Outdoor Life - Semi-autos RSS

Best Shotguns 2013: OL Ranks and Reviews This Year's Top New Shotguns

Alex Robinson — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:40:23 -0400

In February, the OL test team put the screws to 9 of the best new shotguns on the market. See which guns scored the highest in our annual shotgun test.

Beretta A400 XPLOR Action

This 20-gauge from Beretta, the first sub-gauge in the A400 series, is brimming with amenities and useful features. The kick-off system is one of the better recoil-reducing designs on the market, and by adding it to this shotgun Beretta has made an outstanding semi-auto for high-volume bird shooting. The gun comes with a shim kit and three choke tubes, and is compatible with Beretta’s electronic unit, which fits into the stock and counts rounds, measures the temperature, and calculates recoil. We liked the looks of the gun too. The finish on the receiver is distinctive without being tacky, and the grain-enhancing finish on the wood gives it a classy look. It also shouldered, swung, and shot like a dream. For all these reasons, the A400 XPLOR Action is our Editor’s Choice shotgun for 2013.

Price: $1,625
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ★
Design: A-
Performance: A
Price/Value: B+
Gauge/Chamber: 20-ga./3 in.
Trigger Pull: 5 lb. 5 oz.
Action: semi-auto
Contact: berettausa.com

Stoeger Condor Longfowler

This shotgun harkens back to the great waterfowling era at the turn of the last century. It has the kind of no-frills, utilitarian design that characterized many of the non-pedigreed shotguns of that time—they were built to knock ducks and geese out of the sky and nothing else. At more than 8 pounds (and with a 7-pound 10-ounce trigger pull), this Brazilian-made shotgun is a bit of a brute—a gorilla at the double-gun ball, if you will—but you can’t get more gun for the price. The matte finish is ideal for duck hunting, though the lack of ejectors could get irksome when the sky is full of birds. Nonetheless, the value of the gun for even the most cash-strapped hunter earned it this year’s Great Buy award.

Price: $449
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ½
Design: B-
Performance: B
Price/Value: A-
Gauge/Chamber: 12-ga./3 in.
Trigger Pull: 7 lb. 10 oz. (both)
Action: over/under
Contact: stoegerindustries.com

Beretta A300 Outlander

This new Beretta isn’t very flashy, but what does make it stand out in the company’s lineup is where it is produced: right here in the USA. That makes the gun cheaper to produce and puts it at a more attainable price point than other Beretta semi-autos. However, the price ($845) wasn’t the only thing that impressed us. This 7-pound, 3-inch 12-gauge moved quickly onto the target and shot well. The trigger on our sample was just average, as was the quality of the shotgun’s wood, but the value the A300 represents made it easy to overlook these issues.

Price: $845
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ½
Design: B
Performance: A-
Price/Value: A-
Gauge/Chamber: 12-ga./3 in.
Trigger Pull: 5 lb. 10 oz.
Action: semi-auto
Contact: berettausa.com

Browning A5 3.5

The silhouette of the A5 is unmistakable. But unlike John Browning’s original recoil-operated Auto-5s, the current ones have inertia-driven actions. New this year is a 3 ½-inch version that will appeal to many waterfowlers. The gun is gorgeous to look at and hold, and it shoots like it has a personal grudge against all things flying. Even so, the price is pretty steep—despite its coming with a nice hard case and three choke tubes. For fans of the humpback look who live for cold fall mornings in the marsh, this shotgun will hold lots of appeal.

Price: $1,699
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ½
Design: A-
Performance: A-
Price/Value: B
Gauge/Chamber: 12-ga./3½ in.
Trigger Pull: 6 lb. 6 oz.
Action: semi-auto
Contact: browning.com

CZ-USA 612 Wildfowl Magnum

For its first venture into the pump-action shotgun market, CZ settled on a slam-dunk platform: a bargain-priced 3 1/2-inch gun slathered in camo. There’s nothing particularly surprising about the gun, which is made in Turkey. The trigger is too heavy and the camo finish is too slick, but it handled singles and doubles just fine, and for $409, what did you expect? The receiver is tapped for a scope mount, which is a nice feature, and it comes with two extra choke tubes to refine your patterns. It is built strong enough to take on a bulldozer and will no doubt be a good seller.

Price: $409
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ½
Design: B-
Performance: B
Price/Value: A-
Gauge/Chamber: 12-ga./3½ in.
Trigger Pull: 9 lb. 1 oz.
Action: pump
Contact: cz-usa.com

Fabarm Axis Trap

This lovely beast of a shotgun has a simple job—turning clay targets into powdery ink blots in the sky—and it does that job very, very well. The speed with which it gets on the going-away targets that characterize trap shooting is nothing short of scary. And thanks to the quality of its trigger—by far the best among the shotguns in the test—the shots themselves feel more like an act of will than an act of your trigger finger. The adjustability of the shotgun’s raised rib and stock allows for a true custom fit and pattern placement. At $3,995, this is a real bargain for a serious trap gun, many of which cost at least twice as much.

Price: $3,995
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ★
Design: A-
Performance: A
Price/Value: B+
Gauge/Chamber: 12-ga./3 in.
Trigger Pull: 3 lb. 5 oz. (both)
Action: over/under
Contact: fabarmusa.com

Franchi Aspire

The shotgun test team couldn’t help but develop a bit of a crush on this sexy little Italian 28-gauge. The lines of the rounded action, the dimensions and comfortable fit of the stock, and the quality of the finish on the metal all won us over. We were also surprised at how well it handled very tough long crossers during the evaluation. This gun really shoots. It comes with selective mechanical triggers, an automatic safety, and a basic set of flush-mounted choke tubes. It’s a good value for the price, but we wished the wood was of a higher grade.

Price: $2,299
Overall: ★ ★ ★ ★
Design: A
Performance: A
Price/Value: B
Gauge/Chamber: 28-ga./2 ¾ in.
Trigger Pull: 5 lb. 3 oz. (bottom) 4 lb. 13 oz. (top)
Action: over/under
Contact: franchiusa.com

Mossberg 835 Util-Mag RRS

At first glance, it looks like Mossberg decided to stick a wheel from an inline skate into the buttstock of the new 835 Util-Mag RRS. In reality, it is an oversize damper, like those used on Mathews bows to reduce vibration. In the case of the Mossberg, it is supposed to soak up recoil. We weren’t sure whether it did so, but regardless, this 3 1/2-inch pump action had the same good balance and rugged feel as every other 835 we’ve shot. One feature that has real benefit is the removable cheekpiece, which can be swapped out and replaced with different inserts to raise the comb height.

Price: $630
Overall: ★ ★ ★
Design: B
Performance: B
Price/Value: B
Gauge/Chamber: 12-ga./3½ in.
Trigger Pull: 6 lb. 7 oz.
Action: pump
Contact: mossberg.com

Tri Star Viper G2

This Turkish-built 28-gauge is a funny little gun. The test team, to a person, just loved the way it shot and handled. With its 30-inch barrel, it swung very well and was able to dust clays at improbably long distances. As with any gas-operated 28, it has negligible recoil, and during the evaluation it never had any cycling or feeding issues. It’s a shotgun you could shoot all day long. That’s the good news. On the other hand, the shotgun’s design left us cold. The checkering on the forend is a half-hearted affair and the lines adorning the receiver look like an airline route map.

Price: $729
Overall: ★ ★ ★
Design: C+
Performance: B+
Price/Value: B
Gauge/Chamber: 28-ga./2¾ in.
Trigger Pull: 6 lb. 10 oz.
Action: semi-auto
Contact: tristararms.com

See how we test shotguns here.

See the best new rifles of 2013

New Shotgun Review: Beretta A300 Outlander

Alex Robinson — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 18:22:41 -0500

The Beretta Outlander is now being offered in wood. It's Beretta's only shotgun that is made in America, which means an reasonable price tag of about $850. The Outlander is a hybrid gun mixing components of the A400 and the A391.

