Hunting rifles. The best gun for hunting: a review of the best models of hunting weapons The 10 best smoothbore weapons for hunting

Keen hunters are very interested in new products that regularly appear on the hunting weapons market, but we have practically no place to get acquainted with them. Perhaps at the annual exhibition “Hunting and Weapons”, which is held in Moscow. In 2015 it will take place from October 1 to October 4. But few hunters from the regions can visit the capital, and reports from exhibitions appear very late and do not provide answers to questions that interest everyone. We bring to your attention an overview of the most interesting new weapons from the past two years, which can already be found on sale or ordered in online stores.

Very interesting Optifade camouflage. It was developed taking into account how a bird sees objects and perceives color. The developers claim that this carbine does not distinguish game.

Benelli hunting shotguns – new 2014

The semi-automatic shotgun 12 Benelli Ethos was a discovery in 2014, has an inertia reloading mechanism and can work with all types of 12 gauge cartridges. The manufacturer has provided from 7/8 to 3 inch magnums. At the presentation it was said that this beautiful gun is more suitable for hunters of waterfowl - ducks, geese, as well as pheasants and smaller birds. The gun gives low recoil and makes it easy to shoot offhand, even from a reclining position. Another plus is the ease of loading, and it’s easy to do even with gloves. The kit includes interchangeable front sights of three colors, made of optical fiber. The cost is around 2 thousand USD.

Benelli Ethos 12 gauge semi-automatic

Browning High Grade. This gun cannot be called a novelty, but its design has changed significantly: the side plates are significantly expanded, which allows for engravings, including color ones. The stock is made of light walnut with a glossy varnish. The company will produce 500 engraved 12-gauge Model III and VI shotguns with 28-inch barrels in each class. Cost 4.7 thousand USD

Particularly beautiful is the Browning Grade VI Citori High Grade modification with gilded pheasants on the right side and ducks on the left on colored tracing paper. The cost of the base model is 7.3 thousand dollars.

Browning also made a surprise by expanding the 725 Citori line with the release of lightweight 20-gauge shotguns with 26 and 28-inch barrels. Cost about 2.5 thousand USD.

CZ pump-action and semi-automatic shotguns – new items

In our country, pump-action shotguns are not very popular, but when hunters find out the price of new products from CZ, they begin to think about getting this CZ 612 Field pump-action barrel for $390, if only for fun. In general, the CZ has very specifications: 3-inch chamber, 12 gauge, 28-inch interchangeable barrel.

Even cheaper (by as much as $50) is the CZ 620 Youth model with a shortened plastic stock, 24-inch barrel, 20 gauge, and comes with interchangeable attachments IC, M, and F.

The CZ 612 Home Defense shotgun is more versatile and costs $409. 12 gauge, 26" barrel, 18.5" long. The stock is made of synthetic material, the barrels can be changed. A very good front sight allows you to aim at dusk.

Shotgun CZ 612 Home Defense

It was simply impossible to bypass this new product from Remington, since it is based on the very popular VersaMax platform. 12 gauge, 22" barrel, improved ergonomics, longer magazine and larger port. The original cost is about $1,700, but decorated models are much more expensive.

Russian news

The Kalashnikov concern made two wonderful gifts to our hunters: the Saiga-9, Saiga-12 and Los 7-1 carbine, and the Saiga MK-107 rifled self-loading carbine. They have simply excellent characteristics, and we will devote a separate article to them.

Video

Promotional video about Benelli Super Vinci Russian North in Russian

The trigger double-barreled "horizontal" TOZ-B became the first model with external triggers, which was produced by one of the few large domestic arms enterprises, namely the Tula Arms Plant. In 1902, the first series of these weapons was released.

Starting from the mid-90s, the first smooth-bore modifications of the Saiga carbine appeared. The very first of these modifications was Saiga-410. This gun was created for the then little-known .410 caliber cartridge in Russia (according to the inch American caliber measurement system). According to the metric system, the caliber of the new shotgun was 10.4 mm. There are many different types of ammunition for smoothbore hunting weapons, and the .410 caliber is the smallest.

