First gun - why shouldn't I buy a Baikal?

[westley]

We struggle to get our pigs out of their blankets, but it is colder up here !

 

[ColinJ]

I'm a newbie to this sport,I'm using a Daystate 177 at the moment,I'm hoping to get a shotgun in the new year,my question to you well seasoned shooters which might sound a bit naff but how do you tell the difference between a poor gun and a brilliant gun

 

[jasper]

 £9k

 

[ehb102]

I would get the Baikal. Just think if you win anything with a Beretta or Browning no one will notice, but win with a Baikal you will be hot news for years.

You have inspired me. If I ever get the chance to shoot often enough I shall take my double-triggered Baikal Sxs and use it for skeet. I've seen some chap with a badge saying he won sxs high gun at some skeet competition. 

 

[Sian]

I'm a newbie to this sport,I'm using a Daystate 177 at the moment,I'm hoping to get a shotgun in the new year,my question to you well seasoned shooters which might sound a bit naff but how do you tell the difference between a poor gun and a brilliant gun

You actually hit targets with a good gun.  Good being defined as one that suits you regardless of cost.

 

[ips]

I'm a newbie to this sport,I'm using a Daystate 177 at the moment,I'm hoping to get a shotgun in the new year,my question to you well seasoned shooters which might sound a bit naff but how do you tell the difference between a poor gun and a brilliant gun

there are many factors to consider many of which are not cost related. Personally in my 30 yr shooting carreer I consider that above everything else good crisp trigger pulls with no drag is what I base gun quality on, after that the balance remember that shotgun triggers break immediately unlike your daystate which I imagine has a two stage trig like my AA400 So they may feel odd to you at first.

as is the case with all things in life you buy the best you can afford / justify and it matters not what anyone else has or thinks about your choice.

 

[jasper]

You actually hit targets with a good gun.  Good being defined as one that suits you regardless of cost.

ask the targets , ibet they cant tell the difference of being hit by a k80 ,P gun , Beretta or Baikal. The review on gun Mart says the Baikal patterns are superb.

 

[andypandy]

The patterns may be superb, but baikals still won't fit the majority of people!

 

[Will Hewland]

The patterns may be superb, but baikals still won't fit the majority of people!

Yes, great patterns break nothing when they end up three feet away from the clay. ?

 

[jasper]

Yep but gun fit can be tweaked. If the patterns s**t what you gonna do about that??

 

[Will Hewland]

Yep but gun fit can be tweaked. If the patterns s**t what you gonna do about that??

All joking apart, a crap pattern likely only ever comes from a crap cartridge? 

 

[RobertBeard]

I'm a newbie to this sport,I'm using a Daystate 177 at the moment,I'm hoping to get a shotgun in the new year,my question to you well seasoned shooters which might sound a bit naff but how do you tell the difference between a poor gun and a brilliant gun

I started with a new sporter Beretta 686 E with an adjustable stock and mobil multi chokes.  Good thing I bought the adjustable as the cheek piece needed to be offset and almost at its highest for me to be able to naturally look straight down the rib of the gun.  So from this it should be apparent that gun fit is the most important factor about a gun.  You can have the most expensive gun in the world but if it doesn't fit you then you won't hit many clays!

To answer your question then, as far as I'm concerned gun fit is more important than the gun itself.  If its a shotgun from a recognised maker then it will break targets if it fits you.

The consensus on here is that if you get a secondhand budget Beretta, Browning or Miroku you will get a perfectly capable gun which won't lose much money if you want to change it in a year or so.

To back that up I bought myself a used Beretta 682 trap gun after about a year which was made in about 1984 and has fixed chokes at 3/4 and Full and a Monte Carlo stock for £680 from memory.  It fits me perfectly and I love it more than my original new Beretta.

I'm not bothered about fancy woodwork or engraving.

If you are buying secondhand you ought to have someone who knows what they are doing to advise you so you don't buy something that's been abused, damaged or is faulty.  Buying secondhand from a shop should get you a guarantee which you won't get privately unless there is some manufacturer's warranty left.  Its illegal for an RFD to sell a gun out of proof and a good gun, looked after, should last a lifetime.

 

[Tom Tristram]

Second hand miroku mk38 trap grade 1, you cant go wrong with it and you can pick one up    For £750-£900 and their are a fair few about as well   Also it was my first gun also and its still a workhorse