It's a handy shotgun chambered for 2 3/4-inch and 3-inch shells. Overall it still brings the quality that Beretta is known for, it just does it at a bargain price.

Win This Gun: Beretta A400 Extreme Unico

Alex Robinson — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:04:47 -0400

Shooting Editor John B. Snow highlights his favorite things about the Beretta A400 semi-auto shotgun. Enter our contest and win the gun!

Field Test: Weatherby's New SA-459 Turkey Gun

Alex Robinson — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 16:20:41 -0400

The tom and two hens crossed a recently plowed field and disappeared into the overgrown fenceline. I sat on the other side of the fence line, about 30 yards down, waiting for a chance to fill my tag. The first hen popped out of the weedy brush, quickly followed by the second hen, and the two began to forage among the short grasses. It probably took less than a minute, though it felt like an hour, before the tom poked his head out, glanced to his right and left, and then stepped into the field.

I lined up my open sights on that spot where his neck and body met, and pulled the trigger on my Weatherby SA-459 Turkey gun. The tom hit the ground head first, wings furiously pounding the air for maybe 20 seconds.

I’d filled my Wisconsin turkey tag!

New for 2012, Weatherby’s SA-459 is a gas-operated semi-auto with a tactical look to it, thanks to the trim forend and pistol grip-style buttstock. Stock and forend are finished in Mothwing® Spring Mimicry® camouflage pattern that just about disappeared into the Wisconsin spring vegetation. The barrel is 21 ¼" long, and is tipped with a removable, extended ported choke tube (Extra Full). A mil-spec Picatinny rail, LPA-style ghost ring rear sight and blade front sight with fiber optic pin are standard, as are swivel studs fore and aft.

I had three shooting/patterning sessions with my 12-gauge shotgun before I took it to the field. I must admit, though, I was initially leery of that ghost-ring rear sight and high front blade sight. Out of the box, the setup looked awkward, like it would shoot too high, and I was concerned that maybe the barrel was too short for extended range shots.

I was flat wrong! Within a few shells, I was hitting everything I aimed at — at distances ranging from 10 to 35 yards. When I got to the actual patterning, I placed between eight to 18 pellets into the kill zone at every shot, with the average pellet count in the mid-teens. (I was firing 3” Winchester Extended Range shells loaded with #4 pellets.) The O-ring sight provides an ample rear-aiming platform, and the fiber optic pin shows up wonderfully.

I really appreciate the Weatherby’s pistol grip and bolt handle. The pistol grip helps provide steady aiming and directs a good bit of the recoil into your hand and forearm. The oversized, hourglass bolt handle makes for very easy loading and unloading. I expect this will be a real plus during colder fall turkey hunting when wearing thicker gloves.

Recoil? Very minimal with 2 ¾” loads, but you can certainly feel it with the 3” loads I settled on for the actual hunting. The kick wasn’t objectionable, and with today’s heavy-duty 3” turkey shells, there’s simply no way you are going to “design out” every bit of recoil.

There’s one problem with the SA-459: the safety button is too small, and jammed into a tight place at the rear of the trigger guard. With heavier gloves, that button will take some work to find.

All in all, this is a very fine turkey hunter. It’s nifty, accurate and light — the gun weighs 6 ¾ pounds in 12-gauge, 6 ¼ pounds in 20-gauge. Suggested retail price is $699, though it is advertised for $125 less all over the Internet.

Bloomberg Anti-Gun Commercial To Air During Super Bowl

OL Editor — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:59:23 -0500

Keep the remote handy during Sunday's Super Bowl telecast because you'll want to mute the volume when Big Nanny himself--New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg--and Boston Mayor Thomas Merino share a couch and lecture unsuspecting football fans about the evils of firearms and, by extension, the dangers posed by the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Bloomberg and Menino filmed a 30-second gun-control commercial Tuesday in New York that will air in the Northeast, not nationally, during Sunday’s big game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots.

The commercial will show the two mayors sitting on a couch, wearing Giants and Patriots jerseys over their shirts and ties, ribbing each other about New York-Boston sports rivalries, pretending to watch the game, before declaring that one thing they agree on is the need for stricter federal gun control laws.

Both mayors are founding members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which is pushing for a stronger federal background check system on firearms purchases.

With billionaire Bloomberg footing the bill from pocket change, the group had no problem purchasing air time during TV's most watched event. According to TNS Media Intelligence, 30-second commercials during the Super Bowl on CBS are selling for between $2.5 million and $2.8 million.

The lecture-mercial is already drawing criticism from divergent sources, including Boston Herald columnist Michael Graham, whose Feb. 3 column noted a disconnect between the mayors' message and reality.

"The ad will reportedly talk about gun laws and the need for the presidential candidates to address the issue," Graham wrote. "What the ad most assuredly won’t talk about is gun violence itself. Because the last thing these two big-government grannies want you to know is that gun violence is plummeting, even as gun ownership has skyrocketed."

For more, go to:

Bloomberg Appears With Boston Mayor In Super Bowl Commercial Urging Gun Control

Mike Bloomberg, Tom Menino to Star in Anti-Gun Super Bowl Ad

During Super Bowl, for 30 Seconds, 2 Mayors Will Be on Same Side

Mayor Bloomberg Has His Own Super Bowl Ad This Year

NYC, Boston mayors in Super Bowl gun-control ad

Mayors wide of mark

Anti-Gun Protestors Target Starbucks for Upholding the Second Amendment

E-mail Submission — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:01:48 -0500

A nationwide boycott of Starbucks stores and its products will be launched on Valentine's Day to eliminate "the risk of guns in public places and ultimately to bring sane gun laws to the U.S."

This boycott is being called by the National Gun Victim's Action Council (NGAC), a network of 14 million gun victims, and is targeting Starbucks because it allows guns and assault weapons to be openly carried in its stores in 43 states, and concealed and carried in its stores in 49 states.

"Starbucks has the legal right to ban guns but despite having been petitioned by thousands, asked at a shareholder meeting, and a direct appeal made to their Board, Starbucks clings to this policy that puts millions of Americans at risk every day and encourages the spread of guns being carried in public," said NGAC CEO Elliot Fineman in a Jan. 23 press release circulated by the group.

Of course, such reasoning is sheer idiocy, said Seattle Guns Rights Examiner Dave Workman in a Jan. 23 Examiner.com column.

"Starbucks’ sin is that the coffee giant caters to everybody, including legally-armed citizens, whether they carry openly or concealed," Workman wrote. "Starbucks made it plain in 2010 when the Brady Campaign, assisted locally by Washington CeaseFire, that it abides by local state laws and does not discriminate against a certain class of customers. Starbucks has the legal right to serve any customer it pleases, including someone exercising his or her right to bear arms. Fineman evidently doesn’t grasp that."

For more, go to:

Starbucks' "Pro-Gun" Policy Prompts Gun Victims' Advocate Group to Launch Nationwide Boycott on Valentine's Day 2012

More DOJ embarrassment; more Starbucks stupidity; Oly hearings re-scheduled

Call for Boycott of Starbucks on Valentine's Day Over Gun Policy

Starbucks boycott: National Gun Victim's Council boycotts Starbucks on Feb 14

Where Do Romney and Santorum Stand on the 2nd Amendment?

OL Editor — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:51:52 -0500

Since the 2012 Presidential campaign began the day after Barack Obama was elected in November 2008, we've avoided discussing Republican candidates' views on the Second Amendment here on the Gun Shots blog.

There were better uses of your time and this space, especially since some candidates -- Herb Cain, Michelle Bachmann, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul -- were never more than marginal hopefuls while others, such as Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry, peaked and paled even before the primaries began.

And there was also this: Whoever gets the GOP nod will be far friendlier to the Second Amendment than the incumbent liberal seeking a second term in the White House -- a second term in which he is expected pursue an anti-gun agenda that has been simmering on the backburner since 2009.