The first modification of the Bekas gun was developed in 1997 at the VPO Molot enterprise and chambered for 16-gauge cartridges. Subsequent modifications of this gun underwent a number of significant changes: the design of the feeder tray was changed, and the fuse was changed. The updated version of the gun was already produced in two calibers - 12 and 16. Currently, this pump-action shotgun is extremely popular throughout Russia and is used both for hunting and for citizens to protect their possessions.

MP-133 is a 12-gauge multi-shot smoothbore shotgun with a movable fore-end, reloaded by the shooter’s muscular strength. Simply put, it's a pump-action shotgun. This shotgun was developed at the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant, based on the IZH-81 model, and has been mass-produced since 2000. The purpose of releasing the gun was to introduce to the market an inexpensive and practical weapon intended for official use by law enforcement agencies and security companies, and by private individuals for the purposes of self-defense, sport shooting and hunting.

Remington 870 is a smoothbore shotgun created by the American company Remington Arms. The first guns of this system were released in 1950. Initially, this weapon was developed as a universal hunting rifle, however, after the appearance of many modifications, this pump-action shotgun began to be used for other purposes.

The MTs 21-12 smoothbore self-loading shotgun became a pioneer among hunting semi-automatic devices produced on the territory of the Soviet Union. Work on its creation began in Tula, at the Central Design and Research Bureau of Sports and Hunting Weapons back in the late 50s, but actual mass production for various reasons began only in 1965.

Essentially, the Saiga-20 is a smooth-bore, long-barreled, multi-shot repeating rifle with a detachable magazine in various modifications, differing in design, barrel length, stock type and sighting options.

IZH-12 is a fairly old representative of Soviet hunting and sporting rifles; these weapons were produced from 1962 to 1974. This weapon is one of the first serial Soviet-made sideflints, and, perhaps, one of the best to this day, if we talk about mass-produced inexpensive domestic double-barreled over-and-unders.

Andrey Shalygin: , so I won’t even repeat myself, it’s of no use to us, and the concern is still practically private property, which is suing the relatives of the inventor in his name. But let's talk about the rest.

Gradually moving towards the apogee of the international shooting show in Las Vegas, we reached the most popular segment of civilian small arms by our readers - shotguns, that is, in our understanding, smooth-bore hunting weapons, although these are actually not synonyms at all. But since we have no other division according to the law in Russia and firearms are not applicable for self-defense, and smooth-bore tactics cannot exist in nature, then let them all be hunting.

Cards, money, two guns - fully applies to SHOT Show, only there are much more than two guns. The minimum set of press was mastered by everyone, so it seemed that the exhibition started working at a certain working pace, which, however, for the shotgun segment does not actually mean a lot of running around.

Shotguns 2015 are not full of new designs, and some alterations of what is already known mostly relate to minor modifications, tactical configuration options, body kits, replaceable barrels, and other little things that will not at all shake the world ratings, for example, Benelli Itos, Vinci, Beretta A400 Extreme Dakkers... Yes , small things and pneumatics have become more numerous, tactics are mainly developing, and shotguns are generally more stable and traditional. However...

However, we now have the Benelli 828U, which we will talk about separately, as always, but here we’ll just immediately note that since the company itself is very revered in Russia, and the side flint in Russia is the most common scheme for constructing a mass hunting smoothbore, secured by both the legendary IZH-27 and several other mass-produced models with millions of copies. More details in the video from the exhibition.

It should also be noted that Beretta-Benelli, especially this year, is leaning on left-handed barrels both in Berettas and in Benelli, so this year they, and many other manufacturers, produced more left-handed models, probably trying to cover the unreached pockets of the segments (I’m afraid they wouldn’t release guns separately for someone else, depending they will become sick of unconventional orientation, so fashionable in the Western world).

But left-handed guns are needed, although left-handers are generally famous for their versatility, and are easily trained for right-handed models. Well, in general, there is another option, when there is a problem with the right eye, then people inevitably become left-handed, so what can you do about it - it’s not a whim, but often a justified necessity. But you need to understand that the share of such guns is extremely minimal, especially in Russia - well, even if someone masters a hundred in a year, that will be an achievement.

Moreover, personally, I am far from the idea that the main buyer of Benelli is a certain Russian intellectual. The Soviet intelligentsia is long gone, and for the most part what is there is not suitable for hunting. I am far from thinking of classifying bankers, traders, crackers and speculators as the intelligentsia, like modern writers and artists - they are either sitting, preparing to sit down, or running, or making a fuss on Bolotka and nailing their personal belongings to Red Square.

Well, I won't broadcast instead of the original Beretta managers, so let them tell you everything first-hand, so look - everything they wanted to say, they said.

As for the specifics in the shotgun segment as a whole(we will look at specific models separately in target materials, but now we’ll just take a look at the entire niche) - Beretta, in addition to the 828 model, invites us to turn our attention to the Parallello 486(well, not us, but the Americans, of course, they don’t care about us at all). Brownings Tsitori 725, in a sports variation, also have a place in the clip recommended for premium class sports shooting.

Many different companies come to us at Gostinny Dvor, and we know them well, but it has always been difficult to promote these products on the Russian market, and now it is simply unrealistic, so in fact, most models can only be mentioned in passing to satisfy purely sporting curiosity, because this information has no practical significance.

Kalashnikov clown rides like this tacky Saiga We, of course, will not comment at all - rightly there, they probably take us for fools after this. Weapons are purely for laughing... well, you can’t put something together for money after the death of the inventor, if you have no intelligence or conscience.

But yes, we have seen Fabarm 100 times, we know, everything is fine, but there is no consumption segment in Russia for this, and there never will be, simply because a person in many ways needs not only to be valued in some way, but also to be understood what he values ​​himself. And if everyone cares that you have the same Fabarm in your hands, then you won’t particularly want to have it. Yes, we know Sauer, the Germans, we fought with them. Yes, Beretta-Benelli is great. Oh, Finns, neighbors, you do a great job Sako, Tikka, I-I... They know those same Fausti purely because they have seen posters with three beautiful girls in their youth many times, and that’s all - nothing about the guns themselves. Fanzoy there too, Diana, it’s cool, but what’s with the trunk is unknown...

Beretta 1301 tactical- a very relevant option for modern Russian hunting, when you can buy a gun for hunting and stock up on purely bullet cartridges with maximum impact, + larger buckshot with magnums... Well, we are experiencing such hard times, so Russians are hunters Nowadays people don’t go out of love to shoot woodcock at dawn, or wood grouse at the lek. But the Beretta 1301 with such sighting devices, more reminiscent of a carbine rifle - this is exactly what we need, you can take it in a car supposedly for hunting or for repairs, and store it under the bed in border areas, and even those who served in the army are more accustomed to aiming.

CZ in new camouflage a completely adequate gun, but its distribution in Russia, also in the current economic conditions, with such a dollar exchange rate and the potential for import into Russia, is a very confusing problem, the solution of which is not only difficult to predict, but most likely pointless, since in such conditions people will be bought and imported first all tested rating models that had maximum demand before changes in economic conditions, as well as the ultra-budget segment. ChZty do not belong here or there, so, alas.

Weatherby still has a certain image weight so that the Russian consumer can pay attention to it, well, at least simply because the Russian hunter understands the calibers of cartridges and is impressed by the 300 Vin Mag and 308 Weatherby Magnum - the first as the most common for large ungulates , and the second - as a specific slaughterhouse for the largest animals in Russia.

All this, including the presence of its own line of ammunition calibers, makes the weapon lines themselves memorable. Therefore, the buyer associates Weatherby not just with premium quality, but also with increased ammunition power, although there is no direct correlation. Yes, they won’t offer you 308 Weatherby Magnum cartridges in Kolchuga, and the seller will doubt that he heard you correctly, but the trophy hunters know something about this. Of course, there won’t be massive demand, but there is familiarity with the line.

But this year Weatherby is offering us 26 and 28 calibers for waterfowl, which is absolute madness for Russia, if only simply because in the regions you won’t even find 20-caliber cartridges, and we have a lot of women hunting. No, excellent weight distribution, light weapons, in general everything is super... but this is not for Russia - 100%.

