Yildz O/U shotguns

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P.B.Walsh

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Ok, so I handled one of these today at Academy, and it felt like a literal extension of my body, never felt like any firearm that I have ever handled in my life. So I belive that I will go for it. But I have one question, can I reliably fire magnum buckshot and slugs (up to 3")?

The other shotgun that I was considering was a Remington 870 Express Super Magnum.

Thanks,
P,B.Walsh
 
can I reliably fire magnum buckshot and slugs

Define "reliably".....will it fire them once or twice? It should...will it fire them hundreds of times? Maybe yes, maybe no. Most over/unders were not built for that type of use and high power loads - they tend to acquire accelerated wear on crucial parts from such an exercise, whereas a pump has a different system and can more readily handle more of that type of ammo
 
Dang, are all O/U like this? I really like this shotgun because it pointed so well for me. The 870 was "ok".....

Just for curiosity sake, would an H&R single shot be ok?
 
I have fired some pretty heavy loads out of my H&R single and never hurt it.
My shoulder on the other hand suffered mightily.
I took a 5 shot box of Remington 2 3/4 Sluggers and after the fourth shot gave up.
Tremendous pain!!
 
I shot 2 rounds of 3" #4 Buck out of my H&R, and that was plenty. I won't shot another one until something absolutely has to die.
RT
 
Didn't say they couldn't shoot magnum loads - many guns have worked for years in the duck and goose blinds with heavy lead loads - but when you start running high-pressure, high-speed ammo on a regular basis, you will accelerate the wearing of parts. Think of it like taking some small 4-banger and running flat out at Daytona - you might make one, or even a few trips around the track before it needs major work, and it will need a lot more major work than if you drove the same distance at normal speeds on the regular street - same analogy here. O/U handle better than pump and semi to most people (well, the well-balanced ones do anyway). The ability to have that gun react like a wand in your hand instead of a 2X4 usually means greater success at whatever you're shooting at - same idea holds for SxS guns
 
Ok, I got cha, but what if I shoot buckshot say....., less then 50 rounds per year? And slugs even less?

I just want a nice shotgun mostly for fun (clay games), usually will run low powered target loads 90% of the time.
 
Personally, I believe in my sig line about price and quality - that does NOT mean that an inexpensive gun won't last for while if treated lightly. There is a reason you see those Perazzi, Kreighoff, Kolar guns costing 8-15K at serious competitions - they go bang every time and will do so for hundreds of THOUSANDS of rounds, even more. I have handled a Ljutic with over 1.5 million rounds through it, with some minor parts replacement, it is as good as the day it left the factory about 45 years ago. I have seen Perazzi and and Kreighoffs with over 500,000 through them with no issues, a Kolar the owner has put over 50,000 in one year through with no issues.....point is IF you are talking about really shooting a lot of clays, you would be better off buying quality once and having the gun that fits outlast you. If, OTOH, you are talking about some backyard clays before bird season, a few rounds of buck or slug for deer, maybe a few shots at turkey, then your choice might perform OK.

The problem with most cheap guns is the inconsistency from one to another. Someone might get one that runs flawlessly for many years, while others will have one break the first time out.(Typically what seems to happen if you believe the threads on various forums)

The main thing with any shotgun (or handgun for that matter) is FIT. A cheap gun that fits will have you shooting better than an expensive one that doesn't. Fit can be altered after you buy it to make it better for you, quality has to be installed right the first time at the factory
 
Define "reliably".....will it fire them once or twice? It should...will it fire them hundreds of times? Maybe yes, maybe no. Most over/unders were not built for that type of use and high power loads - they tend to acquire accelerated wear on crucial parts from such an exercise, whereas a pump has a different system and can more readily handle more of that type of ammo

Didn't say they couldn't shoot magnum loads - many guns have worked for years in the duck and goose blinds with heavy lead loads - but when you start running high-pressure, high-speed ammo on a regular basis, you will accelerate the wearing of parts. Think of it like taking some small 4-banger and running flat out at Daytona - you might make one, or even a few trips around the track before it needs major work, and it will need a lot more major work than if you drove the same distance at normal speeds on the regular street - same analogy here. O/U handle better than pump and semi to most people (well, the well-balanced ones do anyway). The ability to have that gun react like a wand in your hand instead of a 2X4 usually means greater success at whatever you're shooting at - same idea holds for SxS guns
Uh what? :scrutiny: The quality O/Us are built like tanks. They will easily outlast any pump or auto loader. On top of that, there are no moving parts in the lockup during firing. Nothing gets slammed around like in an auto or pump.

Also to provide some general insight about budget O/U shotguns. Generally the barrels and lockup are serviceable. It's the triggers that usually screw you over. They fail within a few hundred rounds, and you then find that you can't get parts because the importer either never imported any spare parts, or went out of business years ago. Many times they never bothered to import parts because they never planned on servicing them.

If you want a "cheap" o/u, look for a used Browning or SKB/Weatherby. They can be had for under $1k.
 
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I dont know..... I am not in a position to be shooting every weekend, much less run hundreds of rounds per year. Im seventeen, with a shaky minimum wage job. So I'll be happy just getting a shotgun. The Yildz that I handled just felt natural.

I will not buy a $1000+ shotgun, because for that much, I am buying me a Winchester 70.....
 
I am probably going to pull the trigger (literally!) on a new Mossberg Maverick O/U soon, $369 bucks at my local shop

MK75445_1.jpg
 
Borrowed a Yildiz once for a clays shoot. It was the first time I had ever fired one and walked away liking it. Briley services them according to Academy.
 
Okay...P.B.Walsh, now that you have stated your age and since your just getting started in life ,I say go out and buy that Yildiz or another like budget O/U.
There's PLENTY of time left in your life to buy a Browning or other better made shotgun.
There are a lot of other things to consider like paying for your steady daily ride,girls,
girls,school,a place of your own,and all those other wants guys at your age should be involved in.
 
One thing I'd heard is to avoid running slugs through double-shotguns because the pressure of the solid slug will slightly deform the relatively thin barrel, and over time it will damage the joint between the two barrels. I don't know if it's true, but something worth thinking about.

For a first shotgun, I'd always recommend a basic pump like the 870. It will eat anything under the sun and you can buy additional barrels for not much money for home defense, upland game, deer, trap, skeet, sporting clays, etc., and from a number of manufacturers - Hastings, Mossberg, and of course Remington themselves.

Mossbergs are fine shotguns too, but I think the 870 is more versatile because of the way the barrel mounts to the magazine tube - the 870 allows you to add a mag extension without buying a new barrel, which I don't think Mossberg can do.
 
I have a Yildiz O/U and absolutely love the way it shoots and feels. I've never heard of anybody having problems with them. They are great quality for the money and come with a good set of chokes. I can't see you going wrong buying one. Just ask the salesman if you can look through them all and pick out the one with the best looking wood. Some of them have very impressive grains.
 
I've got one of the Yildiz o/u in .410 bore.

I got it because it was/is built on a .410 sized reciever, not some larger "blocky" reciever. Also, I liked the way it handled, and pointed. It is stocked for an adult, the similar Mossberg didn't allow me to get a good cheek weld as it has a too high comb. Lastly, it has all the "expensive" features such as single-selective trigger, ejectors (not just extractors) and choke tubes.

Obviously it isn't fit or finished like a $1,500-$3,000 shotgun, nor is is it built like a Krieghoff. I didn't want that, an 9lb+ .410 shotgun........

For a "knock-around", utitlity gun that also really shines on the skeet range, I more than got what I was looking for. A friend who has several Browning .410 O/U's bought himself one too for a "loaner" gun when quail hunting pen-raised birds to keep his Brownings from getting "beat-up" by first time hunters.....

I easily knocked down all the doves that came within range on the opening day of dove season using S&B 3" #7-1/2's. Broke 20/25 on the skeet range the first time with it using Winchester AA-HS with 1/2oz #9's. First time I'd shot skeet in 4yrs........ Needless to say it shoots as good as it looks. And, on the pattern board, it shoots where it "looks", which also surprised me...

I really like mine and for $500, you won't find another o/u even close to it. I looked at the Mossberg which is very similar, but went with the Yildiz. I too picked mine from three that the store had on hand. It had the best stock wood, but also had some minor "dings" to the metal that were under the finish and occured during assembly/fitting prior to being finished. No, it's not a Beretta or a Browning, but again it didn't cost $$$$ either.

I don't think that you will shoot enough slugs or heavy loads through one of these to cause major problems. A steady diet of 3" mag turkey loads will show more effect on you than the gun....... Besides, most 1oz. slugs will "fall" through the bore on a cylinder or I/C choke. Be sure to avoid using the ImpMod or Full choke tubes with slugs and you'll be ok. Do try both barrels and cyl a and i/c chokes to see which shoots slugs closest to point of aim, which is more critical than absolute group size.
 
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