I finally found one!!

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thunder173

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Upper Peninsula, Michigan
Just scored a NIB Baikal .22LR/410 Shotgun Over and Under. Have been looking for one for quite some time,..and it presented itself as a "target of opportunity" this last weekend at a LGS. Had been looking for one for quite some time, but didn't want to order one site unseen. After looking it over, it followed me home for $ 325.

Who's had any experiences with this gun? Good? Bad?? I'd be interested in hearing from folks.......I can see some great potential here,...albeit a few warts as well. Not the best finished gun I've ever seen, and the action is stiffer than the dickens,.....and it has extractor's versus ejectors,..but for what I want it for,...a light walk about "bunny gun",.... that's okay.

I shot the dickens out of a friends Savage about a half century ago,...and always wanted one, but just never did. I am hoping this one finds a special place in the rack, and I am looking forward to getting it to the range to see how it works out.
 
NOt familiar with the Baikal, but many years ago had one of the Savage model 24's. Actually it was a .22 mag over a 20 ga. mag. For what it was, a utilitilitarian piece, it was a pretty good gun. The .22 mag was too much for what I wanted which was an all-round small game hunting gun but none the less was accurate in both barrels, also had extractors which for that type of gun is most desirable. Depending on what you are going to use it for, I'd say you will enjoy it. If you have a large farm or ranch, it would do quite well riding in the back glass of a 4X4 pickup truck. The .410 might be a little light for rabbit but it will get the job done. A .22 lr over a 20 ga would be optimum, that's just my opinion. Enjoy your new toy. I enjoyed my Savage 24FG.
 
Range report on the new toy.

The Baikal .22LR/410 Over and Under

Throws 2 1/2 inch 410 slugs to minute of pie plate out to 50 yards,..not bad considering the unusual sight arrangment.

Patterned the 410 bore with 3 inch#6 shot at 10/20/30/40 yards,....using just cylinder choke. (It comes with interchangeable tubes, Cyl, ImCyl, Mod, Full)

At 10 yards it would destroy a bunny or a squirrel.

At 20,..decent pattern even with cyl bore,...rabbit would be DRT, squirrel or bird would drop for cooking.

At 30, Still decent,...no room for a bunny or squrrel to slip thru

At 40 yards,...I'd still be eating partridge.

All in all,..better than I had expected using the cyl bore. But I do want the option of using a slug when need be. Why?? Who knows.

The .22 barrel,...at 25 and 50 yards.

Tried CCI stingers: I didn't care for the grouping, but it may have been me. Best was a 3 inch group at 50 yards with just the open sights. But these were the first six rounds out a new barrel and I am 59 with eyes that aren't getting any better.

Next up were CCI Mini Mag 40 Gr HP:
2- 3 shot groups at 25,..then 2 groups at 50 yards. At 25 all three rounds were TOUCHING,...this is good,...VERY good I am thinking...at 50 yards both groups were under 1 1/2. Think I like where this is going.....

Went next with 2- 3 shot groups at both 25 and 50, ...with Remington Thunderbolts High Speeds,...and the same with some old and cheap Win Standard Velocity stuff. By now I have warmed up to the gun, and the groups were all under an inch at 25, and about 1 3/4 at 50,...even with the cheap stuff.

All in all, the CCI MiniMag's take the vote,..but accuracy was acceptable with everything I shot. Acceptable being defined as minute of yard rat at 50 yard,..all with open sights.

Now here's where it get's real interesting: I tried some Remington .22 Short's at 25 yards just for giggles. Got a great group at 25,...so I said what the heck,...shot another group at 50,....a nice tight 1 " group"!!! And it was VERY quiet!!

And last but not least,....I had some CCI CB shorts in the gun box. I know,...I know,...but I loaded one and popped it anyways,...through a 24 inch barrel,...figuring it would probably not even clear the muzzle. !!Gotta tell ya,...My grandsons air rifle makes more noise!!! I check the bore and it was clear,....so I fired a 3 shot group at the 25 yard target, checking the bore each shot. Results were as good as the shorts,..and under an inch,....