But, alas -- and finally -- the primary season did begin on Jan. 3 with the Iowa caucuses. If results there prove prognostic, the race for the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination could shape up to be a contest between former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania (even though Santorum was recently trounced in the New Hampshire primary).

As the links below indicate, there is a great deal of chatter and contention regarding where Romney and Santorum stand on defending your Second Amendment rights.

One alarming note raised by the National Association for Gun Rights Executive Director, Dudley Brown, is that neither Romney or Santorum -- nor Gingrich, for that matter -- have returned a survey seeking answers to questions important to gun owners.

Among questions the survey asks is, as President, if the candidate would: Repeal the Brady Gun Owner Registration Scheme? Oppose the UN "Small Arms Treaty"? Call for a repeal of the Lautenberg Gun Ban and the Criminal Safezones Act?

"My experience shows me that candidates who refuse to return gun rights surveys and answer important Second Amendment questions are almost always hiding something. Hiding anti-gun political views," Brown said.

Demand that Romney, Santorum, and Gingrich respond to the survey by contacting their campaign offices in your state.

Meanwhile, in the coming weeks, and especially before the GOP's Aug. 27 National Convention, we will explore each Republican hopefuls' views on the Second Amendment in depth.

For more, go to:

Rick Santorum’s Anti-Gun History

Santorum Favors Gun Control Candidates

RICK SANTORUM ON SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS

Mitt Romney - The Second Amendment

Santorum says 11th-hour robo calls falsely claim he’s anti-gun

Mitt Romney on the Second Amendment

NEWT GINGRICH Defending Second Amendment Rights

Ron Paul Iowa Team Welcomes New ‘Gun Owners for Ron Paul

Mitt Romney Gets Owned on The Second Amendment

December Firearms Sales Shatter Retail Records

E-mail Submission — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:38:31 -0500

Gun sales shattered records on Black Friday and that pace continued through the holiday shopping season as more than 1.5 million instant criminal background checks for firearms purchases were conducted in December, according to the FBI.

In the six days before Christmas, gun dealers submitted nearly half-a-million names for checks on criminal records and mental health issues, with 20 percent coming on Dec. 23, according to the AP. That was the second-busiest gun-buying day in history, topped only by firearm purchases on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

“The firearms industry is one that hasn’t suffered in this economy,” Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, told CNBC. “Everyone else is hurting, but not firearms.”

With another presidential election cycle under way, Pratt said 2012 could be a replay of the last election cycle. “I think the same dynamics that we saw in 2008 will come up again.” Pratt points to the fact that gun sales increased strongly after the election of President Barack Obama in 2008, continuing throughout 2009 and into 2010. After a slight dip, sales have been picking up, notably with a record day on Black Friday, which saw the largest single day of FBI background checks.

Final tallies for all of December haven't been released, but the month's gun purchases will eclipse November. As of Dec. 28, 1,534,414 names had been sent to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, The New York Times reported in an editorial.

For the first 11 months of 2011, the FBI did a record 14.6 million checks, an increase of more than 70 percent from the 8.5 million in 2003.

Kentucky led the nation, with more than two-million background checks conducted through November; double the No. 2 gun-check state, Texas. The Bluegrass State, with a population of about 4.3 million, has been tops in background checks the past five years and has the most checks of any state since 1998 -- more than 12.6 million.

For more, go to:

Total NCIS background checks by state Nov. 1998 to Nov. 2011 (pdf)

FBI's state-by-state breakdown through November (pdf)

Firearms Sales Ring in 2012 With a Bang

Retailers surprised but pleased by record gun sales

Record gun checks, sales for Christmas

Happiness is … a warm gun for Christmas

Gun sales break records before Christmas, as FBI reports gun dealers ordered 1.5M background checks in December

FBI: Gun sales up in 2011

Guns a popular Christmas gift in Idaho

Gun sales boom in Kentucky for Christmas

December Gun Sales Break Single-Month Record

All I Want For Christmas Is A Shotgun! Record Gun Sales This Christmas

Bang! Bang! We know what you got for Christmas

Obama spurring one aspect of economy?... December gun sales set all-time record

FBI data indicates gun sales in New Mexico will reach record numbers in 2011

Lock & Load

In Smith and Wesson We Trust (and it looks like Santa does, too)

Video: Death to the Angry Birds

E-mail Submission — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:53:40 -0500

To build up a stronger online community, we've been trying here at Outdoor Life to boost our presence on Facebook. With that in mind, we bring you our first Facebook exclusive video. Click the photo, become a fan and watch this Angry Bird get smoked by a 12 gauge.

Take two cutting-edge high-speed cameras, a dozen rifles, shotguns and muzzleloaders, a truck bed of ammo, a Wal-Mart shopping spree, a 200-yard shooting range, and what do you get? The first Outdoor Life/Field & Stream high-speed video shoot.

We shot .223s, .308s, broadheads and every kind of shotgun shell imaginable at steel targets, paper targets, golf balls, tennis ball and basketballs. We shot PowerBait, glitter tubes, a sleeve of paintballs, apples, and, yes, Angry Birds.

We were the pigs. The pigs had guns. The pigs won. Sort of... As you’ll see in the video (just click the image above) the plush red Angry Bird actually held up pretty well against our volley of Black Cloud No. 2 and a home-defense slug.

This trip to the range, however, wasn’t all about shooting things we thought would look cool. No, there was some editorial intent. So for the next few weeks we’re going to show you, among other things, exactly how a compound bow works and how a muzzleloader fires in super slow motion.

We couldn’t have done any of this without the help of Vision Research. They provided two Phantom high-speed cameras, the v1610 and v711, for our three-day shoot. The $100,000 v1610 captured bullet impacts at 43,400 frames per second. (Digital video and television, for comparison, usually runs around 30 frames per second.) We captured targets exploding, muzzle flash and other fun stuff in color at 19,300 frames per second with the v711.

Now, you may be wonder why sworn enemies OL and F&S are teaming up. Well, the opportunity to use such high-end cameras was so sweet niether brand could pass it up.

Special thanks to Winchester, Federal and Winchester Ammo.

Gun Review: New Beretta A400 Xtreme 12 Gauge

Alex Robinson — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:31:20 -0500

Competitive shooting and upland hunting are the heart and soul of Beretta’s shotgunning efforts—but there’s little doubt the world’s oldest firearms company knows how to make a good semi-auto for the duck marsh. The new A400 Xtreme, which has a 3 ½-inch chamber, has been designed inside and out to hold up to the rigors of hard-core waterfowling.

By John B. Snow

Waterfowlers love their 3 ½-inch guns. The common perception is that the cigar-size shells are better than the smaller 2 ¾- and 3-inch loads on ducks and geese, that they give the shooter an advantage when it comes to knockdown power and long-range shots, particularly when shooting steel.

The truth is that 3 ½-inch loads do nothing to extend the effective range of a shotgun—the ballistics are unforgiving on this point—but they can deliver a heavier payload of pellets, which in theory improves killing power.

The reason I qualify that statement is that in order to kill a bird with any shotgun, you need to hit it squarely. Since the heaviest

magnum shotshells kick like a proverbial mule, shooting technique often suffers, increasing the likelihood of marginal hits or outright misses. I learned this firsthand when I started flailing away with my Benelli Super Black Eagle, which I purchased right after it was

introduced, and realized that I did no better with it than I had with my old 3-inch 870.

Taming the Beast

Be that as it may, 3 ½-inch guns are here to stay and gunmakers continue to introduce new models, as Beretta has done with the A400 Xtreme. The discomfort caused by magnum duck loads has prompted manufacturers to come up with various methods to reduce felt recoil. This can be accomplished by using recoil-absorbing pistons or softer butt pads, or by incorporating some type of flex and give in the stock. Whatever the solution, the goal is the same: to spread out the force of the recoil over a longer period of time—though this all still happens in the blink of an eye—reducing the sharpness of the blow the gun inflicts on the shooter’s face and shoulder. (The other option is to port your barrel, though your pals in your duck blind will hate you for it.)

