March/April 2009

The Gun Room
Do You Really Need a
Side-by-Side?
by Larry Brown

ne of the more popular gun-related topics on The Pointing Dog Journal bulletin board (bbs.pointingdogjournal.com) usually starts with a post such as this:
“I’ve never owned a side-by-side, but I’ve finally decided to try one. I’m looking for a ___gauge in the $___ price range. Looking for your advice and assistance!”

What the poster should have started off asking – first himself and then the other bulletin board participants – is whether a side-by-side is really the best choice for him. As a PDJ subscriber, his decision may have been unduly influenced by the fact that an unusually high percentage of the magazine’s regular contributors are frequently pictured side-by-side in hand. But because most outdoor writers lag behind people like neurosurgeons and rocket scientists in the gray-matter department, and perhaps even behind the individual who asks whether you want fries with your order, our example isn’t necessarily the best one to follow.

Probably a good place to start the thinking process is to analyze your hunting needs. If you’re looking for a gun for medium to long range shooting in wide open spaces, like for spooky pheasants and prairie grouse, and especially if you also want the same gun to do double duty in the duck blind, the side-by-side is at best a questionable choice. Visit the local gun club when the handicap trap guys are banging away from the 27-yard line. You’ll see over-unders, and you’ll see long, heavy single barrels built especially for the sport. You may also see the occasional pump or autoloader. I’d be surprised if you see even one side-by-side.

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