THIS article is aimed at the novice wingshooter; it attempts to answer the fundamental questions generally asked by prospective shotgun buyers. As such (and given magazine space limitations) it will, of necessity, be superficial, and broad generalizations are unavoidable. I will focus on game guns – some points may not apply to guns intended for clay target competition. I will exclude pump-action and semi-auto designs which are not welcome at gamebird shoots given that fellow shooters cannot readily observe these to be unloaded, whereas a break-open gun held or carried open, renders this immediately obvious.
If means are severely limited, there is no reason why a beginner should not start with a single-barrel shotgun. It is good in the sense that you learn to get it right with the first shot since you don’t have a second. A single-barrel is not the handicap you might imagine. I suggest a 12-bore. Ammunition for the smaller bores is too costly, and the smaller shot charges are more difficult to hit with.
When it comes to double guns, the first consideration us usually: side-byside