The new A400 uses Beretta’s “kick-off” technology, which relies on spring-loaded shock absorbers to mitigate recoil. Two of these shock absorbers are located within the stock, allowing it to compress about ³⁄₈ inch during recoil, and one is located just behind the receiver and is compressed by the rearward travel of the bolt assembly. This system works extremely well, soaking up some of the pounding that would normally be transferred to the shooter.

Versatile Autoloader

But here’s the other reality about these big booming shotguns: even though they are designed for 3 ½-inch shells, the bulk of what they digest are lighter shells, the majority of these being 2 ¾-inch 1-ounce target loads. The gas system on the A400 had no problems at all operating with these light shells at the skeet range, cycling and ejecting hundreds of rounds without a single hang-up.

The quality of the workmanship on the internal components in the A400 is a big reason it ran so reliably. The chromed rotating bolt head in the action moved slickly in and out of battery, and the precise fit of the pieces that make up the gas system showed no evidence of binding or friction even when dirty.

The barrel exhibited the same level of craftsmanship. The polish on the inside was ripple-free and bright enough to clearly show the contours of the chamber and forcing cone.

Beretta developed an innovative mechanism for breaking down the gun. It takes less than a quarter turn on the forend cap to release the forend and remove the barrel from the action. It’s quick, easy, and simple.

Smooth Operator

In hand, the A400 Xtreme has a lively feel. It weighs 7 pounds 11 ounces, which is fairly standard for a 3 ½-inch semi-auto, but it shoulders and swings like a lighter gun. The trigger on my sample was above average for shotguns of this type and broke at a consistent 5 ¼ pounds.

The combination of the slick gas system, good trigger, and excellent ergonomics makes the A400 fast on the draw. It not only gets on target quickly, but you can run a fully loaded magazine dry before your first empty hits the ground.

The crossbolt safety, for example, is positioned at the front of the trigger guard, right where the index finger of a right-handed shooter should be resting, so getting the gun off safe happens nearly instantaneously.

The rest of the gun’s controls operate as smoothly. The bolt release tab is generously sized and easy to manipulate, and the loading gate on the underside of the action showed no inclination to grab fingers or gloves when reloading, as is often the case.

Sharp Design

I liked the trim dimensions on the forend, and the tacky material that is inset into it gives a good grip. The only issue I had is that the material didn’t extend high enough up onto the forend to give the fingers a secure hold. (It only wraps around the bottom, where the gun sits in the palm of the hand.) Also, the “Euro” styling of the lines on the forend—which seems to be de rigueur on most semi-autos these days, regardless of the country of origin—includes a line with an edge sharp enough to hurt the shooter’s hand when firing heavier loads. A slight radius on that line would be enough to fix this blunder.

The gun comes with two spacers that can be inserted between the butt pad and stock to allow you to adjust the fit. The gun comes with a ½-inch spacer already installed, and you can swap or augment this with the extra 1-inch spacer provided, giving a total of four different adjustments for length of pull, which should do to accommodate 95 percent of the shooters out there.

The $1,600 price tag will be more than many shooters can afford, but this gun delivers quality, reliability, and Beretta craftsmanship, and is a solid contender in the high-end waterfowl autoloader market.

STATS
Gauge: 12

Capacity: 2+1

Weight: 7 lb. 11 oz.

Barrel Length: 28 in.

Overall Length: 49 3/8 in.

Length of Pull: 14 1/2 in.

Drop, Comb: 1 1/2 in.

Drop, Heel: 2 1/2 in.

Trigger Pull: 5 lb. 3 oz.

Suggested Retail: $1,600

Contact: berettausa.com

REPORT CARD

Overall:***

Performance: A

Design: B

Price/Value: C+

Weatherby's New Semi-Automatic Turkey Gun

E-mail Submission — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:41:22 -0500

Winter’s a great time to start thinking about your next turkey hunting gun, and to help kick start that process Weatherby is now offering the SA-459™ Turkey semi-auto, available in 12 or 20 gauge.

New for 2012, the SA-459 Turkey offers a trim forend and pistol grip-style buttstock that gives it a nearly tactical look. The shotgun has a 13.5 inch length of pull, and an hourglass bolt handle that is oversized for easy location and operation. The 21 ¼-inch barrel comes with a removable and extended ported choke tube (Extra Full). A mil-spec Picatinny rail, LPA-style ghost ring rear sight and blade front sight with fiber optic pin are standard. The 20-gauge model is a good choice for females or smaller shooters.

The SA-459 sports Mothwing® Spring Mimicry® camouflage pattern on the stock and forend. Utilizing advanced computer technology, this hunting camouflage pattern is based on bark- and leaf-mimicking moths, accented with natural ground cover found in the spring. A special dipping process adheres the camo directly to the stock surfaces for added durability.

MSRP $699.

Field Test: The Benelli Super Vinci - A Reliable Waterfowl Gun

Alex Robinson — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:31:49 -0500

I put Benelli's Super Vinci through the ringer this year first on a duck hunt in Saskatchewan where I ran a number of boxes of 3-inch and 3 ½-inch waterfowl loads through it I didn't have a single jam or ejection problem. I mostly hunted from layout blinds in agricultural fields and alongside prairie potholes, in the wind, some rain and a brief snow flurry.

Then, less than two weeks later, hunting sea ducks on a chilly Lake Michigan, the shotgun went through more than a box of Blindside Steel #2’s without a hitch. And I still hadn’t cleaned the gun!

I don’t recommend not cleaning a shotgun. But duck and goose hunting can be a dirty business, and it’s good to know your shotgun can take it, and come back for more. After this season I can offer an honest opinion on the Vinci from a shooter's perspective. Here's what I found out about the gun.

The Super Vinci’s superb functionality is due in part to Benelli’s proven In-Line Inertia Driven action, which is simple, efficient and rugged.

The Super Vinci was unveiled in January 2011, the big brother (meaning, 3 ½-inch capable) to the original Vinci. The one I field tested this fall had a 26-inch barrel, a synthetic stock and was finished with a Realtree MAX4 camo pattern. My Super Vinci was a lot of fun to shoot, very accurate and surprisingly light (right at seven pounds).

Benelli designed the Super Vinci to reliably chamber light 2¾-inch loads up through the most powerful 3 ½ inch Magnums. It did, handling everything I shot from the 2 3/4-inch #8’s I used on clay pigeons (practice before heading to Canada), to all the waterfowl loads mentioned earlier, and even some non-toxic three-inch turkey shells. These whacked the heck out of my shoulder with my old Winchester pump, but the Super Vinci tamed them to a very manageable thump.

Its recoil handling abilities can be attributed to Benelli’s ComforTech® Plus Stock, which is divided into 12 synthetic, recoil-absorbing chevrons, arranged diagonally from the heel of the buttstock to just behind the pistol-grip. The stock is designed so that the exterior shell actually flexes outward to further dampen recoil.

Appearance? Truthfully, my initial reaction was, “Man, this is a weird-looking shotgun!” It’s that elongated lower receiver-trigger guard that gives the gun a different, almost bulging look. Waterfowlers who love traditional looking shotguns may want to look away. But as I started knocking down ducks and geese, I quickly forgot what the gun looked like. Now, I think of it as unique.

Of note, the safety button is located in front of the trigger. That took some getting used to, especially as I’ve spent years working a safety at the back of the trigger guard. But I adjusted. And hold on tightly when using 3 ½ shells, otherwise the gun can twist, just enough to jam the side of the trigger guard into the ring finger of your shooting hand.

The shotgun comes with Benelli Crio Chokes in C, IC, M, IM, F, a hard case, and Quadra Fit shims to adjust the stock. The raised rib incorporates a mid bead and red bar front sight. Optional turkey, pass, and decoy chokes are also available. The shotgun can be purchased with 28-inch barrel, and is available in black and Realtree APG finishes, as well as Realtree MAX-4. MSRP, $1,649 to $1,759.

