Side or bottom ejection

[zippy13]

Side or bottom ejection, what's your preference in a pump shotgun?
In a slide action shotgun, target shooter generally prefer a side port because they say it's easier to load and you can catch the hulls for reloading.
Field shooters claim a bottom ejector stays cleaner and works equally well for right and left handed shooters.
Without mentioning a specific model, what's your choice, and why?

 

[dalecooper51]

I shoot left handed and have not been hampered by a side ejection port. Aside from shooting doubles, I think the side ejection port is more friendly for the clay fields.

For the bottom ejectors, is it possible to load one into the chamber or must you put one in the magazine and work the action?

Are there any advantages of one over the other?

 

[ActivShootr]

My preference depends on the situation. In the duck blind, I (read the guy next to me) prefer bottom ejection. When hunting in the field, it doesn't really matter.

 

[littlmak]

I haven't shot one but i'd think a bottom ejecter would be better for a reloader in any situation because the MT's would drop at your feet making them easy to find. Also make it good to shoot R or L handed

 

[BigJimP]

When I shoot a pump, I prefer a bottom ejection ( empty drops right into your hand ) as you move the forend back - or it will drop at your feet. My pump gun of choice is a Browning BPS - and I have them in 12 and 20ga. I think the bottom ejector is easier to load - rotate it just a hair - and I have some kids in the family that are lefties so I can use one pump gun to train both lefties and righties - the cast is neurtral on the guns.

My primary field guns are Browning Over Unders - the XS Skeet model - and I have them in 12, 20, 28 and .410 so I can hunt everything from Ducks to Quail without a problem.

These days most of my shotgunning is at targets - Skeet, Sporting Clays and some Trap.

 

[USMCGrunt]

I have to say that I prefer both...if that's possible. I have Remingtons, Mossberg and an Ithaca. I have no problem with either one and no real preference of one over the other.

 

[wnycollector]

I have no real preference either. I have both Ithaca and Mossberg...they are both flawless!

 

[oneounceload]

as a LH, I like the bottom ejection when I used a pump...probably one of the reasons I like an O/U now

 

[kozak6]

I'm a righty.

I like bottom eject. Unless you go out of your way, you aren't going to distract or hit your buddies with ejected hulls.

It's possible to load a shell straight into the chamber with mine, anyways.

I like the idea that the lack of a side ejection port in the side can keep junk out of the reciever. Probably doesn't make much of a difference most of the time, though.

 

[bigdavephoto]

Bottom port is a dream. My Ithaca ejects them 10+ feet if i hold the gun up and eject them

 

[mikenbarb]

It all depends if you like the guy next to you in the duck blind.

 

[Jseime]

I'm left handed and I dont think it matters where the empties go. When I take my shotgun out I'm there to kill Geese and I dont even notice the shells as I let em fly. I'm gonna buy a semi-auto in the next little while but no right handed semi that I have ever used has given me grief.

My biggest concern with a shotgun is that it must go boom every time I pull the trigger and the birds must go down... prefferably somewhere I don't have to get wet to go get them haha.

 

[briankk]

I'm right handed, somewhat ambidextrous, and cross mastered. I've bought a bottom ejector to see if I can shoot from both sides...

 

[Bluebill]

Bottom Ejection

The only problem with bottom ejection is your hunting partner can't tell if there is a shell in the gun, yes the action might be open but there might be another shell in the gun. Years ago I brought an Ithica 37 to a skeet field the old guys did not really want me to use this gun just for the above reason.

 

[New_Pollution1086]

I prefer the side ejection just because i like to "throw" them at my buddy's. or throw them onto the range and then try to shot the empty out of the air, I saw Thomas Knapp do it on teevee, and as an impressionable youth I had to, by law try to emulate it..

I have shot only 1 bottom eject though.

T

 

[hogdogs]

Never shot a bottom eject. Never had a reason to dislike the side eject. Plus the only pump or auto shotgun I will buy is Mossberg and they don't bottom eject.
Brent

 

[weever82]

Bottom ejection!

Nothing makes me happier when I shoot my buddies Ithaca 37.... I like the bottom ejection because it keeps the gun cleaner and the shells dont go flying everything like they do with a side ejection, they land right at my feet. With lefties I think the bottom ejection would work great as well... its like a ambi shotgun. just my .02 cents.

Weev-

 

[New_Pollution1086]

Who all makes bottom ejection?, so far this sounds like who like Ithaca over other brands.

T

 

[weever82]

Browning BPS

The Browning BPS is a VERY nice bottom ejection shotgun. The Remington 105cTi is also, but I honestly don't know any other bottom ejections of the top of my head right now.

Weev-

 

[kozak6]

There's also the Remington model 17, which the Ithaca 37 was based on.

so far this sounds like who like Ithaca over other brands.

If it was about that, I'd have said something about the light weight, ergonomic slide release, and extremely smooth operation. But I didn't.