“Side-by-sides are keenly suited for pulling through the South’s iconic landscapes—hellish cutovers, cane thickets, and briar-knotted brambles”
I don’t know if my pal Scott Wood is ahead of his time, or justplain hardheaded. Afterthirty years of hunting and friendship, there’s evidence for the latter. But as for his affinity for side-by-side shotguns—he has carried a pre–World War II Belgium-made 16-gauge Francotte for decades—he explains it this way: “I like the balance of a side-by-side because it comes up quicker,” he says. “There’s a significant advantage to double triggers—I can make a split-second decision to drop back to the rear trigger if I have a long shot. And you’re looking down a wide plane over both barrels, which
