Tri-star o/u 12 gauge at Walmart?

[adcoch1]

Saw this pretty little Turkish number at Wally world today, and I am wondering if anyone has played with one yet. I am in the market for a break action 12 for hunting/walking logging roads and this one looks pretty solid. Thoughts? Btw its 357 bucks and has interchangeable chokes.

 

[midland man]

I own one mine is the ulti-mag meaning it shoots 2 3/4, 3in, and 3 1/2in magnums. my tristar is the o/u 12g with camo end to end and I have taken turkey and squirrels etc! I like mine just fine!

 

[oneounceload]

You might want to see if you can borrow one and try it out to see how you like the way it handles.

 

[adcoch1]

Playing with it in the store it seemed really nice and pointed well. They had the trigger locked up so I couldn't try that, but other than being stiff from being new it seemed like quite the gun for the money

 

[oneounceload]

I'm a firm believer in that you get what you pay for. An O/U selling for that price I would personally not expect to stand up to a lot of use. That said if you are talking ab out a few boxes a year at doves or similar, it might do OK. If you're talking about joining a trap/skeet/sporting league and shooting a few times a week, then not so much.

You'll need to go to your local club if they have a pattern plate and, using the ammo you'll be using, see how it performs.

 

[loose noose]

Tri Star has a pretty good reputation, as quite a few have gone out of the gun shop that I do armorer work for. Haven't had any come back yet and this is over 3 years since they started carrying them. I know I've seen them at my trap range that I frequent, and for the most part I haven't heard any complaints. Myself I shoot a Browning and a Beretta, and occasionally a Krieghoff, that I got from a friend just before he passed away.

 

[adcoch1]

Loose noose thanks for the info. I was primarily looking for a single shot 12 for grouse and general knock around work, but I've always liked doubles, especially over/unders, but price has always made them out of reach. Plus I am a little hard on shotguns, so destroying hundreds of dollars of beautiful walnut doesn't appeal to me. But if the gun works good and is cheap enough I won't be afraid of a scratch or two, and maybe it will survive better than a pump and I can upgrade later. At the moment durability is the most important thing for me.

 

[oneounceload]

so destroying hundreds of dollars of beautiful walnut

Just so you don't feel bad....
A friend just recently had a custom walnut (burl) stock made.
The wood alone was $6000; the actual making to his specs, checkering, fitting and finishing doubled the price. WAY out of my league, but it sure is purrrrrty.............
Something about that burl marblecake wood is just a sight to behold!

Since you mentioned hard use - a gunwriter friend of mine has a fellow attorney buddy who grew up and hunts grouse in New England. When this gent retired, he had a bespoke (custom) made David MacKay Brown SxS made with the Celtic engraving. Took over a year to be handmade; cost about as much as my house, and this gent takes it into the coverts every chance he gets.

He was asked about being worried over scratches, etc., and his reply was absolutely not - "I earned it, and I am going to enjoy it as long as I can".

I put those words in quotes, because I'll never forget that view of things. Life's too short to worry about that - buy what you can afford, enjoy it to the max, and don't sweat the small stuff..................

 

[adcoch1]

Thanks. I try to not care that much but after dropping a nice walnut hunting rifle and having it slide down the gravel hill from hell, I get nervous when the woodwork is irreplaceable, delicate, or too expensive. Replacing a 300 buck stock wouldn't be too big of a deal though, until I tell the wife...

 

[oneounceload]

ANY stock can be replaced...........I did the same thing as you with a SKB shotgun - placed it on a shale slope as I was hunting chukar....it slid and it still has a nice gouge on the right side near the wrist.......works great and has a "battle scar"..(those who hunt chukar out West will know about that!)

 

[loose noose]

Believe me I do know about hunting the "red legged Partridge" also known as the chukar, in the rimrock out here in Nevada as well as California. Messed up quite a few beautiful guns in that country, and in fact had to get leather booties for the paws on my German Short Haired Pointer (btw he wouldn't wear them).

 

[oneounceload]

I was between Carson, VA City and Reno chasing those little &*^%$$#*&^% birdies!
That country wears out your gun, your shoes, your legs and your lungs........

As long as your choice of gun goes BANG everytime and hots where you point, then life is good.

 

[rule303]

The Tristar is one of the better low cost O/U's. It will probably serve you fine as a hunting gun. FWIW the Walmart and some big box store Tristar o/u's only come with two choke tubes, where they normally have five.

 

[oneounceload]

Which is why they sell for less there.................