Post by: Katmai Guy on November 14, 2014, 01:01:36 PM
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Post by: Katmai Guy on November 17, 2014, 10:11:28 PM
Post by: jeepster on December 10, 2014, 12:57:59 AM
your only viable option is a Stoeger! :tup:
Not true
I think condors suck.
Look for a Baikal. I picked up a side by side 20 gauge with selectable barrel/ trigger, auto ejectors (not extractors, when you open the action, the spent shells pop completley out and land 5 feet away), choke-able barrels, 3 inch shell capacity, nice checkered stock, a stock that is actually cut and curved for right hand shooting ( looking at it vertically, the stock has a curve to the right), automatic safety, basically all the features of a high end gun, for about 550$
It may be a budget priced gun, but it's Russian. For the most part, a well made Russian gun is meant to take the worst of the worst, the baikal shotguns, however, are one of the best all around shotguns out there. They may be budget priced, but personally my 550$ Russian side by side handles and points better ( for me anyway) than a Beretta silver pigeon or ruger red label for a fraction of the cost. How do I know? I was going to buy a silver pigeon, a red label, or a versamax 12ga, and had the $ to do so, but fell in love with this gun the moment I held it.
And it is offered in over/under or side by side with the option of single trigger with selector, or double triggers, and Carlson choke tubes can supply a full set, including tubes to match popular shells like black cloud and the type
Plus, it's affordable enough that you won't need to get a therapist if something happens to the stock :twocents:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=456587266#PIC (http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=456587266#PIC)
Forgot to mention that my go-to shotgun is a Benelli super nova 12 gauge, with 28 inch barrel. My little Baikal has a shorter length of pull (as most Russian guns) but standard barrel length, meaning that it is comparable to a youth stock, but has a big boy barrel, so it is something your kid can shoot well into manhood. It is closer in length to a 3030 than a full sized 12. I think mine has a 26 or 27 inch barrel, but ducks can't tell the difference.
Again, budget priced, high end features and performance
And if the kid wants to join the local trap or country club, it is a good enough gun to get into shooting competitions with.
This isn't a gun to be embarrassed by. It has high end European features, in a meant-to-use-and-abuse package, that looks awesome, and is something to be proud of. It is my absolute favorite gun in my collection. It is a beautiful showy gun that I am not afraid to use in a duck blind, and aside from some pretentious snob with a krieghoff, most people can't tell the difference, and a side by side in the field is a beautiful thing, the baikal o/u performs just as admirably.