First Shot, Right Barrel or Left?

[PHOENIX PHIL]

This seems a question that has been asked often. For the life of me I cannot figure in my head what advantage there is to firing the right barrel (front trigger) first. I say left barrel (rear trigger first). My shoulder screamed it on Saturday.......yah, I managed to double the double.

 

[BRICKBURN]

OUCH!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

OUCH!

Looks worse than it felt. But the double recoil knocking me back a couple steps was something I'd not experienced before.

 

[Velo Dog]

Totally agree with you Phil,

Watched a fellow double one of Cal’s .450 No2 SxS rifle’s, by “strumming” the triggers during recoil, at a local rifle range many years back.
So with rifles, I always carried my soft in the left barrel / rear trigger, presuming my first shot would call for the soft nose bullet.

For buffalo, I always presume a solid is almost never preferred for the first shot.
(Seems like solids are becoming less popular in general for Buffalo these days anyway).
I’ve only taken one buffalo but it was with a left and a right / a soft and a solid.
There was little to no chance of my bumping the second trigger during recoil from the first barrel.

I however have taken multiple non-dangerous animals with two different double rifles over the Safaris I’ve been blessed with.
Hypothetically, I can see where a solid might be preferred on a very small critter, to save the meat for eating and / or the skin for taxidermy.
However, such is presumably not the typical opportunity, compared to most chances at non-dangerous game.

Cheers,
Paul.

 

[Roan]

Feel your pain.

I also did it ONCE. Still shoot right first though.

 

[Red Leg]

I shoot doubles a lot - SxS shotguns much more than rifles - and I have fired many thousands of rounds through them. I always fire right (front) first unless I am firing the second barrel for a reason - i.e tighter choked first shot. I have never had a double fire both barrels because of firing the forward trigger first, and then accidentally hitting the second. Have had a pre-war Merkel shotgun do it, but it was a worn seer, nothing to do with hitting the second trigger. It would be very difficult for me to learn to instinctively use a different manual of arms for a double rifle - and I am pretty sure the British gunmakers assumed their clients would use their rifles like their guns.

In fairness, I should also add, that my heaviest recoiling double trigger rifle is a .470. My 500/416 is single trigger, and the 9.3 x 74R’s aren’t real recoil generators. I do have a double ten-bore that with full loads will cause one’s eyes to water a bit, but again, it hasn’t doubled on me.

As Phil notes, this comes up periodically, and I wonder what the cause is. It obviously happens to some shooters, occasionally to others, and never to most. Another issue is the trigger guard pounding the second finger. Again, I have been lucky, but know others who have to put the little recoil shields on their trigger guards. It may be as simple as finger/hand length or as complicated as trigger hand technique - Phil, I am not accusing you of having short fat fingers, but ......

 

[Roan]

As Phil notes, this comes up periodically, and I wonder what the cause is. It obviously happens to some shooters, occasionally to others, and never to most. Another issue is the trigger guard pounding the second finger. Again, I have been lucky, but know others who have to put the little recoil shields on their trigger guards. It may be as simple as finger/hand length or as complicated as trigger hand technique - Phil, I am not accusing you of having short fat fingers, but ......

I must add that my double was after a 7 hour long clay shoot. I was super fatigued and I suspect that was why I pulled both.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I shoot doubles a lot - SxS shotguns much more than rifles - and I have fired many thousands of rounds through them. I always fire right (front) first unless I am firing the second barrel for a reason - i.e tighter choked first shot. I have never had a double fire both barrels because of firing the forward trigger first, and then accidentally hitting the second. Have had a pre-war Merkel shotgun do it, but it was a worn seer, nothing to do with hitting the second trigger. It would be very difficult for me to learn to instinctively use a different manual of arms for a double rifle - and I am pretty sure the British gunmakers assumed their clients would use their rifles like their guns.

In fairness, I should also add, that my heaviest recoiling double trigger rifle is a .470. My 500/416 is single trigger, and the 9.3 x 74R’s aren’t real recoil generators. I do have a double ten-bore that with full loads will cause one’s eyes to water a bit, but again, it hasn’t doubled on me.

