# Best O/U for the $$$



## Remmi_&amp;_I

I am thinking about adding an O/U to my collection. Not sure what gauge yet, but I'm sure it'll be a 12 ga. Do any of you have suggestions of what gun is the best for the money. I want something that swings nice and doesn't cost near as much as a Citori or Red Label. There must be some "off" brands that have nice hunting guns. Anyone heard of HUGLU????

Thanks !


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## Brett Beinke

For off brands I would stick to Baikal. They have a very good gun for not a lot of money plus screw in chokes and barrel select. You can even get Wad Wizzards for them! Many good reviews include NRA' s American Hunter Magazine.


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## Militant_Tiger

Get a stoeger condor. Absolutely the best over under for the price i've ever seen. Will shoot every bit as good as any $5000 dollar trap gun.


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## BigDaddy

I'm also thinking about buying an O/U. I have heard good and bad things about the Baikals- some people love them, some call them junk.

At our last Delta Waterfowl banquet, we had a couple of Armsco O/Us as prizes, and I was impressed by how they felt. Here is a link to their homepage: http://www.hugluarmsco.com/enter.shtml. They are made in Turkey and imported by Huglu.

Does anybody know anything about these Armsco shotguns?


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## Bob Kellam

BigDaddy
I just cleaned my Baikal o/u it has been a flawless performer for me for a number of years. I went traditional with double triggers, 28" barrels with full top improved bottom, vent rib, balance is good weight is about 7 1/2 lbs. good gun!

Any of you guys ever notice how good gun oil smells this time of year!

Have a good one!


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## tb

I can't understand why you would want a cheap over/under. I don't get it. I have a red label that's a nice gun. I think I'd check out the new Browning Cynergy.


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## Bobm

> BigDaddy
> I just cleaned my Baikal o/u it has been a flawless performer for me for a number of years. I went traditional with double triggers, 28" barrels with full top improved bottom, vent rib, balance is good weight is about 7 1/2 lbs. good gun!
> 
> Any of you guys ever notice how good gun oil smells this time of year!
> 
> Have a good one!


Thats a good recommendation, and the double trigger thing is really a good idea. Its simple to get the hang of and gives you the option of two chokes instantly. I would buy one that is bored improved cylinder and modified then have the first barrel reamed out at Briley to true cylinder so you have the cylinder/modified combination. Cylinder out to 25 yards is deadly on Pheasants and most are shot at that range or under. Thats what I did with my side by side and I love it. A button type barrel selector is hard to use especially with gloves in cold weather.


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## 1littlefeather

Remember, you get what you pay for. We shoot sporting clays every week. We have seen a lot of the cheaper off brands wear out quickly. Even some of the more common mid grade guns wear out pretty quick as well. We were shooting 5 stand and I watched a guy that had bought an off brand at Wal-Mart start pulling the shells out because the ejectors stopped working. I have a Citori O/U with a 20 gauge and 12 gauge set of barrels. The gun is still very tight. I bbelieve everyone in the group I shoot with now shoots Browning, they have found that the other guns just haven't held up to a lot of shooting. Look on some of the gun auction sites and you can find a used guns at reasonable prices. One of the guys had the Beretta, sold it pretty quick because it bruised his cheek and kicked like a mule. Have a great day.


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## Remmi_&amp;_I

Littlefeather, What gun auction sites are there other than auctionarms.com? That is the only one I am familiar with. Are there any better or comperable sites to that one?

Also, I am looking at a lower priced O/U because I just basically want to see what I think about them. I have never shot one and I don't think going to the skeet/trap range and shooting one for a day will give me the same feel as walking with the gun for 4-5 weekends and comparing it to my autoloader. That way if I really prefer the auto-loader I have not wasted too much money and have an extra gun around for friends/family that occassionally come to town!

Thanks for all the great advice boys !!!


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## MossyMO

www.gunbroker.com


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## 1littlefeather

I used to shoot an automatic, I use to waste the first two shots and follow up with an amazing third shot. I guess knowing that I had an extra shot made me rush my first one. I have noticed that knowing I have only two shots has slowed me down and I usually only need the first shot to get the kill. One of the really nice things is that the barrels are choked different, this is extremely good whenever hunting in the field, if the bird gets up further away you have a tighter tube to reach out, or if a covey of quail gets up under your feet you have a more open patern and a tighter one to follow up on the second bird or if you miss you can reach a little further. I have improved my shooting % to about 85-88% kill, that is usually what I shoot on a 100 round course and in the field. If it were me I would invest in a Citori hunting grade or see if the local sporting clay range would rent one to me. If you buy a cheap gun you won't get your money back but if you buy a better one(BROWNING) you can get the majority if not more back. Before buying look at the Blue Book of Gun Values, that's what most people go by whenever pricing guns.

