Good Budget Shotgun: TriStar Viper G2 SR Sport

Turkish made shotguns are some of the best values out there. Weatherby’s excellent smoothbores are produced in Turkey as are some shotguns for CZ-USA. The gunmaker Akkar isn’t very well known in the U.S., but it is a Turkish company that makes outstanding shotguns for the money. TriStar is another company that falls into this category.

I’ve shot a few TriStar shotguns over the last couple years and have really taken a shine to them. The shotguns aren’t very fancy and lack some of the bells and whistles that you’ll see on the Berettas and Brownings out there, but for the money they are hard to beat.

TriStar has just announced a new model for sporting clays, the Viper G2 SR Sport. It is a gas-operated, 3-inch 12-gauge with a 30-inch barrel. The gun has been gussied up with some red anodizing and comes with a set of extended choke tubes. The price is a very reasonable $609. At 7.2 pounds, they should handle fairly well, whether on the sporting clays course or while chasing birds.

For a shooter on a budget, it’s worth a look.

From the company’s press release:
The Viper G2 SR Sport has a synthetic stock and forearm coated with “Soft Touch.” This application gives a soft rubber feel, providing the shooter with a more comfortable shooting experience. The SR Sport also comes with a target rib and four Extended Beretta® Mobile Chokes.

Viper G2 SR Sport Features:
• Manual E-Z load magazine cut-off
• Vent target rib with matted sight plane
• Fiber optic site
• 5 round magazine (shot plug included)
• Chrome-lined chamber and barrel
• Swivel studs
• Four extended Beretta® Mobile style choke tubes (SK, IC, M, F)

The Viper G2 SR Sport is chambered for 3-inch 12-gauge shells and will shoot 2¾-inch and 3-inch interchangeably, allowing for both light target loads and heavy upland field loads.