Browning or Miroku?

[Welsh Fowler]

This may be the wrong section to put this in but I'm looking to buy a clay gun over the summer and have narrowed down my choice to a Browning B525 Sporter Grade 1.

I'll use it mainly for sporting clays, some trap and some skeet as well as some wildfowling on a couple of local rivers and estuaries (but not real 'below the sea wall' stuff as I have my trusty AYA No3 for that). I'll probably go for the 30 inch barrel option and it also comes with 4 multi-chokes, 3" chambers, chromed barrels, weighs a tad under 8lb and is steel proof so should be a good gun for duck and geese.

I'm also seeing number of Miroku guns with the same specifications which is confusing me (I know that Browning own Miroku) and reading here and there that some shooters consider the Miroku the better gun. Has anyone on here experience of using both Brownings and Mirokus? Given the use I intend to make of it, has anyone any tips or advice as to which may be the better gun?

Grateful for any advice!

 

[Westward]

Browning doesn't own Miroku in fact Browning doesn't own anything. Miroku builds Browning O/Us and supplies parts to FN in Belgium - they actually own Browning - for some of the posher Browning variants.

The 525 sporter hasn't been exactly a stunning success and i would guess that the MK38 has outsold it by miles. I agree with many others who feel that Brownings have been going backwards with the successors to the 325 (425 & 525) but it does seem that they've woken up at last with the 725 which is receiving a lot of praise.

It depends on your budget because the 725 does seem fairly expensive for Grade 1 Browning but it's worth a look. As for the G1 525 my honest opinion is that for your purposes the G1 MK38 is a better choice.

 

[tonky70]

Why don't you look at a beretta?

 

[EdSolomons]

Miroku all day mate, far better bit of kit, cheaper and nicer to shoot.

 

[Westward]

Why don't you look at a beretta?

I'm glad you said that tonky. Popcorn anyone?

 

[TobyM]

Miroku for me!

 

[Jeremy Baker]

Miroku for me, but mine's for sale.

 

[Robo]

Yep Miroku for me to

 

[ROBERT6500]

Old Beretta (15-20 years) not a new one or a Miroku.

 

[Hamster]

Call me old fashioned but ain't they both the same! Miroku for pot hunter types, Brownings if you want to shoot game as well.

 

[tonky70]

But a miroku isn't made as well as a beretta and lose money when you resell but a beretta will hold its value

 

[Fuzrat]

But a miroku isn't made as well as a beretta and lose money when you resell but a beretta will hold its value

Beg to differ Tonks, each to their own but Mirokes are just as well made as a similar grade beretta. Any of the Beretta, Browning or Miroke will hold thier value

 

[Welsh Fowler]

Stage 1 complete!

I got to shoot at Fox Lodge over the weekend (http://eng.foxlodge.ru/) and got to shoot a Browning Ultra XS as well as a Beretta 682 Gold. I must have shot around 60 rounds with the Browning and 40 with the Beretta all at various sporting clays.

Shooting impressions: while the Beretta felt slimmer and lighter in the hand - the barrels felt very lively indeed, the Browning felt weightier and with heavier barrels (even though it was perfectly balanced just a touch ahead of the hinge-pin) I must say that I marginally preferred the Browning for clay shooting.

If I were choosing a gun for rough shooting and wildfowling, with occasional clays, then I'd choose the Beretta. If I wanted a clay gun, which will occasionally see action on wildfowl, game and pigeons, then it would have to be the Browning - so the Browning wins this round.

Now to shoot a Browning and a Miroku!

 

[TobyM]

Seconds out, round two!

 

[Emmsy]

the only difference i ever found with browning / miroku was the woodwork and engraving - the action and barrels were the same.

the brownings always used to be a big higher in the stock than the miroku.

 

[newbie]

a very well spec'd miroku in shootbay ;-)

 

[** Pending Removal **]

a very well spec'd miroku in shootbay ;-)

Hey Newbie how is the P going?

 

[newbie]

Hey Newbie how is the P going?

boootiful. runner up dtl county champs outing one... ;-)

had a great round of OT practice last fri, i'll believe its my skill and not luck when i replicate that score again!

 

[** Pending Removal **]

boootiful. runner up dtl county champs outing one... ;-)

had a great round of OT practice last fri, i'll believe its my skill and not luck when i replicate that score again!

Brilliant. Well done. Glad you are liking it. Your skill is there from what little I saw, I am sure you will replicate it again.