Shotguns and cartridges for pigeon shooting First off, what sort of gun would be best for you out in the pigeon field? Invest in the best gun you can afford. This doesn’t mean you have to buy new, there are plenty of good quality second-hand guns around. A properly made…
Side-by-side shotguns
A side-by-side shotgun anatomy requires the barrels to be placed literally side by side.
The first examples of this type of shotgun were created in France in the 1730s, with barrels held together by soldering. Previously the barrels were kept in place by the stock.
Ed Wills, deputy editor of Shooting Times, says: “Side-by-side shotguns are in my opinion the most humbling of them all. Not only do you need tremendous skill to carry out the shot successfully but also the guns themselves look elegant and make you feel proud to own one.”
Today an English side-by-side is a dream shotgun for many in the sport. We have plenty of articles and reviews covering the subject of side-by-side shotguns which you can read below.
If you’re looking for a review of a particular side-by-side shotgun, then visit our review section here, which covers every side-by-side our experts have looked at.
Steel-proofing for a Spanish side-by-side
Anyone with even a vague interest in live quarry shooting will be aware that there is an ongoing conversation about the continued use of lead shot. The centre of gravity of this debate has recently shifted away from lead’s toxicity when scattered into the wider environment. This is because…
Fausti DEA side-by-side 12-bore
Fausti offers a wide range of side-by-side and over-and-under guns, from the plain black XF4, aimed at clay shooters, to the RDX round-action over-and-under for game shooters, as well as the Magnificent over-and-under in both game and clay models. In this review we are looking at the Fausti DEA side-by-side…
Switching from shooting an over-and-under to a side-by-side shotgun
Here we offer some shooting advice on maintaining your scores in the event that you have to borrow a gun.
Yildiz Wildfowler
Yildiz has been producing shotguns for 40 years and manufactures some 45,000 annually in a variety of models. It takes pride in its customer care and after-sales service, and also offers custom-made guns and special finishes. Although Yildiz produces a wide range of side-by-side game guns under the model name…
AYA No 1 side-by-side shotgun reviewed by Shooting Times
AyA No.1 Sidelock shotgun: AyA shotguns are known to British sportsmen for their looks, reliability and competitive pricing. The No.1 sidelock side-by-side ticks all these boxes and more.
EJ Churchill Regal
It’s rare to see a side-by-side on a game shoot these days. They have fallen out of fashion and, although us shooters might like to think we are sticklers for tradition in our tweeds and brogues, many tastes in the shooting world are subject to trends. A case in point…
What’s the best cartridge load for standard driven pheasants?
Q: As we move towards the pheasant season can you recommend the best cartridge load for driven pheasants. I don’t mean skyscraper high pheasants, rather standard ones. A: I think cartridges are very much a personal preference and I would say that whatever gives you confidence when you are shooting is the correct cartridge for you. Shooting…
Beretta 486 Parallelo 20-bore reviewed by Shooting Times
As the new shotgun reviewer for Shooting Times, I was asked to look at the Beretta 486 Parallelo 20-bore side-by-side and consider whether it would make a good rough shooting gun. The short answer is yes, but let’s have a look at the evidence to support the argument. Familiar sight…
AYA Sfera
I’m sure that at one stage in most shooters’ careers there would be a side-by-side in the gun cabinet, and if I had a pound for everyone that was an AYA I’d be a rich man. I had one when I was younger. My trusty old Yeoman served me well,…
How to oil and clean your shotgun
There are a number of accessible working parts on a shotgun that need lubrication.
Are English guns the best?
English guns, best in the world. Holland & Holland, Boss, Purdey, William Evans, Westley Richards — names that are coveted around the globe, the finest examples of the gunmakers’ art. Or are they? Harder to buy a London gun today I have always been surprised at how many people turn…
Should I shoot game birds with a side-by-side or over-and-under?
Tradition will always be on the side of side-by-side shotguns. In recent years, over-and-unders have grown in popularity. This is largely due to people going into gameshooting having started on clays. But this doesn’t mean that if you’re an over-and-under user you shouldn’t try a side-by-side. In fact, it might…
Beretta Ultralight Gold reviewed by Shooting Gazette
Long-term experts in using alloy metals in constructing their guns, Beretta build the Ultralight Gold largely from a tough, lightweight aluminium alloy with the main wearing parts of the gun being made from tougher stuff. This is most clearly seen in the action face where a titanium insert will take…
Is the side-by-side shotgun history?
“Snobbery and inheritance are the only reasons why people use a side-by-side.” So said one keen Shot, once described as the best of his generation. “But I’m not that bothered. I just like to shoot straight.” Once upon a time, the side-by-side was the only gun to use. Turn up for…
AYA No.2 28 bore
Spanish gunmaker Aguirre y Aranzabal (AYA) admits that “a true work of art does not simply appear out of thin air”. The more cynical amongst you might chuckle at this seemingly tacit admission that much of the output of its Eibar factory has been inspired by the work of craftsmen – particularly English craftsmen – who came before. This, however, is…
Don’t discount second-hand side-by-side shotguns
A: English boxlock shotguns represent fantastic value for money because they are rather unfashionable at the moment. The Italian over-and-under carries all before it. A boxlock made between the wars or just after World War II is a classic handmade sporting gun. So is a hammergun. Both represent very good value for money in the current market. Assessing a…
Second-hand guns for gamekeepers and clayshooters
Winchester Model 23 Side-by-side classes in major sporting contests don’t seem to be as popular as they were, which is a pity because they formed a friendly link between clay and gameshooting. Nevertheless, using a side-by-side for club Sporting targets can be great fun, as well as sharpening up the reflexes ready for the autumn. Of course,…
Fausti Dea British double-barrelled side-by-side 20-bore
Fausti is a name probably not that familiar to many shooters but I would predict that is about to change. The company was formed in 1948 by the Honourable Stefano Fausti and is now run by his three daughters. I do not know if that is unusual in Italy but in Britain over the years a number…
Newnham double-trigger 12-bore
George Newnham is listed as setting up in the gun trade in 1866 and by 1905 the name, as on this gun, had changed to Newnham Limited, though still at 29 Commercial Road, Landport, Portsmouth. The company survived until around the start of World War II, with another change of name to Newnham & Co circa 1924.…