But those were the days of lead loads and 11?8 to 11?4 ounces of shot that moved the shot column out the muzzle at relatively slow velocities. I don't want to be shooting an old side-by-side in the 21st century with modern shotshells that scream out the muzzle at 1,500-fps or close to it. Heck, I don't even want to do that with a new side-by-side, let alone an old one.

For most side-by-side shooting, especially if using older guns, we have to go with nontoxic shot that goes out the muzzle at reasonable velocities, but that shot has to be reasonably soft. The extra hard stuff like steel, Hevi-Shot and other tungsten-based nontoxic loads, you won't be doing an old side-by-side any favors by using that type of shot. In fact, you could ruin such an old treasure by doing that.

When shooting Bismuth or Kent's Tungsten Matrix, I often bring out my Lefever that was restored by Briley in Houston, Texas. This gun was manufactured somewhere around the first World War, so I also treat the gun with ease by only firing relatively light loads out of it. I know I have to bring the ducks in maybe a little closer than I do if shooting a 3-inch load with some tungsten-based shot, but it sure is a lot of fun to hunt with such a treasured old-timer.

Finally, looking out at a greenhead, with two barrels in between the bird and your eyes, instead of one barrel, is definitely a different sight picture. Those who feel uncomfortable with this new look might try breaking some sporting clays with a side-by-side gun, and while doing so trying to work on using a swing-through shooting technique. Learning to shoot swing-through, assuming you have always been a sustained-lead-type shooter, doesn't take all that much practice, but practice is certainly required.