Rugged, accurate, and a pleasure to shoot, I would take the Super Vinci waterfowling anytime, anywhere. It has all the makings of a great turkey gun, too, something I hope to prove this spring.

Help Us Pick The Prize for Our Next Caption Contest!

Alex Robinson — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:33:47 -0500

So Outdoor Life is part of a cool contest operated by Crown Royal, sponsor of Field & Stream’s Hook Shots show and maker of the whiskey that comes in a purple bag. The contest is called “Pass the Crown,” and it’s a variation on the Secret Santa gift exchange anyone who’s ever worked in an office is familiar with. Are you lucky enough to have never worked in an office? Then here’s how this works:

Each day from now until Dec. 15 Crown Royal is giving away a prize to a different web site to pass along to its readers. Today is Outdoor Life’s turn, but here’s the catch. Crown’s not telling us which prize they’re giving us right away. Instead, we get a clue, embroidered on one of their famous purple bags,* and we have to guess what prize the clue refers to. Based on that guess, we then get to decide whether to keep the prize in our bag or steal one of the prizes that have already been opened by a different site. Here’s a list of the prizes that have already been opened.

This is where we need your help. Do we keep our prize, or steal one from somebody else? You’ve got until 4 PM this afternoon to weigh in. Check out our clue (below), then post your best argument for keeping the prize in our bag or for stealing a specific prize from another site in the comments section here or on our Facebook post about the contest over at facebook.com/outdoorlife. If you can convince us your argument is best, we’ll go with your suggestion. If you’re not convincing enough, we’ll make the decision ourselves.

We’ll post an update here tomorrow telling you what prize was in our bag, and whether we decided to keep it or not. Keep in mind that any of the five sites who come after us can steal our gift, so don’t get too attached to whatever we end up with!

And last, of course; how will we determine which of our readers wins the prize we end up with at the end of the contest? It’ll be a caption contest, photo and date TBD. Stay tuned!

*Crown is running this contest is to get the word out about the custom-embroidered Crown bags ($9.95), and the free personalized Crown Royal bottle labels (21 and over, only) available at CrownRoyal.com. If you’ve got a Crown-lover in your family, this would make a great gift.

OL 2011 Shotgun Test: The Results Are In!

Alex Robinson — Tue, 17 May 2011 10:27:51 -0400

We just published our list of the best new shotguns of 2011, which we picked after spending a week in Montana conducting tests on eight shotguns. Our gun tests are the biggest project we take on each year, and while they’re lots of work, they’re also a blast. This year’s tests were hosted by the Boone and Crockett Club ranch, and while the scenery was killer, the temperatures were freezing. Check out this quick overview clip of our shotgun testers in action.

For more great video and photos from Outdoor Life’s 2011 Guns and Optics Tests, click on the links below.
Photos: The Best New Rifles of 2011
Photos: The Best New Shotguns of 2011
Photos: The Best New Binoculars of 2011
Photos: The Best New Rifle Scopes of 2011
Photos: The Best New Spotting Scopes of 2011

Video: Outdoor Life’s 2011 Optics Test Overview

Sunstein on Hunting and Animal Rights

Brian Lynn — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:01:24 -0400

In the Gun Shots blog, John Haughey, and by proxy, Alan Clemons, does a great job outlining the danger Cass Sunstein, Obama's pick to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (for which he might be confirmed as early as today), poses to hunting and how/why hunting and firearm organizations oppose his nomination.

I thought I'd take it a step farther and provide you with the source material, straight from the horse's mouth, and some of the highlights from his University of Chicago White Paper (along with some of my own comments), entitled "The Rights of Animals: A Very Short Primer".

We can build on existing law to define a simple, minimal position in favor of animal rights: The law should prevent acts of cruelty to animals.

My 2 cents: This is what makes "smart" AR folks so dangerous. Unlike the "dumb" ones (PETA), the "smart" ones (think: HSUS) work the system and establish society's first step on a slippery slope. Pass one law or use ambiguous language in a bill upon which to build a future case for your position.

If the suffering of animals matters—and every reasonable person seems to think that it does—we should be greatly troubled by these limitations. The least controversial response would be to narrow the “enforcement gap,” by allowing private suits to be brought in cases of cruelty and neglect. Reforms might be adopted with the limited purpose of stopping conduct that is already against the law, so that the law actually means, in practice, what it says on paper. Here, then, we can find a slightly less minimal understanding of animal rights. On this view, representatives of animals should be able to bring private suits to ensure that anticruelty and related laws are actually enforced.

My 2 cents: So now you build the law upon the minimal position to "prevent cruelty to animals" and jump to allowing animals to bring personal lawsuits. 1. The ambiguousness of "cruelty" opens the door to all manner of regulation; what's pampering to one person is cruelty to another 2. In theory it's absurd, in practice it's been abused and has made a mockery of the Endangered Species List. "Representatives" can and do already bring suit on behalf of animals (see Andrew McKean's blog on wolf hunting and note the list of plaintiffs).

The very idea might seem absurd. But it is simpler and more conventional than it appears. Of course any animals would be represented by human beings, just like any other litigant who lacks ordinary (human) competence; for example, the interests of children are protected by prosecutors, and also by trustees and guardians in private litigation brought on children’s behalf.

My 2 cents: Might seem absurd? It is absurd. And dangerous. Power is being given to a radical group of people upon which judicial law will be written and common sense eroded. Comparing animals to children is also a favored tactic of AR people. I like Carl Cohen's rebuttal to this approach when he writes that the test for moral judgment "is not a test to be administered to humans one by one,"but should be applied to the capacity of members of the species in general."

We might ban hunting altogether, at least if its sole purpose is human recreation. (Should animals be hunted and killed simply because people enjoy hunting and killing them? The issue might be different if hunting and killing could be justified as having important functions, such as control of populations or protection of human beings against animal violence.)

My 2 cents:And there it is. Although posed as a hypothetical ("we might"), taken in context with his other statements and writings, it's obvious Sunstein is anti-hunting. To his second point, hunting isused to control game populations and protect human beings; take a look at the number of cougar attacks in California since lion hunting was banned for proof. Additionally, his use of the word "justified" is scary in that it suggests some type of judicial sanctioning and approval/proof of populations needing control and/or human protection; upon which hunters would run into judicial precedent written in favor of animal rights/protection. Of course, targeted game species would be represented in court by humans and the whole mess is tangled in the judicial system (per the wolf debate, et al), becoming costly, time consuming and ultimately unsustainable for hunters.

In his conclusion, Sunstein makes this statement:

There is no good reason to give public officials a monopoly on enforcement; that monopoly is a recipe for continued illegality.

My 2 cents: Sunstein is advocating that the government and our legal system is ill-equipped and unable to handle the enforcement of current laws and therefore private citizens should be able to file suit on behalf animals in order to keep them safe from harm. At this point I'm going to take the AR approach: put this in terms of humans. When George W. Bush brought about the Patriot Act after 9/11, one section of it caused an outcry and was removed (and rightly, so, in my opinion). That section charged and gave individuals certain powers of state and would promote spying upon neighbors/clients, promoted false allegations and a whole string of other complications. Now, Sunstein believes we should give similar powers to the public, and by proxy aggressive, radical groups, in the interest of animal rights? That's not just a recipe for the end of hunting, but a quagmire for society in general.

Gun Review: Benelli Super Sport

outdoorlife-editor — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:26:35 -0400

To paraphrase a famous comment about the weather, "Everybody talks about recoil, but nobody does anything about it." Sure, we've been trying to ease the pain of recoil ever since we started fiddling with gunpowder, but the staple cures-rubber butt pads for instance-have been like taking Band-Aids to a sword fight. Recently, however, recoil has been the focus of serious thought, and some of the results are quite amazing.

One innovation is a system developed by Benelli called ComfortTech, which is featured on a series of shotguns, including the top-of-the-line Super Sport autoloader, which I recently tested extensively. By "extensively," I mean firing something like a thousand rounds per day for three days in a row, at the end of which my arms were too tired to raise the gun for another shot but my unbruised shooting shoulder could have gone on forever.

