they stir the soul. For hunters and sport shooting enthusiasts alike, the sight of a twin barreled shotgun in full swing followed by two lightning-quick roars, makes the heart race. Then followed by confidently breaking open the action to send two spent casings arching through the air with a blue smoke contrail, for added flair. It’s the epitome of tradition and elegance. It’s our history. It’s magic.
If you’ve been hunting in the uplands or shooting clays for any length of time, then you might already own at least one. If you’ve only had the pleasure of shooting someone else’s, you will be coveting one of your own until that desire is fulfilled. The simple, elegant design and extraordinary balance of these guns creates an emotional connection with the shooter.
In addition to being truly beautiful, the best Over/Under shotguns are incredibly functional. They are fast loading, they move smartly to the shoulder and offer a wonderful sight picture, and the added weight of a second barrel does wonders for reducing felt recoil. With few moving parts and basic connections, they take down very quickly and are easy to clean, and the solid design has proven itself over hundreds of years to be incredibly durable. And unique to the design, is the ability to use completely different chokes in each barrel (almost all modern Over/Under guns come with an array of chokes), preparing you for either close or distance shots.
Despite being one of the oldest designs, their popularity continues to grow as well-established manufacturers have introduced new models across a wide range of price points, and geared toward individual shooters. In recent years, more specialized versions of the gun have been developed to satisfy the needs of competitive clay shooters. If you are choosing your first Over/Under, here are some things you should consider.
The Best Over/Under Shotguns are a Work of Craftsmanship
First, Over/Under shotguns typically fall into one of two categories: field guns, or sporting guns. Field guns are designed for exactly that, to be used in the field primarily as hunting guns. They are lighter for all-day carrying comfort while following dogs through the corn fields or piney woods. They usually have shorter barrels, 24”-28”, for greater swing speed on fast moving quail or rocketing pheasants.
Sporting Over/Under shotguns have evolved to keep pace with the rising popularity of Sporting Clays and Skeet shooting. They are heavier to help dampen recoil, as a shooter might fire more than one-hundred shots in a day’s competition, and they are often kept in a stand until the shooter goes to the shooting station, so the weight is less important. They have longer barrels for an increased sight radius, and to swing at a more controlled steady pace on consistent targets. They might come equipped with adjustable triggers, fully adjustable stocks to tune the fit to the shooter, and maybe ported barrels, which help reduce recoil even further and control the muzzle rise to speed your recovery and get to your next target.
If you are looking for the best over/under shotgun to handle everything, hunting and some occasional skeet or sporting clays, then your best bet is a field gun. The weight and balance will make it a pleasure to hunt with, and it will still perform very well on the range with a simple change of choke tubes. But if your interest is in busting hundreds of clay birds on a course every weekend, then get a dedicated sporting gun and you will never regret it. Though more expensive, these guns are designed with the idea that they may fire tens-of-thousands of rounds every year, for decades!
Hunters Prefer a Shotgun with Ejectors
Another small feature that might impact your decision, is whether the gun has extractors or ejectors. Many of the competition shooters have come to prefer extractors, which merely lift the spent hull out of the bore so the shooter can pull them free by hand and tuck them away in their vest. When you shoot many thousands of rounds a year, it pays to keep your hulls and reload! Hunters usually prefer a gun with ejectors to automatically throw the spent hulls away from the gun for fast reloading. (But please find your empties later and remove them from the field!)
Pricing for the best Over/Under shotguns is driven by a number of features, like receiver material, built-in fitting and adjustment options, and the grade of wood in the stock. Wood that is more heavily figured is usually more expensive, even though it has no impact on the gun’s performance. Straight-grain walnut is the typical choice for field guns, and is still very nice to look at while your pointer is retrieving a cock pheasant.
For some suggestions on Over/Under shotguns, let’s start with a solid performing gun that will fit into almost any budget, the American Tactical Imports Cavalry SVE. Coming in at just a bit over $500, this a classically styled, high quality Over/Under at a very affordable price. The stock is made from Turkish Walnut with a pleasing grain, the grip has a nice palm swell and cut checkering. The receiver is made from high grade 7075 alloy for a good combination of strength and lightweight, and has intricate laser-engraved designs. It uses full ejectors as a field gun, with a selective trigger. It can handle up to 3” magnum shells, and comes with a full selection of 5 interchangeable chokes.
With a bit more investment you can move up to one of the currently most popular field guns on the market, the CZ-USA Redhead Premier. This Over/Under shotgun is ready for both field or sporting clays duty with a satin chrome moly receiver, tastefully laser-engraved, and a nicely figured Turkish Walnut stock with a Prince of Wales style grip. It features ejectors, an exceptional fit, finish, and durability for the range. This is a shotgun that’s a pleasure to shoot, and will become an heirloom.
If you’ve decided you are ready for a premium Sporting shotgun, then you will never need anything more than the Browning Citori 725 Pro Sporting Pro-Fit. This is the most current evolution of Browning’s legendary Citori shotgun. Designed for a lifetime of shooting with a wide, strong steel receiver and locking bolt design, it will take everything you throw at it. It features 32” barrels with Invector-DS chokes, and the chambers have been bored to allow more uniform expansion of the shot with less deformation as they pass down the barrel, to increase the precision and density of the pattern downrange, as well as reducing felt recoil in the shoulder. The stock is made from beautiful American Walnut, and is fully adjustable to fit the gun precisely to the individual shooter. And if that wasn’t enough, it also makes use of Browning’s Pro Balance system, which allows competitive shooters to customize the weight distribution and tune the gun to perfection.
There are many options when it comes to choosing the best Over/Under shotguns, and it’s hard to go wrong if you first consider exactly how you intend to use the gun. But be warned, these shotguns will take hold of your imagination, and the first one you buy may not be the last.
Best Over/Under Shotguns:
CZ-USA Drake Over/Under Shotgun: The Drake is built to be the best bang for the buck when it comes to over/under shotguns. Using the same CNCed action and internals as our other shotguns, the Drake features extractor operation, single selectable trigger, mid-rib delete and laser-cut checkering. Available in 12, 20, 28 gauge and .410 Bore with 28″ barrels. The Drake is a perfect field over/under shotgun but can also be used for sporting clays and skeet.
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Mossberg Gold Reserve Over/Under Shotgun: Series Over-and-Unders are equally at home in upland fields or shooting clays or 5-Stand. Durable, reliable, and affordable—these well-appointed break-actions are loaded with options and a set of refined details traditionally reserved for high-end double guns. Features include: Shell Ejectors, Grade-A Black Walnut Stocks, Scroll Engraved Polished Receivers with Gold Inlay (Silver or Black), Polished Blue Barrels, 5-Choke Extended Sport Set.
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Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon I Sporting Over/Under Shotgun: The Beretta 686 is the ultimate sporting shotgun and a perfect choice for sporting clays, skeet and trap. Available in these action sizes, the Beretta Silver Pigeon over-and-under shotguns are a perfect blend of beauty and performance. The meticulous detail of their appearance mirrored by their flawless performance in the field. Available in 12, 20, 28 gauge and .410 Bore.
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Browning Citori 725 Sporting Over/Under Shotgun: Balance, form, excellence. The new Citori 725 is the evolution of John M. Browning’s legendary B25 Superposed, now with the modern performance advantage of a Low-Profile receiver. The new 725 receiver is significantly lower than other Citori 12 gauge receivers, yet the 725 shares the renowned durability of generations of Citori over and unders with the same rugged full-width hinge pin and tapered locking bolt design.
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