Weatherby Orion SxS Shotgun
Last year, I got a little bird dog-mixed breed puppy, found a GREAT trainer, and ended up with a love for working the puppy and upland bird hunting. So much so that I even wrote a Rokslide review of Kuiu’s first upland hunting vest. My dog and I tallied up a few dozen days hunting Colorado’s pheasants, and even pillaged Wyoming a little too.
When the season was over, I decided there was enough juice in my little mutt to try and shoot as many wild species of birds over her points as I could, and see new places in the process. Once I decided that, anxiety set in; there was more than one day, frankly, nearly all of our days afield, where I missed amazing locked-down roosters that flushed within my own personal space bubble. I think I missed 13 roosters over beautiful points one day, with my wife and kid watching from the field edge. With the stack of choke tubes in my gear bag for the three shotguns, I would take each trip as a token for the poor results. Naturally, like all good hunters, I decided I needed a new shotgun. To answer the question that is probably on your mind, yes, I took three shotguns each trip because I would switch after each miss…
The modern-classic side by side
My shotgun quiver consisted of a pump action Remington 870, a semi-auto Franchi Affinity, and a over/under Browning Cynergy; all in 20 gauge. I fancy myself a pointing dog owner and the convenience of the break action Cynergy while handling my dog was apparent in our first year. I have always associated side-by-side (SXS) shotguns with pointers and grouse. With a bunch of species of wild grouse available to hunt, I started looking into affordable side-by-side.
Enter the Weatherby Orion SxS that was launched a few years ago. I chatted with Kyle Killen, Weatherby’s Shotgun Product Manager, at the ’25 Western Hunt Expo and the Pheasants Forever Expo to learn more about what sets it apart from other value priced SXSs. It was apparent to me that the goal of Weatherby’s Orion SxS was to deliver a workhorse of a shotgun that could be handed to my kid in a decade. We arranged to get me a demo 20 gauge, with the (interpreted) instructions of, “use it like you hate it, don’t baby the thing”.
Key features and specs
- The Orion SxS is available in 12ga, 20ga, 28ga, and 410 bore
- My 20ga weighed 6lbs 15oz (6.9lbs); Weatherby states 6.7lbs for the 20ga
- 28” barrels with 3” chambers for all gauges with a swamped rib and brass bead
- Includes extended choke tubes in Skeet, Improved Cylinder, Modified, Improved Modified, and Full – Yildiz threading
- Chokes can be used with non-toxic shot with attention paid to match the shot material and size to the appropriate constriction
- Mechanical double trigger; front trigger for right barrel, and rear trigger for left barrel
- Blued steel throughout with solid walnut forend and butt; rubber recoil pad included
- Straight English-style butt grip with slim splinter forend
- Box lock design with one piece barrel lug
- Made in Turkey by Yildiz, design and specifications by Weatherby
- Tang safety with MANUAL reset
- Long tang trigger guard underneath shooter’s fingers
- Shell extractors, no ejectors
- Drop at comb 1.5”, drop at heel 2.25”-2.375”, LOP 13.785” rear trigger 14.75” front trigger, right hand toe out cast ¼”*, right hand cast off ¼”* (*my measurements)
- Weatherby states 12ga = 7.3lbs, 20ga = 6.7lbs, 28ga, 6.3lbs, 410 bore = 6.1lbs
- Each gauge has its own frame size
Break the Mold Chokes
One thing that caught my eye about the Orion SxS was its extended choke tubes. Killen told me that the break in tradition was due to the desire not to handcuff waterfowl hunters in their use of non-toxic shot. Extending the choke tubes past the bore allowed a longer transition distance of the constriction, which should result in better patterns. He also put focus on achieving as little trigger travel as possible, with a trigger pull that was the appropriate weight for hunting. I found both triggers to showcase this effort and appreciated the pull weight and travel. Since we had no wild birds to hunt over the summer, I took the Orion SxS out to pattern each choke and check the regulation of the barrels. The above chart summarizes my quick testing, but most importantly, shooting either barrel resulted in the same pattern point of impact AND centered around my aiming point (photo below of same distance/choke/load different barrels). My excuses for future misses went right out the window.
Initial Impressions
What I noticed when shooting the 3” Federal Hevi Bismuth loads was some very surprising face slap. I had heard from others that a straight English stock would feel different from the more common pistol grip style, and my cheek was sore for a few days. The other thing that had me in my head was the double triggers; I was unsure how intuitive the transition would be and how much dry fire practice it would take. Before patterning, shooting light loads at training birds and on the clays course, neither potential issue popped up.
