looking to get a shotgun

[dso88 15]

hi im looking to get a shotgun i will be using it when im out ferreting and a bit rough shooting a bit everything really i was thinking about a 12gauge side by side do you think that be right gun for what i want to use it for also are baikal any good also would it be any good for foxes

[Colster 1]

It all really depends on your budget. You can spend thousands on a shotgun but you can also pick up perfectly serviceable old guns for under a hundred.

 

There is a lot of snobbery around shotguns but a side by side will be pretty much accepted anywhere. Baikal make good, tough and functional guns and you will often see very old but still perfectly shootable guns for sale. I myself have a Baikal 12g SBS, chromed barrels which are still like mirrors and it shoots fine.

 

For rough shooting you may well find a non-ejector preferable, I know I do. The land I shoot on, I wouldn't leave empty cases laying around for cattle to ingest and having a non-ejector stops you having to catch/find them.

 

Most peoples starting budget seems to be about £500-600 and for that you can probably get a nice second hand Beretta OU but for starting out you maybe better spending less and seeing how you get on. Nice thing about guns under a hundred is as long as you don't muller it, you'll get back what you paid for it when/if you decided to move on to something else.

 

As far as foxes, it's a tricky one. It would kill foxes easily out to about 30-35yards but the problem is it's rare you'll get that close to one.

Edited December 23, 2009 by Colster

[mattywhit 1]

personally i would go for over and under beretta silver pigeon, solid gun wont really loose any money on it cant go far wrong. less kick on a over and under due to weight i personally see the side by side as a pheasant shoot day gun and no i dont own a silver pigeon and never have i know people with them bought them secondhand and swapped them in later years for more expensive gun and got back what they paid for it,