Anyone Have A Browning 725?

[Ruster 9]

As above do you own one, im asking because in the last month i have been through a few shotguns and want to find one i can settle on.

 

Gun 1: A browning ultra xs 30" adjustable stock liked it but it was a bit short in the stock and the nose was a bit heavy, still own this gun wont sell it as it was my first shotgun

 

Gun 2: Loving clay shooting so i decided to buy as stated on so many forums and by the guys at the rfd "the best shotgun" a DT10 32" adjustable stock and found i really didnt gel with it so sold it to fund gun 3

 

Gun 3: 692 32" felt much better liked the lighter feel of it and the swing was better but still not 100% happy

 

The only other gun i have been looking at and thinking about is the Browning 725 either normal or black edition mainly because i think over all i am a browning man and i have heard really good things about them.

 

So anyone have one that can tell me if they are what the hype suggests?

 

Whats the recoil like?

 

Thanks in advance

[lumic 0]

See if you can get a shot of a Miroku MK38. They are basically the same gun without going into too much detail. As far as i know they're still all made by Miroku anyway till you get to the posh stuff which is Belgian. Even if you like upgraded wood and emgraving ive seen a few grade 3 38's that are quite nice.

 

I have a 30" 38 with the teague chokes and love it. To me its much nicer than my old 425 that i use for knocking around the woods or my friends 725.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[Ruster 9]

Thank you for the input but the mk 38 is just a ultra xs but cheaper made from what i have seen of them and i already have an xs.

 

I have seen and heard a lot of people think mirouku is the best bang for buck gun on the market and the 38 is a popular one but its a down grade from what i have in the browning sat in my cabinet.

 

Why dont you like your friends 725? Bad fit? Cheap feel?

[lumic 0]

I think for me its down to the stock dimensions rather than feeling cheap and although his was a 32 which felt nice to swing it was too heavy in the barrels for me.

 

I still think you should try the 30 inch sporter. You may be pleasantly surprised.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[Alsone 789]

If it's a bad fit then that's down to the shop rather than the gun.

 

You need to be measured to the gun by the sounds of it. Maybe a visit to a either a top class gun maker or a professional at a respected clay club would be the way to go. There are quite a few clubs in the country that have past professionals / Olympic shooters as owners / instructors who should be able to make the necessary fit measurements,

 

Browning make 3 depths of recoil pad to my knowledge, and I'm sure others make independent pads, if the XS was too short, then you need to be getting a thicker pad fitted to your reach by a professional.

 

I'd say it's the same for the 725.

 

At the end of the day, gun fit and quality are to an extent independent, at least so far as stock length is concerned. A 725 won't fit you any better than a 325 of the same dimensions and the same length in any other brand. The quality comes from the engineering and stock grade (wood quality and finish). The fit comes from the shooter being properly matched to the gun dimensions.

 

Get yourself properly measured then 1st thing I'd do (because it's the cheapest way to make mistakes) is get an appropriate sized pad on the XS and see if you are comfortable with the fit. If so, then you know the measurements are correct and you know what sized stock (or pad) you want in a 725. If not go back for a refit and find out what's wrong.

 

Last option is a totally custom made stock or whole gun such as a B25, although that's the expensive route and it's still dependent on you having the correct fit dimension for the gunsmith to work to.

 

Ultimately, you'll never get any gun that fits until you have the correct measurements unless you hit on one by accident.

 

Edit: On the separate subject of barrel length, it's personal preference. The shorter the barrel, the faster it swings. The longer the barrel, the slower the swing, but the longer the sighting plain and the more stable the swing. Most shooters use 30" or 28" for sporting clays. 32" is more suited to trap. Personally I like a 30".

Edited November 8, 2014 by Alsone