Anyways an over/under makes you look the part whether can hit or not, anyone can pull the plug and go.


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## Bob Kellam

You may get what you pay for but i have hunted side by side with guys that have brownies and weatherbys and guess what I kill just as many as they do. Time will tell but any firearm properly cared for will perform for a long time. Like I said it has not failed me and I use it hard!

Have a good one!


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## 1littlefeather

You can hunt side by side with any gun. I just think that over the long haul you have better operation and resale for a higher end gun. Try and buy a Wal-Mart brand and then sale it, you are out of luck, you'll never get back what you have invested. I guess I look at a gun as an investment not a purchase. Go buy some stock in Enron, I'm sure they have stock but is it good stock, and can you get out what you put into it?? It's all in how you look at it. Do you buy a home that you know will depreciate and lose its value?? Doubt it, why do it with any investment?? It's your money though so you can throw it away, as for me I'll invest in quality.


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## Militant_Tiger

tb said:


> I can't understand why you would want a cheap over/under. I don't get it. I have a red label that's a nice gun. I think I'd check out the new Browning Cynergy.


Because a 100 dollar single shot will outshoot a 30,000 dollar kreighoff every day of the week in the right hands. When it comes to shotguns, its the shooter, not the gun.


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## 1littlefeather

Well you're right!!! :roll: I guess you could drive a YUGO instead of a Cadillac and probably drive as far. Which one would you prefer???????? I guess you can walk the woods with your 100 single shot and carry my birds after your gun malfunctions, also carry the camera for me. :wink:


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## mr.trooper

Nice. Verry humble and understanding of you littlefeather. :roll:

OOPS. Thread resurection. SORRY :lol:


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## Bobm

The problem with cheap double barelled guns is that the barels often are not regulated accurately so they don't both shoot to the same point of aim, you might get a good one and you might not. The same thing can happen to an expensive one but their quality control is usaully better because they can afford the labor to do it right.

The best money spent on a shotgun is to have a pro fitter like Chris batha fit you and have the gun altered to match the fitters recommendations. That costs four to five hundred bucks but the gun will shoot like its a part of you from that point on.

I try to buy good quality used field grade guns in the off season as cheaply as possible and spend the money I save on having the gun fitted.


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## Bobm

The problem with cheap double barelled guns is that the barels often are not regulated accurately so they don't both shoot to the same point of aim, you might get a good one and you might not. The same thing can happen to an expensive one but their quality control is usaully better because they can afford the labor to do it right.

The best money spent on a shotgun is to have a pro fitter like Chris batha
http://www.chrisbatha.com/aboutchris.html
fit you and have the gun altered to match the fitters recommendations. That costs four to five hundred bucks but the gun will shoot like its a part of you from that point on.

I try to buy good quality used field grade guns in the off season as cheaply as possible and spend the money I save on having the gun fitted.


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## Militant_Tiger

1littlefeather said:


> Well you're right!!! :roll: I guess you could drive a YUGO instead of a Cadillac and probably drive as far. Which one would you prefer???????? I guess you can walk the woods with your 100 single shot and carry my birds after your gun malfunctions, also carry the camera for me. :wink:


Sounds to me like someone has never shot a H&R single shot :wink:


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## win4win

Remington is importing and marketing O/Us built by Baikal under the name Spartan Gun Works. Comes in 12 ga, 16 ga, 20 ga, 28 ga or .410. Single or double trigger. All but the 28 & 410 come with screw in chokes. 1 year warranty. MSRP is $419 to $520 depending on model.

www.spartangunworks.com

Might be an option for a field grade gun that I wouldnt be afraid to get scratched or dinged up.


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## hunt4P&amp;Y

I would say a Franchi O/U As the post below yours says I was looking for one at the beging of the year. And I found a awsome gun It is the Franchi Alcione Titanium. It is only 6.9 lbs i belive and looks very nice and is cheaper than a comparable browing. 
Also it has a double trigger so you don't have to worry about duds. The day I bought it I went 3 For Three on A double and a single. 
That maid me love it instantly. :lol: :sniper:


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## Militant_Tiger

hunt4P&Y said:


> That *maid* me love it instantly. :lol: :sniper:


Well I'm sure she loves you too :lol:


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## mr.trooper

Also, wouldnt a double barrel have twice as many parts, and thus twice as many parts to malunction? also, the simpler gun is easyer to make, and so could be made higher quality for lower price from an engeneering perspective.