As Phil notes, this comes up periodically, and I wonder what the cause is. It obviously happens to some shooters, occasionally to others, and never to most. Another issue is the trigger guard pounding the second finger. Again, I have been lucky, but know others who have to put the little recoil shields on their trigger guards. It may be as simple as finger/hand length or as complicated as trigger hand technique - Phil, I am not accusing you of having short fat fingers, but ......

I've fired this rifle any number of times now with both barrels loaded and shooting right trigger first. Only in the last trip or two to the range did I switch to the left barrel first. I don't think it's really all that complicated what I did.

I've been quite conscious of being careful to ensure my trigger finger is deep into trigger area with more than half of my finger past the trigger. On Saturday after a successful load development session, I started to pull of some practice offhand shots. I was quite pleased with this too. Got a little too pleased I think with myself and didn't keep my mind on the game. I put on some shooting gloves as the shooting finger was getting a little sore from front trigger contact on rear trigger shots.

It was then that for some reason I put my finger on front trigger. I knew I had done it and thought about correcting myself, but nah I'll be fine. Dumb me.

Did I mention the load development part of this?

It's 109gr of H4831 behind a 500gr North Fork Bonded Core. Seated to SAAMI length. Good for 2225fps

 

[Roan]

Nice regulation.

 

[JPbowhunter]

So how are people actually double firing? I've minimal experience with a double rifle other than a few shots from a 45/70 but done a lot with a beretta sxs 12G. Can't say I've ever managed to do it, granted not big recoil generators but still.

 

[Shootist43]

Phil, I don't own any double rifles, but from the previous posts I've seen on AH yours seems to be regulated very well. Looks to be just a whisker over an inch. At what distance were those shots made? Scoped or Iron sights? There may be a lesson to be learned here re. the use of gloves when handling a double rifle with two triggers.

 

[Bullthrower338]

I have an AyA single trigger that started doubling on me while shooting dove in south Texas last year. Two 1-1/8 oz loads at the same time increased my bird to trigger pull success ratio though. Lol. I don’t imagine two 500 grain A-Frames at the same time would be pleasant. This reminds me I need to get that gun sent off for repair.

 

[crs]

I shoot doubles a lot - SxS shotguns much more than rifles - and I have fired many thousands of rounds through them. I always fire right (front) first unless I am firing the second barrel for a reason - i.e tighter choked first shot. I have never had a double fire both barrels because of firing the forward trigger first, and then accidentally pulling the second.

Same here. Grew up shooting Parker SxS and still do. No reason to change just because SxS is a rifle.
I ALSO SWITCH TO LEFTY SOME ON BIRDS AND STILL GO FOR FRONT TRIGGER FIRST.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

So how are people actually double firing? I've minimal experience with a double rifle other than a few shots from a 45/70 but done a lot with a beretta sxs 12G. Can't say I've ever managed to do it, granted not big recoil generators but still.

Under recoil your trigger finger “strums” the rear trigger which happens so quickly, it feels like you set off both triggers at same time......at least this is the theory.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Phil, I don't own any double rifles, but from the previous posts I've seen on AH yours seems to be regulated very well. Looks to be just a whisker over an inch. At what distance were those shots made? Scoped or Iron sights? There may be a lesson to be learned here re. the use of gloves when handling a double rifle with two triggers.

50 yards. Trijicon RMR red dot sight.

The gloves help when barrels are getting warm. Also help with grip. And as mentioned, your trigger finger tends to take a blow from front trigger on rear trigger shots. You can minimize that impact with shooting technique, but still nice to have the gloves.

 

[spike.t]

This seems a question that has been asked often. For the life of me I cannot figure in my head what advantage there is to firing the right barrel (front trigger) first. I say left barrel (rear trigger first). My shoulder screamed it on Saturday.......yah, I managed to double the double.

View attachment 250770

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Mind the payback/karma!

 

[spike.t]

Mind the payback/karma!

Is that as in double measure or double rifle . ...

 

[Red Leg]

50 yards. Trijicon RMR red dot sight.

The gloves help when barrels are getting warm. Also help with grip. And as mentioned, your trigger finger tends to take a blow from front trigger on rear trigger shots. You can minimize that impact with shooting technique, but still nice to have the gloves.

Never had that issue either, though a well made ENGLISH double will have an “articulated” front trigger.

 

[crs]

As Red Leg said, some "well made" DR have an articulated front trigger. Like my Beretta: