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thoughts on Baikal shotguns

riverguide323
Looking at the Baikal IZH-43 12ga sxs. Anyone have experience with this gun, or this manufacturer?
I just want a inexpensive sxs field gun that can handle steel shot.
-thanks
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Comments

14 comments

Date Votes
  • trapman69
    Good gun at a good price for what your wanting. Though not
    very good resale value. I havent owned the sxs but had the o/u and
    single shot was happy with both but eventually wanted something more
    fancy. Hope this help's trapman69
    .
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  • shoey
    I have the over under 20 gauge, pleasant little gun to shoot. No real complaints from me. Action is a little stiff, but I've found some tips on how to loosen it up, just havent gotten to it yet. All in all, definitly a good gun for the price.

    shoey
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  • RDT
    I have one. It's worth the money, like everyone said. It really smoked clay targets. Nice to shoot. The only problem that I had is that the tip of the trigger was sharp and therefore tough on your finger upon recoil. I smoothed a little with a file but,I haven't shot it to see if it helped. No a big problem anyway.
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  • bobski
    4TO ETO BAIKAL? YMINYA NET! NET! NET! NET, TAK ROOSKIE. RUBLES TAK FOR AMERI-CANSKY SHOTGUN, R STUDENTE YA BOOMAGA, E AMERICANSKY EXCELENTE. DAH! DAH! DOSVIDANYA. just in case you call baikal customer service, be prepared. btw...buy american. its my 2 cents and im sticking to it.

    former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.
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  • riverguide323
    Believe me if I could afford an American Made product, I'd buy it. However, no American makers have a sxs under $300- or even close. I want a gun I can take waterfowl hunting in a canoe, and if I flip and drop it- no worries. But- I can't afford to lose a shotgun that costs more than my truck! Hopefully, my small business will grow, and in the future, I'll have more disposable income.
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  • bobski
    ok, let me get this straight. you want to buy an o&u to put in a canoe, so if it flips, you can just effortlessly shake off the water and everything will work again. im sure the rest of the gang knows where im going with this. thats equivilant to taking your 300.00 and putting it a blender and casting the remains into a compost. any o&u regardless if its cheap or big bucks...is a precision fit piece of metal. and to make things worse, the wood to metal fit has to be exact. one dip in the drink and your wood is going to swell in places that cant be reached and the next day...your wood is going to crack, split, lose its finish, and probably jam up. seriously...if its going on floats, reconsider a stainless steel gun with a plastic stock. or a survival gun built to take the punishment. taking a baikal into the wilderness is like bringing your mothers dining room hutch outside for a picnic. i know you want a cheap gun for steel shot. this 300.00 gun isnt a good choice if it lasts only one outing. serious. try looking at a s/s set up. heck for 300.00, you can buy 2 remington 870s, or 2 s/s mossbergs that will work just fine. now im sure many will pipe in and say..."mine works just fine." ok, great. but lets just hope they are better canoeist than you! just my opinion. good luck!
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  • bobski
    noted error on typing. replace o&u with sbs. all else still applies. btw...sell your truck and get a canoe that doesnt flip...like a 12' john boat! serious..get an remington 870 marine and use the rest to buy gas for the truck! btw...where do you canoe? lake, marsh, or river? let me guess....you dont want a pump or auto because your hulls go in the water and youll get fined. if thats the case...baikal is the gun. it dont get any cheaper than that.
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  • rldowns3
    riverguide....the gun you are wanting will work just fine for what you are needing. Ignore those who complain about the manufacturer, go with what fits your wallet and your needs. The Baikal will work just fine.

    annoyaliberal.jpgnotmyfault.gif
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  • riverguide323
    Thanks for the humor...
    what's my screen name- riverguide323
    what's my occupation owner/operator of a river outfitting business...check my website www.river-source.com

    One thing I have learned in a decade of guiding whitewater and scenic canoe, rafting, and kayaking expeditions is that everyone flips sometimes. There are two kind of guides, those that have flipped, and those that will. One of my rules is...never take anything on the river your not willing to lose...I am not willing to lose anything I can't afford to replace- I can afford to lose a Baikal. I can't afford to lose any of the new American made SxS that can handle steel shot.

    Feel free to insult me, and my judgement all you want. But, don't bother giving me the criticizm unless you have personal experience with the gun.

    Jason Matthews
    River Source Outfitters (owner)
    Head Kayak Instructor- Montana State University
    River Staff Trainer and Safety Consultant for
    Voyageur Outward Bound School (Ely, MN)
    Regular Columnist for RIVER Magazine
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  • bobski
    ok before this goes too far, there was no insults intended and if readers viewed it as such, i apologize. but unless there is a absolute reason why it cant be a pump, i cant see why anyone would want to subject a 300 dollar sbs (or for that matter a 1000 dollar) gun to being flipped into water knowing that odds are it will be ruined. you havent given any of us the reason for it having to be a sbs. if its based on personal finances, ok, but other than that in my opnion, its a poor choice. i again suggest a stainless steel pump set up with plastic stock. and since we are talking about your needs as an outfitting company....why not buy about 50 sinlge shot stainless exposed hammer toppers for 80.00 each. put one in every canoe and if you lose one, hey, 80.00! but 300.00? since youre looking for opinions, let mine just be one more to the list. dont like it, ignore it and good luck with your outfitting business! warm regards...former navy aircrew survival equipment specialist, former land and water survival instructor usn, former beach assault weapons expert (fresh & salt water,) and an old virginia james river water shed canoeist. if i can help in any way, give me a hoot! btw...ive been to the baikal factory in the motherland.

    former air operations officer SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 2. former navy skeet team, navy rifle/pistol team member. co-owner skeetmaster tubes inc.. owner/operator professional shooting instruction.
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  • R-C-NO
    As for the sxs I also just picked 1 up cheap. I have not shot it yet but can tell you I also bought it for waterfowl hunting and for upland birds as well. the reason i bought a sxs is I WANTED ONE.I am tired of hunting with the 870 and thought it would be a fun change to go sxs.Besides every gun cabinet/safe needs a sxs and o/u. Good luck with it and hope you enjoy your hunting.
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  • R-C-NO
    O SHOEY you mind telling us about the tips/tricks on the action?[:D]
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  • Warpig883
    Some of us just like SxS shotguns.
    I would rather carry one of my expensive SxS shotguns with the chance of it getting wet than carry a free pump gun.

    I would get an old Stevens or Savage 311 and have choke tubes,so you can shoot steel, put in it. I believe you would have a better gun than the Baikal and approximatley the same $$$ tied up.

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  • bobski
    dont miss 'shoeys' point about baikals steel rated bbls with only lead rated chokes in your other post about 'steel shot damaging old shotguns.' just curious why youd choose a gun that isnt steel safe all the way down based on his input?
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