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## Burly1

See if you can find a Khan shotgun to look at. They are another Turkish import, built very well. Certainly not the fit and finish of the Japanese or Italian OU's, but they are about a quarter of the price. I don't know if I would depend on one as I would a high-dollar trap or sporting clays gun, but it seems like a good entry-level gun for the money. I have friends with 12 gauge guns who like them a lot. I have ordered a 28 for myself and am looking forward to shooting in the general vicinity of doves with it next fall. :lol: Don't let others decide for you, what you should shoot, but sort through all the advice you can, shoot what's available and buy what makes you happy! Burl


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## farmerj

Thread resurrection ... again....

Bought the Khan Arthemis Supreme in 12 Ga.

For $230, I don't think I did wrong. ut of all the budget O/U, I went with the Khan. With the biggest deciding factor being the availability of aftermarket choke tubes. No other brand offers that. They interchange with the Beretta Mobil chokes.

Huglu (Dehaan), Spartan (baikal), Verona, none have anything available.


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## mburgess

I suppose if I shot trap competitively I'd look at a higher end gun, but shooting a gun is just like golfing and golf clubs. The person handling the equipment is really where the differnce is made, not the equipment that you PLAY with. Wally-World golf clubs will do the job just as well as a set of Callaways. I truly believe we live in a society hung-up on brand names versus quality. Don't get me wrong some high end guns are pretty damn nice, but if it shoots straight and patterns nice that is ALL that matters! I've got a Walmart Fausti Field Hunter that has taken down an awful lot of upland game in the last two years and I absolutely love it. I'm really interested in those Kahn o/u's out there. Does anyone know if Gander Mountain is carrying them? A nice light 28 gauge would fit nice in my collection.


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## mburgess

I forgot one thing, SAFETY matters most of all!!!!


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## farmerj

mburgess,

check this out...
http://nodakoutdoors.com/forums/viewtop ... 398#101398


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## Springer

> Bought the Khan Arthemis Supreme in 12 Ga.
> 
> For $230,


Where did you pick this up at? I am going to buy my boy a gun and I found a o/u at Home of Economy but it was $400. I am looking for a 20ga. Was planning on buying an 870 but would consider an o/u.


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## farmerj

I have my Curios and Relics FFL. As a result, I get a lot of the dealer catalogs and can order straight from certain distributors certain shotguns. With this one though, I still need to purchase through a dealer, I just have to pay the transfer fee which is normally $25.

Gander Mountain in Fargo is the only shop I am aware of that is actually carrying the Khan shotgun in the area.


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## neonmoon

I would never own a O/U as they lack the elegance of the side bys. Take a look at the new Stevens 412. Very handsome shotgun with great performance reviews.


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## Grey Scot

If your buying a low end O/U or side by side (sub $1000) then Verona is the only way to go. Made by FAIR Rizzini in Italy it has good Wood, decent fit and finish producing a gun that is very comparable to the entry level Citori's or Beretta's. The Cabela's version, the LX504, has an nice case hardened finish w/ gold inlays. Verona's have very a devout following on Shotgunworld.com. Otherwise buy a used SKB or Ruger. Turkish made guns such as the Khan and others have some quality control issues but can be good, functional shooters. If your looking for a gun to shoots 1000's of rounds thru, make an investment into something mid range or buy an auto, JMO.

As for SXS's, The Steven's 411 was also made by Baikial (never seen a 412). Heavy as he!!. The Baikial's aren't bad shooters, but they are not elegant by any means. Functional but not much to look at. Stoeger, same thing. If I was picking up a sxs for less than $1000, I would buy a used Savage Fox, Fox-Sterlingworth, LC Smith, Ithica/SKB or something of the like before I bought any of the new low end models. Much better quality.

That being said there are some nice odd bargain O/U imports now and then if you look for them. 5 years ago I bought a Turkish imported gun made by Zabala that had been very nicely engraved, had very nice looking wood and finish. I shot it for 2 seasons and traded it in on an autoloader and made money on the deal. Saw it at back at Gander wher I bought it, a year later on the used rack for $100 more than I sold it for and around 2 times more than they had sold it to me.

BTW if a gun is hitting you in the cheek, it doesn't fit properly. It can be done by good gunsmith.


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## Bobm

Lamber are considered one of the finest field grade OUs you might want to look at them they are relatively inexpensive


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