Shooting a pump gun is different. Because so many folks shot pumps 30 and 40 years ago, they were really good at using a pump flawlessly. This is not true today. Go to a skeet range, sporting clays or 5-Stand layout. If you see someone shooting who is new to these clay target sports, and if that person is shooting a pump gun, you're almost bound to see a lot of missing. Shooting one shot is seldom a problem with a pump. But if a second shot is required (almost always in sporting and 5-Stand, and often in skeet), there's a good chance you're going to see a less than stellar performance on the pump gunner's second try.

If a shotgunner is really adept with a pump gun, we hardly ever hear anything. The noise of the pumping is so quick that it blends in with the sound of the shot. Further, the barrel never wavers; the muzzle maintains its place in the area of the target. In contrast, a person inexperienced with a pump gun has the muzzle waving about during the pumping operation. That pumping operation itself may also be anything but perfect. Perhaps the actual pumping will start too late after the first shot has been taken. Perhaps the fore-end will not be brought all the way to the rear, which usually results in either a failure to eject or a failure to feed the next round properly. Watching a person operate a pump gun perfectly is like watching someone ride a horse to perfection. The shotgunner's control is impeccable.

Over-Under
Over-under shotguns are popular these days, but that popularity is seen most often in the various clay target sports. These guns are also seen often in upland shooting, where a light over-under is the ticket. Light over-under shotguns are not seen in duck blinds. With today's heavy loads of nontoxic shotshells, such guns simply kick too much.

But a shooter who competes with an over-under all year can be very effective in any waterfowling situation if using the same gun, or a similar one. Although a shooter is restricted to two shots, at least no pumping is required. Consequently, the muzzle can stay right in the area of the bird(s)--with no unnatural pulling way off the target(s).

In a blind, however, an over-under has to be broken to a greater angle than a side-by-side for ejecting empties and reloading. When any double gun with ejectors is opened the duck or goose person who has shot the gun should be aware of the direction he or she is "kicking" out the empties. We don't want those fast-flying hulls hitting our shooting partners. To open an over-under fully to do the ejecting--and the reloading--it takes some extra room. Opening the gun so far can be a problem, depending upon the size of the blind.

Side-By-Sides
The renowned Nash Buckingham shot a Fox side-by-side, a Bert Becker 3-inch Magnum dubbed Bo Whoop. The story that made Nash as a writer was maybe De Shootinest Gent'man, and it starred a great shooter, Harold Money, who shot a pump gun. Old Horace, his guide, was offered a dram of Money's Brooklyn Handicap for every shot Harold missed. But he never missed--in 25 tries!