Baikal vs Stoeger

[grumps]

I'm looking at both the Baikal o/u shotgun and the Stoeger o/u shotguns.  For the price which one.  Their both priced about the same.

[dakotashooter2]

I have not fired either but before buying one close your eyes, snap the gun into shooting position and open your eyes to see if they line up on the sights. I have noticed that many of the lower priced european guns have more cast in the stock than we Americans are used to. With my face on the stock the way it should be I can't get either to line up for me. It may be different for you. I picked up one gun that had so much curve in the stock it could have been mistaken for a hockey stick.

[Graybeard]

I've not seen and held either. But that Stoeger top of the line gun sure looks good on their website. I'd like to hold one before plunking down money and around here that's not possible. It's hard enough to even get someone to order one much less stock them just to let you see one.

I have a Stoeger 20 ga. SxS Uplander which I waited almost a year to come in. Bought a 28 ga. while waiting but never got around to firing it. When the 20 came in  I traded it back to get the 20 I really wanted. That 28 ga. is still on the shelf almost two years later. Gee wonder what he won't stock them?

I've been trying to get him to get me a .410 for over a year and am still waiting. So while I'd love to see the O/U I know asking him to get one for me to look at is a waste of time.

The few Baikals I've seen were rougher than the Stoegers. I really like my 20 ga. SxS.

[mountainview]

Grumps, a couple o' guys at my club use the Baikal for trap and I have not heard anything bad to this point about them. On the Stoeger, I have not personally known anyone who has one but I have seen some on the shelf at the Gander in this area. Above advice is good to try both and see which one feels right and go with that one. I suspect that both would give reasonable to excellent service if taken care of.

Safe shooting.

[DirtyHarry]

I just bought the wife a Baikal 27 sporting, and the brother in law has the stoger o/u. He has maybe a box of shells through it so I cant say if it is a keeper or not, same with the wifes Baikal, not enough shell's through it yet. As of right now they seem to both be of good quality. I will say this, the machining on the Baikal looks a bit more precise. That may or may not mean anything though....

[Bullseye]

I have a Baikal SxS.  Piece of junk.  9+ lb trigger pull.  Tons of creep, you begin to wonder if they will ever fire.  Neither barrel comes close o centering the shot pattern where aimed.  With a full & modified choke their is not pattern, shot spayed everywhere with big holes.  I patterned it after missing some easy squirrels last weekend, and now see why I missed.

I bought it because I wanted a SXS, it is for sale now.  I do not know what I was thinking last summer.

[unspellable]

graybeard, why would you pass up a 28 gauge to get a 410?  The 28 will do anything the 410 will only better.  The modern 410 was developed as a crippled 28 gauge for a handicap in skeet.  It's aways been a mystery to me why the 410 became popular as a kid's gun insetad of the 28.

[Graybeard]

graybeard, why would you pass up a 28 gauge to get a 410? The 28 will do anything the 410 will only better. The modern 410 was developed as a crippled 28 gauge for a handicap in skeet. It's aways been a mystery to me why the 410 became popular as a kid's gun insetad of the 28.

I'm looking to fill a very special nitch with the .410 and want the lesser shot charge. Yes the 28 is a better gun for most every purpose but not what I have in mind for this one special nitch situation.

I totally agree the .410 a beginner's gun and it is a travesty to saddle a new hunter with one. But I'm not a new hunter or shotgunner. I shot skeet competitively for many years back in the '70s and '80s and was a AA shooter.

I want it to pop birds in front yard after the blueberry crop. I'm quite limited in what directions I can safely shoot there and just want the challenge of the .410 to go with it.

[unspellable]

Ah, graybeard, then what you want is that quality over under 32 gauge I've been seeing at the local gun show lately.

[yukonjim]

I have the EAA Baikal IZH-18EM-M which is the single shot 12 gauge sporting model.  It has a 30 inch ribbed barrel.  It came with 3 choke tubes, ported barrel and Monte Carlo style walnut wood stock.  The stock and forearm were kind of dry so I put 6 coats of TruOil on them.  Sure looks nice now.  It was very stiff when I first got it but loosen up nicely after about 500 rounds the trap range.  The trigger pull was a little heavy but I fixed that by putting a shim under the trigger spring.  Went from about 8 pounds to about 2 pounds.  It does still have some trigger creep but that could be fixed by polishing the trigger and sear where they interface.  Just have to be careful.  It has busted lots of clays and keeps up with the best of them.  Granted it is not a BT-99 but then it costs about a third.

yukonjim

[dougk]

I have a Stoeger SxS 12ga double trigger, Baikal Combo 12ga/30-06 double trigger and a Huglu O/U 20 ga. single  trigger (the Huglu is the Mrs.)  I traded a Beretta 686 double 12ga for the Stoeger, Huglu and a Tikka rifle.  The Beretta was too nice to use in the field here in Texas, hence the trade.

The Stoeger fits me better than the Beretta and it holds a tight group.  

The Baikal with a rifled choke shots a 2 inch group at 50 yards.

The finish on the Huglu is by far the best.  The Baikal a heavier gun (I guess its the Russian military influence) the wood is perfect for a field gun.  I don't care if it gets dinged walking through the Texas Hill Country and all the lovely cedars.  The Stoeger is lighter with nice wood, the barrels appear to be thinner than the Baikal.

If you have not purchased the gun you should hold the Baikal (Remington is reselling the Baikal under the Spartan brand) and Stoeger (Beretta now owns them) to determine fit and weight the Baikal is heavier.  In the $300 price range you can't go wrong with either.  If your looking for substantially more gun in the $700 range you should consider the Huglu.

Good Luck
Doug

[smoky]

I have a Baikal over/under in 20 guage and really like it.  Every once in a while when shooting heavy loads like Super X or reloads, both barrels will discharge at once.  Is this the result of weak springs, and is it a simple fix.

Also, where might I get some additional choke tubes for this gun.  

Thanks,

Smoky

[gwhilikerz]

Graybeard i was thinking for a minute that you wanted the 410 to shoot mice that were running across your living room floor and the Mrs. didn't want those big holes in the floor and wall.

[Mattkc]

I like the 410 for squirrel and rabbit if I need more gun I'll go to a 20 or 16.  I enjoy the 410 puts a little more sport into the hunt.

[dougk]

For choke tubes Colonial Arms seems to have the Baikal market cornered.  I have the rifled choke.  It is well make and very accurate.  Good luck with the choke tubes.

Doug