71/2s and the Federal High Brass Classic Lead rounds, which contain a heavy charge of 11/4 ounces of No. 8s Remington’s Shurshot Heavy Dove shotshells, loaded with 11/8-ounces of No. So we lined up these 12 gauges and shot them side by side at American Shooting Centers’ Five-Stand setup in Houston to see how they hit a variety of flying targets similar to what we would see opening day.īecause the Baikal accepted only 2.75-inch shells, our test ammunitions included Estate Cartridge’s soft-shooting 23/4-in., 7/8-ounce No. But from our perspective, a bad cheap gun isn’t worth the money, if it came down to that. We ordered both guns from CDNN, (800) 588-9500 or Obviously, the Baikal had a significant edge in price. Our test guns were Baikal’s IZH43 Basic, $190 and American Arms’s Brittany Side x Side, a boxlock with an English-style stock, $450. Both 12 gauges featured barrels chambered for 2.75- or 3-inch shells, and they were inexpensive enough where a little blood on the stock or a ding in the metal wouldn’t cause cardiac arrest. We recently tested a pair of double-barrels suited to pass-shooting doves this fall. Because most dove hunters have batting (shooting) averages on par with a AAA shortstop coming to the bigs-if he hits his weight, he’s lucky-there’s always interest in finding a better gun to hit the tricky-flying birds. Dove hunting offers prime September shooting action in many states, and the quest for the best gun for that sport continues unabated.

Baikal 410 shotguns for sale