Sight picture with a double hammer gun

[Onojutta]

When aiming a flintlock or percussion rifle, the hammer is on strong side or outside of the gun, and like most people I close my weak side eye. I always tell new shooters who are worried about seeing the hammer that if you are practicing good fundamentals and focusing on the front sight post, you won't pay any attention to the hammer. It won't be in the way of your sight picture and it shouldn't distract you when the gun fires. This mostly applies to shooting rifles or smoothbores at a stationary target when you are aiming the rifle, as opposed to pointing a shotgun.

I don't have any experience with double guns and what I want to know is, when shooting a double barrel smoothbore as you would a shotgun when you are pointing at a moving target (rabbits, birds, clays, etc), do the hammers impede your sight picture? In other words, does having a hammer on both sides of the gun obstruct your field of view or interfere with picking up the target?

 

[Brokennock]

When aiming a flintlock or percussion rifle, the hammer is on strong side or outside of the gun, and like most people I close my weak side eye.

?????

In other words, does having a hammer on both sides of the gun obstruct your field of view or interfere with picking up the target?

I can't speak for everyone, or even a majority, especially as my time using a double gun with exposed hammers is limited. In the short time I had it I can't say I ever noticed either hammer impeding my view of the target. Really can't say I noticed it at all.
The eye can't focus on more than one thing at a time, and the closer to your eye something is when focused on something further away, the less you will notice the close object. This is why aperture sights work so well when properly set up and correctly used. It is why if one is front sight focused when shooting any gun with front and rear sights (front blade/rear notch) the rear sight is blurry,,,, if properly front sight focused.
So, really if one is focused on the target (shotgunning) or the front sight (double rifle) I can't see why the weak side hammer should be a visual problem.

 

[3Setters]

When shooting clays or critters I've never even taken notice to the hammers. In fact, i never even notice the front bead, front beads make a shotgun look nice but serve no real function. If your focus is on whatever you're shooting at, that is all you'll ever see.

 

[Britsmoothy]

No.
Unlike most people I don't close any of my eyes when shooting.

 

[Sparkitoff]

You should be focusing on the bird or target. Your eyes should never focus on the back of the gun nor a bead on the barrels. I’ve never noticed the hammers on my shotguns.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I don’t close my left eye(I’m a righty) and I don’t notice the hammers. I try to focus on the target.

 

[Britsmoothy]

The whole point of a shotgun fitting you is so you don't have to aim it prior to firing it.
There is often simply not enough time to do that.
Paradoxically if it doesn't fit and one tries to aim it at a moving target, all it will highlight is the fact that indeed, it does not fit!

 

[sheriff john]

Closing one eye means losing depth of field. Moving targets - focus on the target, swing from behind, determine lead, pull trigger, follow through (on crossing birds) wait for smoke to clear. Sometimes it actually works. Keep both eyes open.

 

[Red Owl]

Onnojuttta: the answer is no, won't even know they are there.

 

[Feltwad]

Hammers on a sxs gun should not interfere with the point of aim so ignore them thats providing that the gun fits you When a gun is mounted to your shoulder you must be in an upright position not leaning forward the side of your face must rest against the stock with the right cast on or cast of your eye must see the breech to the barrel muzzle and the game so you can follow through on a moving target you are aiming for .Another big fault which is common among rifle shooter when shooting a sxs shotgun at a moving target is their stand position with one leg well behind the other this makes you shoot in a forward leaning position and instead of looking along the length of barrel you are only seeing the muzzle which in turn makes you shoot above your moving target. With your feet together and slightly apart and in an upright position with the only movement from your hips to right or left is the best way to kill moving game so forget about the hammers be it a sxs or a single.
Feltwad

 

[Lorne Johnson]

Ideally, you aquire the target with your dominant eye, and track it with your whole body as you mount the gun. Assuming the gun fits you, as BritSmoothy notes, you can shoot as soon as the gun is mounted. You won't notice the bead, hammers etc, or close one eye. If the gun doesn't fit you, all bets are off.

 

[hanshi]

I've never taken much notice of the hammers on the dbl 12 ga I used to own. But even with flintlocks the flash was easily ignored. I just looked down between the barrels and focused on the target as I brought the gun to my shoulder, I shot my flint rifles the same way except on rifles I focus on the front sight.

 

[GREENSWLDE]

Hammers on a sxs gun should not interfere with the point of aim so ignore them thats providing that the gun fits you When a gun is mounted to your shoulder you must be in an upright position not leaning forward the side of your face must rest against the stock with the right cast on or cast of your eye must see the breech to the barrel muzzle and the game so you can follow through on a moving target you are aiming for .Another big fault which is common among rifle shooter when shooting a sxs shotgun at a moving target is their stand position with one leg well behind the other this makes you shoot in a forward leaning position and instead of looking along the length of barrel you are only seeing the muzzle which in turn makes you shoot above your moving target. With your feet together and slightly apart and in an upright position with the only movement from your hips to right or left is the best way to kill moving game so forget about the hammers be it a sxs or a single.
Feltwad

Hi, I think it was KG V that said "Having a Gun without Hammers was like having a Spaniel without
Ears". Whilest I never consiously see Hammer they concentrate the Mind. I always shoot singles and SxS with both eyes open and dont see hammers or the primer flash from a Flint gun. FeltWads stance Is My stance too and it's broken a few thousand Clays home and abroard. O.D.

 

[Onojutta]

Thanks for the replies. The question isn’t about how to shoot a shotgun, but whether or not the hammers physically block your vision as you acquire and see the target. It sounds like the answer to that is no.

 

[Reds]

I have been using a Pedersoli dbl 12 for 3 years now and have never noticed the hammers. I just purchased a Tc New Englander from a member and ready to try it as well. Make sure your piece fits you so the barrels stay flat. I noticed by practicing shouldering my double the LOP was a tad short so when pulling up on target my barrel was always high, bead not flat on tang. I added a stretch over recoil pad and every shouldering now is spot on. Once this was dialed in no need to find bead, just get on or in front of that target. This is just me and what I do but boy does this thing get some bunny’s and foul!!! That recoil pad I use is by Limbsaver and the nice thing is you can take it off for when your gun is in the cabinet or on display. They actually make them for different manufacturers , Tc Pedersoli ext. Hope this helps!

 

[Reds]

Took awhile to type this in w 1finger so no you will never no you have hammers except when you pull them back and they click!!!

 

[earlwb]

Nope, I never notice the hammers on single or doubles. Too busy focusing on the target and sight picture. The hammers aren’t even in it.

 

[oldwood]

Worry not about the hammers . Back in the late 1950's my shotgun shooting coach told me the secrets of shotgun shooting. Hold the gun butt on shoulder. If right handed and right eye as master eye , both eyes open. Next , Important!......lock right arm up , elbow at right angle to body . Arm up , locks the cheek to the stock the same , each time the gun is raised to shoot. Check sight pattern to make sure gun isn't canted left or right. The right arm up position locks the gun in shooting position ,and makes the body rotate left or right , at the belt level , and automatically guarantees the cheek stays on the stock in it's same position for every shot insuring consistency , shot to shot. Do these things, and practice until it becomes mechanical function , and you will learn to shoot any gun.

 

[rafterob]

If anything the double hammers on my Pedersoli shotgun "frame" the sight picture. But in practice they are not really noticed because of focus on the sight picture/flying object.

 

[11Bravo]

I never see the hammers on my SxS shooting skeet, my only issue is finding my second clay on doubles through the smoke. I finally bought a vintage Westley Richards and what the seller had pointed out is it has "low level shaped hammers" and I still don't notice a difference to my others.