Before explaining how this revolution in recoil reduction works, let's look at the Super Sport from the inside out. When gas-operated shotguns appeared a half century ago, the event was hailed as the end of recoil-operated autoloaders-particularly the old Browning-type "long recoil" guns in which the barrel recoiled into the receiver, creating the distinct "double shuffle" effect that seems to magnify felt recoil. Thus, gas-operated systems that operated more smoothly and were cheaper to manufacture than spring-recoil guns became the design de rigueur. Until, that is, the recent introduction of recoil-operated shotguns in which the barrel is fixed, with only the bolt unlocking and cycling the mechanism. This system makes the Super Sport cycle so fast that the sensation is almost like shooting a solid-breech gun rather than the familiar ker-chunk feel of an autoloader cycling. This new feel, combined with Benelli's innovative ComfortTech stock, makes it the softest-kicking 12-gauge gun I've ever shot.

Rather than simply inventing a softer recoil pad, Benelli engineers went back to square one to investigate where and how we feel recoil. For example, look at the typical flat-faced or slightly rounded recoil pad. It's pretty perhaps, but how exactly does it fit the "pocket" of your shoulder when you mount a gun? Benelli's solution is a distinctly lopsided pad with a ridge that fits into your shoulder crease and distributes recoil over a wider area rather than localizing it in a smaller, inevitably bruised spot. The ComfortTech stock also has a comb insert that is not only semi-soft but made of the slick stuff used in some hospital bedding to eliminate skin abrasions.

Things I like about the gun, in addition to its quick function, easy disassembly and Comfor- Tech stock (of course), are its tapered rib (.390 to .325 inch) and the extra long 3½-inch choke tubes that extend ¾ inch from the muzzle. You can also change the stock dimensions by means of shims that are easily fitted behind the receiver, and a shorter recoil pad is available for shortening pull to 14 inches. Reversed-contour recoil pads for southpaws are also available and necessary.

And what don't I like? The trigger pull, which in my sample varied from 5 pounds 2 ounces to 5 pounds 12 ounces. Benelli needs to work on that. Even so, I liked shooting the Super Sport so much that I bought it.

By the Numbers
Manufacturer: Benelli
Model: Super Sport
Type: Autoloading shotgun
gauge: 12-gauge
Mag. Capacity: 4
Weight: 7 lb. 2 oz.
Finish: Blue & Bright Metal
Stock: Synthetic
Barrel Length: 28Â½ in.
Overall Length: 50 in.
Length of Pull: 143/8 in.
Drop at Heel: 21/8 in.
Drop at Comb: 15/8 in.
Trigger Pull: 5 lb. 4 oz.
Retail: $1,670

Year of The Mod Shotgun

outdoorlife-editor — Wed, 31 May 2006 20:00:00 -0400

Last year wascalled "the year of the Turkish invasion" because we tested three gunsmade in Turkey, one of which, a frisky little side-by-side double, danced offwith our Editor's Choice award. This year the invasion continues, with theintroduction of a pair of Turkish-made over/unders that represent opposite endsof the price scale: one costing more than $5,000; the other, less than$500.

The big news,however, is in autoloaders, with two legendary American names going toe-to-toewith spectacular new guns. The looks and engineering of both of these shotgunsare so nontraditional that they may be regarded with disdain by thesquinty-eyed traditionalist. But we might as well get used to them becauseunder their ultra-modern exteriors is some impressive engineering that willrevolutionize the way shotguns are made and the way we shoot them.

BERETTA 3901 GAUGE: 12 GA. TRIGGER PULL: 4 LB. 13 OZ. ACTION: SEMI-AUTO

Beretta'sautoloading shotguns have one of the best-proven and most reliable gas-operatedsystems in the entire gun industry. This is one of the many reasons Beretta'sautoloaders are widely used for both hunting and the full range ofwing-shooting games.

The M3901 wetested is another addition to its line of competition shotguns, but with adifferent and worthwhile twist—it's an entry-level gun for young skeet orsporting-clays shooters that "grows" along with them. Of course thereis nothing new about guns with adjustable combs, cast and length of pull, butthe 3901 starts out with an honest small-fry stock—only 12¼-inch length ofpull—that can be lengthened a half inch at a time by inserting spacers. Thecomb can likewise be adjusted so that the young shooter has the benefits of aproperly fitting stock.

The shotgun'sgrip geometry, which has a rather horizontal profile, garnered praise from thetest team for its comfort.

FINAL SCORE: F G[VG] E

Retail: $898

Performance:***

Design: ***

Price/Value:***

800-237-3882;berettausa.com

TESTERS'COMMENTS

â¿ª Functionedreliably with all ammo tried

â¿ª A gun a youngshooter can grow into

â¿ª Trigger pullsmooth and light

â¿ª Bolt-releasebutton was a bit hard to push

KIMBER MARIASO/U GAUGE: 20 GA. TRIGGER PULL: 5 LB. 15.5 OZ. ACTION: OVER/UNDER

Like the elegantlittle side-by-side double bearing the Kimber name that won last year'sEditor's Choice award, this Turkish-made over/under features gorgeous wood,rich case coloring on the receiver and quick-detachable sidelocks that areprettier on the inside than on the outside.

The chrome-linedbores add value, and the team was impressed by the innovative screw-in choketubes that fit flush with the muzzle without the usual wrench notches.

The gun was sucha joy on the skeet field, and pointed so well in our hands, that two cases of20-gauge shells quickly disappeared. Since classic styling and high-grade woodare hallmarks of Kimber guns, they invite themselves to be judged on this basisand our sample lost points on the only so-so engraving and rather carelesscheckering, which should have been better for a gun with a price tag of morethan $5,000.

The lack of aselective trigger also disappointed our test shooters, as did occasionalmisfires with a variety of ammunition.

FINAL SCORE: F G[VG] E

Retail:$5,799

Performance:***

Design: ****

Price/Value:*

800-880-2418;kimberamerica.com

TESTERS'COMMENTS

â¿ª Lovely wood

â¿ª Trigger pullwas a bit too heavy for a light gun

â¿ª Felt recoilseems too hard

â¿ª Points well butlost points on price/value

MOSSBERG SILVERRESERVE O/U GAUGE: 12 GA. TRIGGER PULL: 6 LB. 5.5 OZ. ACTION: OVER/UNDER

The Turkishinvasion continues, with Mossberg now importing a modestly priced over/underthat, like most of the other Turkish-made shotguns we've tested, is solid andfunctional.

This is about allyou could ask for in an O/U with a street price in the $500 range, but theSilver Reserve we tested was also pretty nice looking, with some engravingenhanced by gold overlays and a hand-checkered walnut stock.

Best of allthough, it proved to be a real shooter, causing our shotgun team to suggestthat the gun would be a better bargain even at a somewhat higher price if ithad autoselect ejectors rather than a simple shell lifter. This feature wouldgo nicely with its existing barrel selector.

On the skeetfield the Mossberg performed well, with one tester noting that its muzzle-heavyprofile made it very easy to swing. About the only complaint anyone had wasregarding the sticky barrel selector, which required excessive effort tomove.

FINAL SCORE: F G[VG] E

Retail: $634

Performance:***

Design: **

Price/Value:***

203-230-5300;mossberg.com

TESTERS'COMMENTS

â¿ª Functionedbeautifully

â¿ª Screw-in chokesnice touch for price

â¿ª Wish it hadauto ejectors

â¿ª A greatover/under for the money

REMINGTONCTI-105 GAUGE: 12 GA. TRIGGER PULL: 5 LB. 6.5 OZ. ACTION: SEMI-AUTO

When Remingtonintroduces a wholly new autoloading shotgun the shooting world takes notice.Its M1100 was a milestone in autoloading development, as was the earlier M48series. You might wonder how the immensely popular M1100 could be improved on,but when you see, handle and shoot the CTi (the chemical symbols for carbon andtitanium, which play big roles in the gun's construction and lightness), yourealize that Remington has taken a bold step into a brave new world of firearmsengineering.

