Trade Ex Doubles???

I have purchased several doubles from Anthony. I still have my Baikal 16 bore sxs. Of all the Baikal is the most course but most heavily and reliably built. Great for early season teal and mallards with #6 bismuth handloads. Most of Anthony's doubles will be too tightly choked for upland hunting.

Darryl

What choke would you suggest for upland game hunting?

IIRC I got my Brno zh301 from them, Nice O/U and great for trap and grouse hunting. When I got the thing I opened her up and she still had "Forest" in her, cleaned her well and no problems with it.

Just looked it up. What a nice looking gun! I'll keep an eye out.
 
For upland hunting most useful choking would be MODIFIED and IMPROVED CYLINDER. A skeet one and skeet two choke double is handy for close shots at woodcock and grouse. You can have a gunsmith open any tight choked gun to your preference.

Darryl
 
For upland hunting most useful choking would be MODIFIED and IMPROVED CYLINDER. A skeet one and skeet two choke double is handy for close shots at woodcock and grouse. You can have a gunsmith open any tight choked gun to your preference.

Darryl

Thanks! Would it be worth threading one of these old guns for modern chokes?
 
For upland hunting most useful choking would be MODIFIED and IMPROVED CYLINDER. A skeet one and skeet two choke double is handy for close shots at woodcock and grouse. You can have a gunsmith open any tight choked gun to your preference.

Most classic sxs I have seen will have Mod/IC combination.

The 301 is Full over full, and it handles pretty well, I like placing a 20 gauge insert into the top barrel so that I can go a bit lighter on the bird if I'm in open and close. I'll fire bottom barrel 12 gauge for further shots and dense bush.

It will run you about 80$ per barrel to get opened up (Last time I checked into getting chokes), so it gets expensive for a gun that is worth 200-400$
 
Last edited:
Quick reading suggests that IC/Mod is a decent combo to have if you are buying one that can't be changed.

I suppose I never really considered using an insert. Does it effect the patterning much compared to using a 20ga shell out of a 20ga barrel?

Sounds like opening the barrels isn't really worth it unless the gun is worth something.

I'll be checking Tradeex frequently.
 
You have to price around for costs to open a choke. I had one done here last fall and it cost me $35.00 per barrel.

Good to know. My local gunsmith is expensive with a six to eight week waiting period. I'd definitely have to look around a lot. Was that $35 just to open it up or to thread it?
 
Just be aware that a 200$ shotgun has its limits. Many of these guns have cracked stocks and other issues, which is the reason they were sold out of Europe for cheaps. To be fair, Tradex makes a strong effort to describe their offerings.
1) The Spanish gun trade suffered from a period of "soft metal" after WW2, particularly in the cheap export models. (Spain makes some very good shotguns, including "best" guns, but they cost 4 figures.)
2) The Baikal guns have chrome bores, so are difficult/expensive to modify.
3) The Brno guns also have chrome bores.
So you need to do some research, and clarify your needs. Already, there is an "aftermarket" for the Tradex guns on the EE ...
 
Last edited:
Good to know. My local gunsmith is expensive with a six to eight week waiting period. I'd definitely have to look around a lot. Was that $35 just to open it up or to thread it?

Just to open it up. I personally could care less if I had choke tubes. I have a few guns that take them but haven't changed them since the first outings.
 
Where do you buy 2 1/2" shotgun shells?

I've never seen them for sale anywhere.

Any dealer who sells Kent Cartridge Company shells can order Gamebore shells from Kent. Some dealers don't see the demand that's out there for these shells, so they'll expect you to pre-order them by the flat. Conversely, many dealers DO see the demand and they'll bring them in, sell you only what you want, and put the rest on the shelf. A dealer who won't bring them in for you doesn't know the business very well (and I wouldn't trust them further than you can chuck them). They'll tell you they have to order by the skid, which is BS. Kent, as the distributor, has to order them by the skid (from the UK). Dealers can buy them by the flat.

BTW, the 12 ga Gamebore loads are called "Pure Gold", and the 16 ga and 20 ga are called "Traditional Game". They're sweet, sweet loads. I like them so much for the smaller upland species such as ruffed grouse, partridge, etc (and, as opposed to pheasant or sharptail grouse) that I use them in my 2 3/4" chambered guns as well.
 
If it's just going to be a bush gun, buy one with 28 or 30 inch barrels and have it chopped down to 26. I did that with an old Baikal sxs and with wide open 'choke' (cylinder barrel), I am DEADLY with that gun at close range... ducks, grouse, snipe, whatever...
 
Back
Top Bottom