Now I am really getting squirrely,....so for the h*** of it,... I load another,..and pull up on the 50 yard target. Pffft,....tap. Checked the bore,..and ran another,...and a third,...went down to the 50,..and all three were under an inch,..and almost a nonexistant report!!! The hammer drop was louder than the report from the muzzle!!

All in all,...a great day at the range with this one,...and a couple of other items. The Baikal is not pretty,...in fact,...it just looks a bit clunky and junky to me at least,....but the accuracy was better than I expected from it,..and the versatility,...well,...it just found a home,...and a purpose. It'll spend many a mile I am thinking as the one that stays in the case in the truck,...and get's carried a lot in the woods of northeastern Michigan.

YMMV,...but if ya try it,...you're probably gonna buy it.
 
If you were just looking for a 410/22 over under they were selling on the day after thanksgiving for 99 bucks. I dont remember if it was cabellas or where, but it was one of the big stores. I am sure it wasnt as quality as the one you got though, generally 99 dollar guns arent top notch.
 
I have a Savage model 24SE in 22lr/.410

They are great handy guns.

It is without a doubt my most accurate 22.
 
Thunder,
Not being familiar with your gun, I don't know if it is groved for a telescopic sight; just be advised that with the scope mounted it may not take the recoil from the shotgun. The scope most likely needs to be one designed for a high power rifle. Now don't ask me how I know that, hehehe hahahah; but I once knew a fellow that put a .22 scope on his Savage 24FG and fired the 20ga. mag. The scope was not much more than a spotter or a baby rattle after that. :what::eek::uhoh: Fortunate the eye relief was great enough that it did not come back and hit the fellow in the eye brow.
 
I had already thought of that Pistol Toter,......I always use center fire scopes on my .22's if I scope them at all. This one I probably won't,...just because of that issue. I intend to keep this one pretty much as is,...except maybe do some work on the stock and forearm to skinny it up some. Lot's of excess wood there. It's grooved for a scope like most .22's,...and it does come with a rail for mounting Weaver style rings. But like I said,..this one will be kept with just the irons on purpose.

All in all,...a good shooter as it is. Looking forward to seeing a lot of woods time with this one.

In response to ljnowell: If you see one of these for $99.00 anyplace,...you oughta buy a truckload of them to give away to new shooter's,....I would.

I see the Rossi's now and then that are matched barrel sets, and pretty low priced,...and for what they are,..thats decent,...and they are a solid gun at that,....but I wanted one with over and under that I didn't have to dink around changing barrels. I have an NEF/H&R with .308/.223 and 20 gauge anyways,..but wanted this one specifically in the
.22/410....(though I was tempted to go with the .22 mag....but that's anuther story altogether,...... :)
 
In response to ljnowell: If you see one of these for $99.00 anyplace,...you oughta buy a truckload of them to give away to new shooter's,....I would.
Click to expand...

I didnt mean to imply the gun you have, i think the one on sale was a H&R or something of that ilk, a cheap gun.
 
Thunder, congrats on the purchase. I have a Baikal in 12ga/7X57R with a Tru-Glo on it. I hunt a lot in N. Maine and in deer season, I frequently see grouse so the 12ga comes in handy. When I sighted in the scope for the rifle, I found that I could put slugs and 7mm basically through the same hole. My gun is a little heavy, and the action is a bit stiff, but it shoots well and meets many needs. Good luck.
 
Thanx Salthouse,...up in Northeast Michigan here,..with plenty of bunnies, squirrel and partridge at hand. Hoping this one can help me thin the herd some... :)

Have since checked out Baikal's site to see what else they have. I could be tempted,..but may have to wait a bit. Bride get's touchy if I buy more than 3 or four a year?.... Jeeze I luv this woman!! And I already have another gun on hold at my LGS that I'll need to bail out and tweak before I go eyeballing anuther one.
 
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