But the Remington V3 12-gauge - this is something that will quite find a place in Russia, especially with the new trends in the promotion of spring waterfowl hunting according to AEWA, it may be limited to just the compactness of the receiver of the new barrel. So it may turn out that such a Remington will become the standard smoothbore for waterfowl in Russia. I don’t presume to say that in Russia such restrictions will be legitimized by physical regulation of requirements for weapons, but anything can happen, especially at the regional level - now they have the right.

Winchester SX-3 12 gauge - a classic turkey gun - in a tactical version it may well serve the same purposes as the Beretta 1301, so it’s a matter of taste and means - it will be used on a coyote, or to knock down doors in a barn - that’s who knows I like it, but it’s certainly better than Saiga in any way. And the brand is still well known to Russians. It might shoot.

In terms of accessories, there is a great sea of ​​different body kits at the Exhibition

Hunting rifles, which have undergone many changes and transformations throughout the history of gunmaking in Russia, have several basic models that served as the basis for the modern variety of this type of weapon. The most famous were and remain about a dozen models, with which almost all gunsmiths began their hunting activities.

The easiest gun to use is single-barreled,

In the recent past, it was one of the most popular guns in our country. It is made without external triggers and has several variations, mainly differing in caliber.

The simplest gun with external hammers is, without any doubt, the Tula weapon under the TOZ-B brand; it was the most popular gun in the first half of the twentieth century.

On the basis of the previous gun, in 1957, they began to produce a gun,

it differed from its prototype by having barrels made of the strongest steel. This gun also had external hammers.

continued to popularize this type of weapon, with the only difference being that the latter had barrels covered with a special protective layer of chromium alloys.

Trigger guns are still produced today, therefore,

became a good replacement for all his predecessors, who had accumulated all the positive experience of the past.

The guns of the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant are considered to be of no less valuable quality. In addition to single-barreled ones, this plant produced many modifications of double-barreled shotguns, both with a smooth bore and with a rifled bore.

The most famous gun from this factory was

More than one generation of hunters grew up hunting with him. It was the first of the hammerless guns to be produced in large series.

Among amateur hunters and fishermen, a gun under the brand name has gained enormous popularity,

This easy-to-use weapon was extremely popular in the 60-80s of the last century.

This model was replaced by a modified and improved gun,

on a hunt with which you can still meet many shooting enthusiasts.

The most famous IzhMech gun was the vertical gun,

and then, on its basis created

Having these guns in your arsenal is considered prestigious for any hunter.

- a vertical that closes the top ten most popular shotguns in Russia. It is a competitor to the previous type of weapon, and has many fans.

Today, people who are keen on hunting try to have in their arsenal guns for a certain type of game. How to understand the abundance of weapons found on the shelves of hunting stores so as not to make a mistake in choosing the best?

In our country, the most common hunting is duck, hare and other small game. For this, of course, you need a universal gun, for example a double-barreled shotgun with vertically or horizontally paired smooth shotgun barrels. If necessary, you can also shoot special bullets from them.

“Verticals” appeared relatively recently. We can say that this is a new fashionable trend in the design of double-barreled hunting rifles. When firing from them, the field of view is much wider and there is less recoil compensation. Otherwise, they differ little from the horizontal ones, and what to choose is a matter of taste. The best among shotguns with vertically paired barrels, tested when shooting at , are the relatively inexpensive double-barreled shotguns of the German company Merkel, models Merkel-2000 and Merkel-2001. Since 2002, these shotguns have been manufactured with a reinforced chamber 76 mm long. Barrel length is 710-760 mm, caliber 12, 20, 28. They are produced either in a classic design, with two triggers, or with only one trigger working on two barrels, which is very convenient for doublet shooting, often used with duck and goose hunting. Price: $2750

These double-barreled guns have “brothers”, in which one barrel is a bullet with rifling, and the other is a shotgun, smooth. These are the Merkel 2010 and Merkel 2011 models. Such guns are called combination guns. For more accurate shooting, they are equipped with high-quality optics, as well as an accelerated, lightweight trigger of a rifled barrel. These guns are highly versatile and are suitable for almost any hunt. The range of an effective shot from a smooth barrel is 50-60 m, from a rifled barrel - up to 500 m. Weight is 3 kg, barrel length is 600 mm, caliber 12. The price of such guns, depending on the design and the presence of engraving, is $3000-4000.

