Some queries for Mehul

[rkba]

Hi Mehul!

I'm wanting to buy a shotgun (over/under) and a center-fire bolt action rifle (not single shot). My budget is $500 Canadian. Do you have any suggestions for me...?

I was looking at the Remington Spartan on the Internet. It fits my budget. Is this a good gun? And Charles Daly - are these good guns?

For a rifle, I was planning on Savage or CZ. What is your opinion about these companies.

Although this post is regarding firearms, I couldn't figure out exactly which forum to put it in. This being a general forum, I've posted it here.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Roshan.

[VJ]

I have been using a Spartan Fieldgun for a while for trap and shooting on and off with it. I dis'nt think I would be doing thi mch trap and continued shooting. It is a good gun for the price. The recoil seems to be more than the better grade browings. The gun did'nt seem to fit me well though and have added a piece at the end to drop it a little and it seems to fit much better now.

[Sakobav]

Its been a while since Mehul has posted hope he does... but there are other fellas Grumpy, Hsharief et al who can assist you.

Spartan is Baikal and these are very sturdy guns. Rest more experienced members can advise.

CZ and Savage are both good rifles, personally lean towards CZ. Which calibre / bore do you have in mind?

We do have a member Herb from Canada who could also guide you on rifle selection or better places to pick one up.

You should read shooter's posts on his selection of used shotgun, more value for your money. So do include used shotgun in your search.

Best

[Risala]

IF you are looking for info on the Spartan/Baikal shotguns visit

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewforum.php?f=83

HTH

Sanjay

[HSharief]

Hi Roshan, another member of my club shoots a spartan. It seems like a good one but I'd advise you to either save some more money and get either a Browning or Beretta, maybe even used to save some money. Or, if you're wanting something now, my suggestion is to look at a Remington 870 pump or Browning BPS pump. I've had an 870 and shot the BPS. They are both GREAT guns. OR, if you can gather a couple of hundred bucks more, you should be able to get a deal on a Beretta 391 semi-auto.

Best of luck.

[rkba]

Hi Guys!

Thanks so much for the suggestions.

The Spartan that I was speaking about is the Remington SPR. This is the link for it -

http://www.remington.com/products/firea ... _under.asp

And the link for the CZ rifle that I was refering to is -

http://www.cz-usa.com/product_detail.php?id=8

This is a small caliber rifle, that would mean flatter trajectories. At the same time, it is a center-fire, so power would not be in doubt.

Guys, I would really appreciate if you could see these links and give me your views...

Regards,

Roshan.

[Grumpy]

Remington have dropped the `Spartan` - for pretty obvious reasons - but have retained the range of guns. They are, as has been pointed out, actually built by the Russian gunmaker Baikal and are well made and tough as old boots. The finish isn`t particularly good and the handling isn`t too great but they are excellent value for money. In Europe Baikal have introduced a range of guns that have been redesigned and with superior handling and finish with little increase in cost. You might get them in Canada - Baikal have a Canadian distributor - but there is little chance that Remington will offer them.

"This is a small caliber rifle, that would mean flatter trajectories. At the same time, it is a center-fire, so power would not be in doubt."

Depends on how much power you want. The most powerful chambering avaIlable in the CZ 527 is the .223 Rem which is hardly a powerhouse. The little cartridge/bullet combination is suitable for varmints and very small deer like Roe ( Which you don`t have in Canada ) but that`s all. If you wish to hunt Whitetail or Mule Deer you need a heavier - and more powerful - calibre. If you want to hunt Elk or Moose you will need a considerebly more effective cartridge. I like the CZ 527 very much and usually have one about the place - invariably in .222 Rem. The .222 Rem is generally more accurate and produces less muzzle blast than the .223 Rem and is only a little less poweful but it is a varmint calibre only. No .22 Centrefire is legal for deer hunting in England and Wales but if they produce 1000 ft lbs plus are legal for Roe in Scotland ( but not for larger deer. ) 1000 ft lbs means that the .223 Rem is just legal but the more powerful 22-250 is much more popular.
NO .22 centrefire is suitable for any Deer larger than Roe.
Savage rifles are good value for money and worth looking at. Mehul is a fan and rates them - and the accutrigger - quite highly. You should also check out the CZ550 range which offers a MUCH wider range of calibres than the 527 and is available in several different styles. If you are contemplating a deer rifle then you ahould be looking at calibres like the 6.5x55, the .25-06 and the .270 Win. If you wish to hunt Mule Deer or larger then you should be looking at calibres like the 30-06 or .300/.338 Win Mags - the 30-06 is the most versatile.

[WyoJoe]

For a rifle, I was planning on Savage or CZ. What is your opinion about these companies.

Personally of the 2 I would go for a CZ. I am not a fan of Savages because I have never shot one that fed from the magazine very well. That includes my brother's Police Tactical (7mm Mag). It shot little groups but the feeding left a lot to be desired. The CZ stocks feel blocky for me but that is easily correctable. Another thing I like about the CZ's are that they are built on a commercial Mauser action.

You might look around the pawn shops in Canada. A lot of times you can get a very good deal on used guns. In a gun shop in Cheyenne Wyoming I found a used Ithaca model 37 12 ga. for about $170. For me this is the epitome of pump shotguns.

[Grumpy]

I`d go for the CZ 550 out of the two as well but thats`s mostly because the Savages don`t compare too well on price by the time they get to the UK. I haven`t heard of any particular feed problems with the Savages and didn`t find any references to such a problem in a quick search.
The 550 IS fundamentally a Mauser 98 action but it`s one that has had quite a few changes - the Brno actions were much closer to the M98........Unfortunately with Brnos liquidation last year the new company - Brno Rifles - isn`t making any rifles at the moment, just shotguns.

[Risala]

Roshan

Watch this video about the Baikal MP 153,it does take a lot of beating and is very popular in Canada

http://www.svmag.com/test_baikal.wmv

Cheers

Sanjay