SHOTGUN REVIEW: The Weatherby Sorix

My son, Hunter, is a waterfowl enthusiast just like his dad. At the age of 14, he saved up and bought a Weatherby Element, which he still uses today. Having used this shotgun on numerous hunts myself, I can personally attest to its reliability, rapid cycling, and smooth-swinging nature. The fit and feel are excellent, making it a top choice for any waterfowl hunter, and an absolute winner in the bang-for-buck category. 

Years ago, on a waterfowl hunt to test the then-new Weatherby 18i, I slung Federal’s 3-inch Black Cloud #2s at mallards over dekes. The weather was foul, with temps in the negative digits, and a biting north wind howled. The shooting, though, was intense. The shotgun’s inertia recoil reloading system proved its salt. I applauded the elastomer recoil pad, the no-slip elastomer cheek pad, and several other features. Still, as with almost every shotgun I’ve toted afield, there were things about the Element and 18i I would change.

Changes Made!

“Tyler Grethen and I sat down one day and started talking about how we could create the perfect waterfowling shotgun—one that maximizes efficiency and eliminates nagging nuances that drive waterfowlers crazy,” said Weatherby’s International Sales and Shotgun Product Manager Kyle Killen.

“I got to a point where I would take a pair of fingernail clippers to the blind because I would always get thumb bite and rip off a chunk of fingernail,” Killen said. “With the SORIX, we redesigned the lifter and made it flat-faced. Now, your thumb can’t get caught in the lifter. The forked lifter design is out, and the flat-faced is in.”

Weatherby also took the popular 18i platform and added other vital features. One of those features is the Shift System. This system allows for a quick change of the charging handle and safety to the left side of the action, making the shotgun ambidextrous. According to Killen, there were other reasons for the change.

“Too many times I’ve been in situations where we stack the layouts close to eliminate shadows,” Killen said. Often, when waterfowlers throw their doors open in these situations, the door hits the hunter’s blind on the right-hand side and causes the extended charging handle to hang up on the strap of the blind door. Sometimes, I’d remove my charging handle, put it back in my pocket, and only insert it when it was time to reload. Now, I swap my charging handle to the left side, and the problem is solved. We tried to think of everything when we created the SORIX.”

Weatherby extended the SORIX’s controls for ease of use with heavy gloves, cerakoted the receiver for better protection against wear and tear and created their version of brush-painted stocks in entirely unique patterns.

“I’m excited about the stocks,” Killen continued. “These stocks make it easier for waterfowl hunters to blend their camo with their shotgun. The Storm pattern is ideal for the hunter who does a lot of diver hunting or shoots from a lot of jetties. The Slough is more for those who hunt fields, creek bottoms, and the Midnight Marsh is a great all-around alternative that isn’t straight black.”

Tested True

Killen, WILDFOWL Editor-in-Chief Skip Knowles, and Grethren took the SORIX chambered in 3.5-inch to Alberta for a recent spring snow goose hunt.

“We test all of our guns to the maximum,” Killen said. “Other than a dove hunt, it’s difficult to get a higher-volume shoot than a spring snow goose hunt.”

The results were many large pile of dead snow geese, and the SORIX handled Fiocchi’s Golden Goose and Flyway Series ammo in both 3- and 3.5-inch smoothly.

“I’d say it cycled well,” Killen laughed. “On the first volley, Knowles bounced three Roman-candle-sized hulls off the side of my head. We had zero issues. We shot a lot of #1s, which I feel is an excellent all-around shot size. Plus, we went to a stiffer spring. This way, the shotgun will cycle light dove loads, but when Mother Nature gets nasty and the temps dip, you don’t have to swap to a stiffer spring when shooting heavier loads in frigid conditions.

“You can test a shotgun’s performance on a flat range all day. Until you start inducing sporadic variables, you aren’t going to find the things that need to be changed.”

Killen went on to say that the shotgun’s fit and feel are remarkable. Having a gun that feels good in the hands is a must when operating from a layout. The SORIX 3.5 has the same stock set as the 3-inch model. The receiver length is only a tick over 1/8-inch longer, which means it handles and swings like a dream.

The energy and passion of those who’ve shouldered this new waterfowl slayer told me all I needed to know about Weatherby’s new duck and goose widowmaker. I now have one on order, and I can’t wait to give it a dance this winter.

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