Dusky Grouse Kickoff
The mutt and I kicked off September in a steep and thick timbered Colorado elk hidey hole looking for Dusky Grouse. Frankly, I thought the near 7lb weight of the Orion SxS would be burdensome, but I didn’t even notice it. The balance point of the shotgun is right under the action pivot, and it just sat in my hand whether closed or open. We ended up sticking two grouse on three shots, the last shot was a successful transition to the rear trigger/left barrel without a conscious thought.
Chukar Hunting Tested The Durability
Apparently, there are wild Chukars in Colorado, and they live in the cliffs. Our first attempt to find some found us cliffed out, lots of falls and slides, very dusty, and grossly unsuccessful. The Orion SxS suffered numerous buttstock scratches and dirt got in the action. Treating it like I hate it, I paid no mind. We later made a second Chukar attempt in the rain and mud with no success but multiple falls and mud all over the Orion. Both of these hunts were the most physically arduous, but again, the Orion SxS carried easily. There is some irony in the fact that 10X more Chukar have been shot over my dog since we train with pen-raised Chukar, but we couldn’t turn up a point on any wilds. Revenge will be had…
Epiphany on Columbian Sharptail
I learned that Colorado is home to a unique species of Sharptail, the Columbian Sharptail Grouse. In between a night-long rain storm and a midday rain storm, my dog locked up on point, I closed the Orion SxS, and two Columbian Sharptails popped up. I am sure my dog was shocked but tickled pink when the Orion SxS spoke twice and both birds fell out of the sky. It was our first limit as a team, our first double as a team, and I was in a bit of disbelief. This was the point where the swamped rib and sight picture of the double barrels jumped out at me as naturally leading me to focus on the bird. It was great, and the transition between triggers didn’t dawn on me until we were back at the truck.
It Worked for Hungarian Partridge
Throughout my conversations with Killen, I learned there were more than just Sage Grouse in Wyoming, and we set off to tackle a few more species. Hungarian Partridge were in some deceptively steep, rolling hills, and it took a lot of walking to find a covey. Again, despite being just under 7lbs, the Orion SxS carried easily. The shallower angle that a SxS breaks over compared to an O/U made balancing the Orion SxS action open over my shoulder, or just action open butt forward in my hand, effortless. When my little girl locked up to point the one covey of Huns we found, the first shot rang true and my second shot missed. I didn’t know anything about Huns, but I can see how they can overwhelm the senses with their whole covey flight, and they were smaller than I expected. The intuitiveness of this shotgun was growing on me pretty quickly.
The Orion Delivered for Sharptail Too
(normal?) Sharptail Grouse were also present where the Huns lived, and while my dog found some for other folks, she didn’t lock one down in front of me until day two. Actually, she found a lot, and it was a blast. While my hit-to-miss ratio suffered that day, we checked the species off and, surprise, the Orion SxS carried just fine.
A Natural for Sage Grouse
Sage Grouse were next up, and they are far and away my favorite upland bird so far. Over three days of hunting, I averaged over six miles per morning. The birds were holding great for my mutty girl, allowing us to bring in another dog to work on its point backing. Three solid points turned into three dead Sage Grouse, all killed on the second shot for some reason (operator excitement?). Transitions to the second barrel were seamless, and the Orion SxS was a gem to carry.
Built to be an Heirloom
Also, while in Wyoming, I stopped in Sheridan to visit Killen at the Weatherby Headquarters. We pulled the stock off an Orion SxS so that I could see the internals. Everything inside was metal, and on top of that, was simple enough that I wouldn’t hesitate to take it apart. Killen pointed out the single-piece barrel lug and stated it was oversized compared to the typical. The intent behind the size of the lug is to provide more surface area for metal to metal contact, reduce wear, and ultimately increase longevity. I asked Killen about warranty claims, and he said they have been very few with most being broken stocks from falls. I was also assured that there was a stash of replacement parts should any issue come up with a person’s Orion SxS.
No Cleaning, No Problem
I made a point to not oil or clean it to see if the action would get wonky or if it would rust. Neither occurred. The photo above shows what the action looked like after a month of hunting; pretty mucky and a good bit of dirt! It cleaned up easily with a few Q-tips, as shown above. Pulling the stock off my Orion SxS revealed spotless internals that should speak to the metal-to-wood fit.
I hope I Can Keep It!
I will probably end up seeing if Weatherby will let me buy this Orion SxS rather than sending it back. It has some well-earned scars tied to memories, and it carries well; I have confidence in its durability. More importantly, I hit birds with it at a much better rate than anything I currently own, and that makes my bird dog happy. The quest to stick species will go on, and it would be neat if it happened all with this Orion SxS.
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