So what'sdifferent? In a word—everything: from the distinctive carbon-fiber shell overthe receiver and carbon-fiber vent rib to the bottom loading and ejection,recoil-reduction system, smooth "roller-bearing" sear release and racystyling. This is also the first shotgun made with a titanium receiver. There isno loading/ejection port on the receiver side. Instead, you push a shell intothe magazine via the bottom port, from where it is instantly cycled into thechamber. The system takes some getting used to, as the suddenness of theoperation makes it feel like you're putting your fingers in a mousetrap, but itworks.

FINAL SCORE: F G[VG] E

Retail:$1,332

Performance:***

Design: ***

Price/Value:***

800-243-9700;remington.com

TESTERS'COMMENTS

â¿ª Recoil is verymild

â¿ª Would beexcellent for hunting and sporting clays

â¿ª Bottom ejectionworks great

â¿ª Pointsquick

â¿ª Liked the looksa lot

OUTDOOR LIFEEditor's Choice 2006

WINCHESTER SUPERX3 GAUGE: 12 GA. TRIGGER PULL: 6 LB. 8 OZ. ACTION: SEMI-AUTO

A few months backI wrote a column about Winchester's mostly failed efforts to make and market atruly successful autoloading shotgun. For the most part, my commentary wasgloomy but I ended the piece more or less upbeat: "My guess is thatWinchester's quest for a great shotgun for the 21st century is justbeginning."

The Europeanmakers of Winchesters surely hooted and poked each other in the ribs when theyread this because they were only weeks away from unveiling an all-newautoloader—the Super X3—destined to become OUTDOOR LIFE'S Editor's Choiceshotgun for 2006! Wow, talk about a turnaround in the fortunes of Winchestershotguns, and with the pall cast by the recent closing of Winchester's NewHaven plant, it couldn't have come at a better time.

The SX3 is verymuch the latest European style. The traditional checkering has been replacedwith laser-cut grooves that form geometric swirls. And the bright red letteringon the grayed receiver might be off-putting for traditionalists (like me) whopine for the Winchester of bygone days.

But when you snapit to your shoulder you feel a gun that wants to shoot. And this one reallydoes.

FINAL SCORE: F G[VG] E

Retail: $979

Performance:****

Design: ***

Price/Value:***

800-333-3288;winchesterguns.com

TESTERS'COMMENTS

â¿ª Pointed andshot well

â¿ª I liked thisgun

â¿ª Felt great toshoulder and shoot

â¿ª Nice recoilpad

â¿ª The best testedthis year

OUTDOOR LIFEGREAT BUY 2006

REMINGTON SPR453 GAUGE: 12 GA. TRIGGER PULL: 5 LB. 4 OZ. ACTION: SEMI-AUTO

Beauty is asbeauty does, it's been said, and in the hands of our shotgun test team thisno-frills autoloader from Russia took wing and became this year's Great Buyaward winner. Last year we tested one of the first of Remington's"Spartan" imports, a plain but solid over/under that earned good marks.Remington now imports these guns under the classier-sounding ISP (InternationalSporting Products) global group.

To win thishonor, a gun must not only represent a fair dollar value but also deliverperformance beyond what one would expect from a product in its price category.Or, as one of our test shooters astutely observed, "When it comes to value,performance trumps appearance every time." Not just a warmed-over design,the SPR 453 has an up-to-date tunable gas system to operate 2¾-inch to 3½-inch12-gauge shotshells. Our sample came adjusted for heavy loads, which causedsome ejection failures with the light target loads we used on the skeet field.This could have been corrected by simply resetting the gas system, but the gunswung so smoothly, we didn't want to stop shooting.

FINAL SCORE: F G[VG] E

Retail: $405

Performance:***

Design: **

Price/Value:****

800-243-9700;remington.com

TESTERS'COMMENTS

â¿ª Shot andpointed very well

â¿ª An affordablegood start for a new hunter

â¿ª I shot this gunthe best of all

â¿ª Plain to lookat but lovely in the hands

THE RATINGS Excellent: **** Very Good: *** Good: ** Fair: *

Test Results At A Glance

outdoorlife-editor — Wed, 31 May 2006 20:00:00 -0400

The annualOUTDOOR LIFE firearms review boils down to this chart, which shows how therifles and shotguns ranked against one another and scored in the variouscategories. This year's test team included (from left) Executive Editor JohnSnow, Editor-in-Chief Todd Smith, firearms expert Stan Weidner, team adjutantPaul Low, competitive shotgunner Mike Murray, Shooting Editor Jim Carmichel andworldwide big-game hunter and wing-shooter Sam Arnett.

[This articlecontains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]

RIFLES	Price	Overall Rating	Performance	Design	Price/Value	Caliber	Trigger Pull	Accuracy*	Ammunition
EDITOR'S CHOICE MARLIN 336XLR 203-239-5621; marlinfirearms.com	$874	F G [VG] E	****	***	***	.30-30 Win.	5 lb. 11 oz.	1.245/1.000	Hrn. 160 gr. Evolution
GREAT BY SAVAGE 93R17 866-233-4776; savagearms.com	$399	F G [VG] E	****	***	****	.17 HMR	2 lb. 11 oz.	1.354/1.000	Hrn. 17 gr. V-Max
KIMBER 8400 CLASSIC 800-880-2418; kimberamerica.com	$1,087	F G [VG] E	***	****	***	.270 Win	2 lb. 4 oz.	2.541/1.225	Win. 130 gr. BST
BROWNING T-BOLT 800-333-3288; browning.com	$611	F G [VG] E	***	***	***	.22 LR	3 lb. 11 oz.	.761/.350**	Rem. Eley Match EPS
CZ 550 HUNTER 800-955-4486; czusa.com	$1,100	F G [VG] E	***	***	***	.300 Win.	2 lb. 6 oz.	2.134/1.512***	Win. 180 gr. BST
SAVAGE M12 LRP VARMINTER 866-233-4776; savagearms.com	$967	F G [VG] E	***	***	***	.223 Rem.	1 lb. 15 oz.	1.142/.826	Win. 50 gr. BST, Win. 64 gr. Power-Point SP
CZ ZKM 453 800-955-4486; czusa.com	$365	F G [VG] E	***	***	****	.22 LR	3 lb. 4 oz.	.558/.472**	Rem. Eley Match EPS
SAKO 85 800-237-3882; berettausa.com	$1,595	F G [VG] E	***	***	***	.338 Federal	3 lb. 9 oz.	3.319/2.044	Fed. 185 gr. Barnes TSX
WEATHERBY MK V PISTOL 800-227-2016; weatherby.com	$1,499	F G [VG] E	***	***	**	.22-250	3 lb. 14 oz.	1.907/1.106	Fed. 55 gr. Sierra Blitzking
MAGNUM RESEARCH 800-772-6168; magnumresearch.com	$729	F G [VG] E	***	***	***	.17 Mach 2	4 lb. 4 oz.	2.092/1.291	CCI 17 gr. V-Max
REMINGTON 750 SEMI-AUTO 800-243-9700; remington.com	$732	F G [VG] E	***	***	***	.30/06 Spring.	4 lb. 3 oz.	2.719/1.750	Fed. 165 gr. Nosler Part., Rem. 150 gr. AccuTipBT
WINCHESTER SXR 800-333-3288; winchesterguns.com	$839	F G [VG] E	***	***	***	.300 Win. Mag.	5 lb. 3 oz.	2.893/1.786	Win. 180 gr. BST

[This articlecontains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine or PDF.]

