The American renaissance of side-by-side shotguns is being championed by an unlikely group: millennial upland hunters. More and more, we are seeing men and women in their late 20s, 30s and early 40s chasing grouse, quail, chukar and pheasants with double guns. But not everyone—young hunters, in particular—can afford a spendy A.H. Fox, L.C. Smith or bespoke side-by-side from the one of best gunmakers in London. Turkey has filled the void by producing attainable doubles, some of which are being made for US manufacturers. Weatherby’s entry into the market—though this is not the first side-by-side the company has offered—is the Orion. It is available in 12 and 20 gauge as well as .410.
One stark difference between shooting a side-by-side and an over/under is muzzle rise. When you pull the trigger on a side-by-side, the muzzles move horizontally when the shell is detonated. With an O/U, the muzzles move vertically. If you shoot clays with the Orion and are used to an O/U, it takes some adjusting. Pattern work revealed an even 50/50 pattern, ideal for hunting fast-flying upland birds in tight cover (although it would be nice to have a 26"-barrel option for such pursuits). I took the Orion on a few rabbit hunts and found that it performed well for snap shots where you start the muzzle behind the target and pull through. The price is $1,099. For more information, visit weatherby.com.
- Traditionalists will enjoy the Orion’s straight English stock and splinter forend, made of grade “A” walnut. Machine checkering adorns both sides of the stock’s grip and forend. The half-inch rubber recoil pad helps tame felt recoil, which was moderate with 1-ounce target loads. There was a slightly unpleasant difference shooting 1⅛-ounce bismuth, but that is common with heavier payloads in break-action guns. The length of pull measured 14¾", and there was a 1½" drop at comb and 2⅜" drop at heel. The stock has a bit of cast-off for right-handed shooters, although, as a lefty, I didn’t find it difficult to shoulder the gun and acquire targets.
- Built on a steel boxlock action, the Orion sports a matte-blue receiver. There is no ornate engraving on the action—simply “Weatherby” in gold on the side—which reportedly was done so that the wood in the stock and forend could be upgraded while keeping the price point low. The long-tang trigger guard provides added strength. Double triggers contribute to the classic look and allow for easy barrel selection. The front trigger (right barrel) on our gun had an average pull weight of 3.9 pounds, and the rear trigger (left barrel) averaged 4.2 pounds. The tang-mounted safety is manual.
- Weatherby had the Orion built for quick target acquisition, engineering the 28" monoblock barrels with a swamped rib and brass bead front sight. Chambered for 3" shells, the 20-gauge we tested has extractors and weighed 6.7 pounds. (The 12 weighs 7.3 pounds, and the .410 tips the scales at 6.1.) Five extended Yildiz chokes (Skeet, Improved Cylinder, Modified, Improved Modified and Full) are included and marked with lettering on a blue band at the muzzle of each tube.
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