September 2002

Budget Side-By-Side Shotguns: Baikal and Tristar Face Off

For some people, the wide shooting plane of a double-barrel shotgun helps them hit more game or targets. But do they have to spend thousands to get the feature? We say no.

Think you need to spend a lot to get a good,
ûserviceable side-by-side? We think not. The
ûBaikal IZH 43, top, costs only $190 and works
ûpretty well. The Tristar Brittany, bottom,
ûcosts a lot more but isn’t that much better.

Dove hunting offers prime September shooting action in many states, and the quest for the best gun for that sport continues unabated. Because most dove hunters have batting (shooting) averages on par with a AAA shortstop coming to the bigs—if he hits his weight, he’s lucky—there’s always interest in finding a better gun to hit the tricky-flying birds.

We recently tested a pair of double-barrels suited to pass-shooting doves this fall. Both 12 gauges featured barrels chambered for 2.75- or 3-inch shells, and they were inexpensive enough where a little blood on the stock or a ding in the metal wouldn’t cause cardiac arrest. Our test guns were Baikal’s IZH43 Basic,…

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