SHOTGUNS	Price	Overall Rating	Performance	Design	Price/Value	Gauge	Trigger Pull	Action
EDITOR'S CHOICE WINCHESTER SX3 800-333-3288; winchesterguns.com	$979	F G [VG] E	****	***	***	12 ga.	6 lb. 8 oz.	Semi-auto
BERETTA 3901 800-237-3882; berettausa.com	$898	F G [VG] E	***	***	***	12 ga.	4 lb. 13 oz.	Semi-auto
REMINGTON CTI 105 800-243-9700; remington.com	$1,332	F G [VG] E	***	***	***	12 ga.	5 lb. 6.5 oz.	Semi-auto
GREAT BUY REMINGTON SPR 453 800-243-9700; remington.com	$405	F G [VG] E	***	**	****	12 ga.	5 lb. 4 oz.	Semi-auto
KIMBER MARIAS 800-880-2418; kimberamerica.com	$5,799	F G [VG] E	***	****	*	20 ga.	5 lb. 15.5 oz.	Over/under
MOSSBERG SILVER RESERVE 203-230-5300; mossberg.com	$634	F G [VG] E	***	**	***	12 ga.	6 lb. 5.5 oz.	Over/under

THE RATINGS Excellent: **** Very Good: *** Good: ** Fair: *

*Average/Smallest**Shot at 50 yards ***Small group fired with handloads

Slugster Sights Hitting where you're aiming is easier now

outdoorlife-editor — Sun, 31 Aug 2003 20:00:00 -0400

I was very young. Ford's Mustang was still just a sketch on a designer's desk. In a cornfield up the road from my friend Harvey's farm, Harvey and another hunting buddy, Bill, jumped a buck. Bill had a Browning autoloader, Harvey an 11-48 Remington. The Auto 5 was empty and Harvey was down to one slug when the buck went down at "147 paces."

Unlike Harvey, who aimed with a bead that covered most of the buck and launched the equivalent of a shuttlecock down a slick bore, nowadays we put scopes on shotguns and fire flat-shooting bullets in sabot sleeves through rifled barrels.

Over the last 20 years, slug fodder has come and gone and you've had to buy a lot of ammo in order to keep a box of the latest and greatest in your hunting coat. Sights have kept pace, from the bird bead to barrel-top open sights to receiver-mounted apertures and scopes. Add red-dot sights, scopes with illuminated reticles and glow-worm iron sights to the mix.

Most of them are better than Harvey's bead. But some are a lot better than others. It depends on where you hunt, the time of day you're likely to get a shot, the accuracy range of your gun and the slug you use in it. Here are a few of my picks.

Wide Open

A leaf rear sight with a bead on a ramp is the simplest and cheapest arrangement. In fact, most slug barrels come equipped with "irons." The open sight is not as fast as it looks, however, because your eyes have to focus on three points at once: the back sight, the front sight and the target.

Given a choice of open sights, I'll pick one with a shallow V notch in the rear, because U and deeper V notches allow too much of the leaf to cover the target. A rounded bead up front reflects light to the bright side, drawing your eye away from the bead's center.

Just a Peep

My first slug gun, an 870 Remington, wore a Williams receiver sight with a big aperture. It worked better than an open sight for two reasons. The sight radius, or distance between the front and rear sights, was longer, resulting in greater precision. And since I looked through the rear sight instead of at it, I had to focus only on the bead. Don't worry about centering your vision in the aperture, because your eye automatically seeks the brightest place to bring the bead: the middle.

Though many aperture sights have gone the way of spoked wheels, Williams still sells its sturdy, adjustable 5D and other models. Another option from XS Sight Systems is the "ghost ring," with a huge hole and thin rim. It's a commercial rendition of an aperture sight with the disk removed, a trick favored by hunters who want more speed at the cost of precision. The best front bead for apertures is the same as for notched sights.

Scopes Are In

Shotgunners used to scoff at the notion of mounting a scope on a slug gun. The slug's effective range was short, and snap-shooting was routine. The reason many deer hunters now choose scopes is because modern slug guns are more accurate and capable of taking game at ranges once considered improbable. Scopes are more accurate than irons at all ranges and, believe it or not, faster even up close. With a scope, the target and reticle appear in one plane, both tack-sharp. Paste the reticle where you want to hit, and shoot. For long pokes, the scope allows you to see targets in detail and shoot a shade high with precision. Modern shotgun scopes weigh just half a pound or so and deliver bright images. Forget about fogging and mechanical failure. Reticle choices, including illuminated versions, abound. All told, a scope is probably your best slug gun sight.

Don't over-scope yourself. Keep in mind that a deer is easy to see with your naked eye at 50 yards. At 125 yards, farther than most whitetails are shot with slugs, a 2.5X scope gives you the same image. Low power delivers a wider, brighter field than high power. I think a 2.5X scope is ideal for a slug gun, preferable even to a variable. You don't need more power, and with less, the image of the barrel intrudes into your sight picture. A 2.5X scope can be made lightweight and sturdy. It also costs less than a variable. Sadly, variables are so popular that many 2.5X models and Leupold's fine 3X have been dropped. If you must have a variable, pick one with a high end of 4X or 5X and a straight front tube. Objective bells add unnecessary bulk and may mandate higher mounts. Check the eye relief before you buy. A scope should provide at least 3 1/2 inches of eye clearance for quick aim and to protect you from the recoil of slug loads in lightweight guns.

Five of my favorite shotgun scopes, which weigh 10 ounces or less each, include the Burris Fullfield II 2.5x20; Leupold Compact 2.5x20; Nikon Monarch 1.5-4.5x20; Sightron Shotgun 2.5x20 and Weaver K2.5x20.

Seeing Red

In 1975 Gunnar Sandberg, a Swedish inventor, came up with an optical sight that featured a floating red dot. With this "single-point sight" you saw a red dot with one eye and the target with the other. Sandberg's Aimpoint facility was soon spitting out improvements: windage and elevation adjustments, a rheostat to change dot brightness, coated lenses and magnification. Red-dot sights became an industry unto themselves when Japanese versions appeared. As with scopes, however, all red-dots are not equal in quality. Low-end models have a single lens up front to reflect the dot produced by a diode in the bottom rear of the tube. But the reflective paths spread fanlike as the eye shifts position behind the sight.

Aimpoint's current flagship, the 7000, has a compound lens that brings the dot to your eye in a line parallel with the optical center of the instrument, so there's no parallax problem at any range. Wherever your eye is behind an Aimpoint or a sight of equivalent quality, you'll hit where the dot appears to be. Except in models with magnification, the best red-dot sights impose no limits on eye relief. Your eye can be 2 inches back, or 10. Field of view with red-dot sights, incidentally, is smaller than that of same-power scopes. But this is no handicap; at 1X or 2X you have ample field.

A red-dot sight can be used with both eyes open, in part because the field border is just a narrow shadow caused by the sight's body. Even at 1X, the dot gives you plenty of precision for 150-yard shots, presuming you also have a gun that can handle that range.

The most popular alternative to a red-dot sight is Bushnell's HoloSight, a compact unit whose holographic projection of the target/reticle image differs mechanically from the optical transmission in a red-dot sight. Interchangeable reticles make it versatile and it weighs just 6.4 ounces. Besides the Aimpoint 7000 and Bushnell HoloSight, the Nikon VSD, with a knob to change dot size, rounds out my top three picks.

Lightening Things Up

In woodland shadows or at dawn or dusk, sights that glow are easier to see against the target. Open sights with fiber-optic tubes or fluorescent paint speed your aim but give no boost in precision. In fact, a target that's poorly defined can be even harder to discern behind bright sights.

When using a red-dot sight in low-light conditions, keep the rheostat turned as low as practical. In dark conditions, use a bottom setting. In sunlight, you'll need more wattage to see the dot. The brighter the dot, the less accurate the shot.

Battery life varies among red-dot sights and the batteries used to power them. The Aimpoint 7000 boasts a diode that offers 20 times the battery life of many LEDs; the 3V lithium camera battery delivers a visible dot for 20,000 hours on the low setting. Other sights drain a battery in 40 hours. Timed switches that turn off after a few hours of non-use make sense.