Shotguns with horizontal barrels were made back in the Middle Ages - these are the oldest, traditional, classic weapons. Good representatives of these models are the Merkel-40 and Merkel-60 double-barreled shotguns. Their butts and fore-ends are made of expensive and beautiful walnut wood, making the weapon look very elegant. Available in 12, 16, 20, 28 gauges. Small caliber (20 and 28) guns are usually used for hunting squirrel, marten and sable. In the Merkel-60 model, the trigger mechanisms of the barrels, traditionally for expensive and prestigious weapons, are located on the side backing boards, which is very convenient for cleaning and lubrication. Price up to 10 thousand dollars

Gun Michelangelo"Luciano Bosiz"

Of course, the height of prestige and business card owner, demonstrating his high social position, is a hunting weapon from the Italian company Luciano Bosiz. These are classic double-barreled shotguns with horizontally positioned barrels, embodying the best traditions of weapons production. Models weigh 2.7-3 kg, caliber 12 and 20; barrel length 680 mm. They are made using exclusive materials, precious metals, stones and jewelry from the world's best engravers. One of the signs of the exclusivity of the Queen and Country models is that their straight (English-type) stocks are entirely made of high-grade walnut and do not even have butt pads. These guns are expensive, their price is 20-25 thousand dollars. You can certainly hunt successfully with them, but they are still more a work of art than a hunting weapon.

Browning Gold Fusion

Less versatile, but better suited for duck and goose hunting are repeating shotguns with automatic reloading. In Russia, the most popular of these models are “Browning-Gold-Fusion” and “Beretta-391-Urika”. Both of these guns allow the use of increased power cartridges, thanks to which shooters confidently shoot down ducks and geese at distances of 50-60 m. Weight is 3 kg, barrel length is 710 mm, caliber 12. Chamber length is 76 mm, the capacity of the under-barrel magazine is four cartridges. Price 1300-1500 dollars.

Weserby carbine

There are many hunters who enjoy accurate bullet shooting. Rifles and carbines are best suited for this. With high-precision and long-range rifles they hunt animals in the mountains or marmots in the endless expanses of fields. For mountain hunting, the best include carbines from the American company Weatherby, in particular the Weatherby-Mark-V-Ultra model, manufactured for a whole range of powerful rifled Magnum class cartridges, see.

Carbine Remington 700 BDL

For the so-called “varminting”, or marmot hunting, which is carried out from a distance of 400-800 m, Remington-700 and Sako-75 carbines are presented on the Russian market. These rifles are produced under a very high-speed and accurate 5.6 mm caliber cartridge with a case length of 45 mm. Models weigh 3.6 kg, barrel length 660 mm. Price: $2500

These rifles do not have traditional front and rear sights, because shooting at long distances is carried out with the installation of an optical sight.

Often, depending on the type of hunting, it is necessary to use carbines of one caliber or another. And instead of buying several expensive rifles, you can buy one, but with interchangeable barrels. The Blazer-R-93 and Heim-SR-21 carbines have this ability to replace the barrel when hunting different game. Weight 3.2 kg, barrel length 577 mm. Price: $2200

Browning Bar 2

Some hunters don't like to jerk the bolt after each shot. They prefer self-loading carbines, one of the best representatives of which is the Browning Bar-2 model. Weight 3.5 kg, barrel length 510-600 mm, sighting range up to 800 m, magazine capacity four rounds.

Heim fitting 37V

However, the best and most versatile of all guns, suitable for hunting any game from duck to bear, are three-barreled and four-barreled shotguns. They are presented on the Russian market by the old German company Heim.

The Heim 37V model is equipped with four barrels: two horizontal smooth 20 gauge (76 mm chamber), a lower rifled barrel 9.3x74 mm, a middle rifled barrel 223Rem.

The exclusive model of the double-barreled rifle "Heim-88" has rifled barrels of 12 mm caliber; powerful cartridges used in this weapon allow you to hunt elephant, buffalo, lion and even crocodile. The fitting has a rich panoramic engraving, and its price exceeds $40,000.