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Quick question that I wanted to bounce off y'all's brains. My father has a 12 gauge Browning Citori and I've taken it dove hunting a few times. Only problem is, it turns into dove missing. Now I own a 12 gauge Benneli M2 that was given to me around 8 years ago and it's my primary dove hunting weapon. I've taken it to Mexico with me and it's my go to gun. When I shoot with it or any other automatic actually, I'm a pretty decent shot. Any insight on why I'm so crummy with this O/U?

Could it just be the extra weight of a second barrel which changes your presentation and follow-through?

Take it out to the skeet range nad have a friend watch where your shots are going. It is possible the difference in barrel length and choke are causing your shots to be ahead or behind of your target from where your M2 places them.

Keith B wrote:Take it out to the skeet range nad have a friend watch where your shots are going. It is possible the difference in barrel length and choke are causing your shots to be ahead or behind of your target from where your M2 places them.

I would love a gun that had me missing ahead of my target. I don't think I've missed by being ahead of it EVER!

george wrote:I am certainly no shotgun expert, but I believe there are two methods to shoot one. The "ambush" hunters, and the "follow through" hunters. The light weight autos seem to favor the ambushers, but the heavier o/u helps us follow through types.

You might be on to something here. I use to dove hunt with a Remington 1100 semi-auto. My usual take down was something like this. Bang(miss),Bang(miss again),Bang(dead bird). A buddy use to tease me that I was chasing the bird with pellets until I got lucky. He once joked that I should just start saying bang the first two tries and pull the trigger on my third bang to save ammo. Then I purchased a Browning Citori over and under. Oh man... I couldn't hit diddly! Then I got to thinking about the teasing I always took over my prior method. It hit me that I was not following through. All my shots were behind the darned birds. With a little practice... I am much better now. I think I am hitting at least 25%...

lot's of good advice and theories here. It could be the fit of the stock. Patterning the shotgun can tell you where you hit in relation to POA. Also Winchester makes shells that have a tattle tale wad that's very visible to let you know where your string is actually going when you pull the trigger. Winchester TrAAker available in 12ga #8 and 7-1/2 orange or black tracker wad. Shoot a round of skeet with them and you may find your problem. (Andy C posted about them and had some pics)
I use the follow thru method with all my shotguns. I've never been able to lead - hold - ambush. I doubt the barrels are misaligned though I had a Beretta Silver Snipe in the 60's with badly misaligned barrels. I got rid of it and bought a Charles Daly which is the same gun as your Browning Citori. Both are made by B.C.Miroku of Kochi, Japan. There's a very good book by the great Bob Brister titled "Shotgunning: the Art and The Science. I've bought several on Ebay for friends and you can get it for around $10 if you are patient. It may be you just need to get adjusted to the O/U. Good luck.

As suggested earlier - take the OU someplace where you can pattern it. The pattern is different on the Citori line depending if it is a lightning, XS, trap, or skeet. Also - you need to check your fit so you are looking down the rib and seeing the bead(s) properly as well as checking eye dominance. Weight and swing will be different on OU.

Hunting shotgun and sporting clays sight different

Hunting gun you tend to block out the bird when shooting sporting clays

With a sporting clays gun the bird sits atop of the bead

As previously stated - pattern the gun

boxermoose wrote:Hunting shotgun and sporting clays sight different

Hunting gun you tend to block out the bird when shooting sporting clays

With a sporting clays gun the bird sits atop of the bead

....and, as with a Trap Gun.

03Lightningrocks wrote:

george wrote:I am certainly no shotgun expert, but I believe there are two methods to shoot one. The "ambush" hunters, and the "follow through" hunters. The light weight autos seem to favor the ambushers, but the heavier o/u helps us follow through types.

You might be on to something here. I use to dove hunt with a Remington 1100 semi-auto. My usual take down was something like this. Bang(miss),Bang(miss again),Bang(dead bird). A buddy use to tease me that I was chasing the bird with pellets until I got lucky. He once joked that I should just start saying bang the first two tries and pull the trigger on my third bang to save ammo. Then I purchased a Browning Citori over and under. Oh man... I couldn't hit diddly! Then I got to thinking about the teasing I always took over my prior method. It hit me that I was not following through. All my shots were behind the darned birds. With a little practice... I am much better now. I think I am hitting at least 25%...

Weird! I was always much better with my Browning O/U Lightning than my Remington 1100. The Remington has a trap barrel. I don't remember the exact choke for the Browning but it was wider patterns than the Remington.

WildBill wrote:

03Lightningrocks wrote:

george wrote:I am certainly no shotgun expert, but I believe there are two methods to shoot one. The "ambush" hunters, and the "follow through" hunters. The light weight autos seem to favor the ambushers, but the heavier o/u helps us follow through types.

You might be on to something here. I use to dove hunt with a Remington 1100 semi-auto. My usual take down was something like this. Bang(miss),Bang(miss again),Bang(dead bird). A buddy use to tease me that I was chasing the bird with pellets until I got lucky. He once joked that I should just start saying bang the first two tries and pull the trigger on my third bang to save ammo. Then I purchased a Browning Citori over and under. Oh man... I couldn't hit diddly! Then I got to thinking about the teasing I always took over my prior method. It hit me that I was not following through. All my shots were behind the darned birds. With a little practice... I am much better now. I think I am hitting at least 25%...

Weird! I was always much better with my Browning O/U Lightning than my Remington 1100. The Remington has a trap barrel. I don't remember the exact choke for the Browning but it was wider patterns than the Remington.

Me too. My average was ten percent with the 1100.

03Lightningrocks wrote:

george wrote:I am certainly no shotgun expert, but I believe there are two methods to shoot one. The "ambush" hunters, and the "follow through" hunters. The light weight autos seem to favor the ambushers, but the heavier o/u helps us follow through types.

You might be on to something here. I use to dove hunt with a Remington 1100 semi-auto. My usual take down was something like this. Bang(miss),Bang(miss again),Bang(dead bird). A buddy use to tease me that I was chasing the bird with pellets until I got lucky. He once joked that I should just start saying bang the first two tries and pull the trigger on my third bang to save ammo. Then I purchased a Browning Citori over and under. Oh man... I couldn't hit diddly! Then I got to thinking about the teasing I always took over my prior method. It hit me that I was not following through. All my shots were behind the darned birds. With a little practice... I am much better now. I think I am hitting at least 25%...

Bang -miss, bang-miss, bang-dead bird is actually very very good. I seem to recall back in my dove hunting days the average was 1 bird in 9 shots. I sold lots of shells to dove hunters. They'd come in and buy cases and cases Alcan 1 oz 12 ga for cheap back in those days.

AndyC wrote:

WyattP wrote:Any insight on why I'm so crummy with this O/U?

Because the stock doesn't fit you.

Andy has it right.

I almost posted this link ealier, but didn't know if rules prohibited it. I didn't see anything prohibiting it, but if there is Mods please delete.
This is by a gunsmith from Nevada Shooters and may help you check and fit your stock. I have to add LOP to all my stocks with recoil pads. Hope this helps.
"If the stock doesn't fit... you ain't gonna hit!"
http://www.nevadashooters.com/showthread.php?p=257685