.410 Baikal s/b Hushpower

[richness]

Hi guys
Quick review of my new Baikal .410 single-barrel hushpower-moderated shotgun:

I LOVE my hushpower 12b pump action so quickly fell for this little .410 when i saw it at my local RFD.

Knowing how well the 12G pump is moderated, i knew that the longer mod afforded by the single barrel design of this .410 would work significantly better.Added to the fact that .410 is way quiter than 12g....i reckoned it would be practically silent.
Which it is.
I used it around horses stabled around a 50m courtyard, without any frek-outs, which is exactly why i went for it.
All good stuff. The black synthetic stock on the Baikal is smart and the gun looks solidly built.

What surprised me really, was how hard the little guage hits! My very first shot with it was a big flying rook that lifted out of a tree at about 40y. I snapped at it and it folded right up, just like that! It's the same thing as my 12g - the removal of the gases seems to do wonders for the integrity of the pattern, making the gun shoot sweeter, further than you'd expect.
With retrospect, i suppose that the shot is the same size and flies at the same speed as a 12G; it's just that there is half as much of it. So you either hit or you miss....

Anyway, using gamebore 2.5 and 3" 11gram and 16gram no6, i was very impressed by the tighness of the patterns. 2.5s are a mite quieter.
Feral doves, rooks, rats...all dispatched with ease.
Doesn't look like a driven-rhino gun like the 12g pump does, too so quite discreet for for use around buildings etc.
It tracks and mounts very nicely, too. I added a longer butt-pad as i like a longer pull than is normal.

Heartily recommded for when you need something TOTALLY discreet, even with standard cartridges.
When you reach for your air rifle/FAC air rifle, think twice whether a shotgun would be better, because this gun can do anything that I would normally use my air rifle for, and more

[tikkapaul]

I am sure that it is now illegal to shoot starlings as their numbers a declining?????? not in my garden.

[hawkeye]

I am sure that it is now illegal to shoot starlings as their numbers a declining?????? not in my garden.

You are correct they are no longer on the list of quarry that may be legally shot as pests !
In most areas of the uk there has been a decimation of thier no.s .
Brian

[richness]

In most areas of the uk there has been a decimation of thier no.s .
Brian

lol yes they're all on my shoots

anyway, enough of that
back to the gun

I'm starting to think that it might shoot better with the 2.5s over the 3" - anyone else found this?

[Tony.T]

I find mine pretty loud- but it's only had 25 cartridges through it, eley 3'' subs. It does appear to be getting quieter with use as I was told to expect. (the can needs sooting up apparently. Anyone else found this?

[richness]

I find mine pretty loud- but it's only had 25 cartridges through it, eley 3'' subs. It does appear to be getting quieter with use as I was told to expect. (the can needs sooting up apparently. Anyone else found this?

Oh yes, they get much deader-sounding as time goes by and it gets all coated inside. Also, you soon realise that its report , though sounding harsh to you, doesn't even stir horses 30yards away....

[UnclePete]

I find mine pretty loud- but it's only had 25 cartridges through it, eley 3'' subs. It does appear to be getting quieter with use as I was told to expect. (the can needs sooting up apparently. Anyone else found this?

You'll find 2.5" much quieter than the 'subs', I think just about every Hushpower shooter has found that.

[Chris St. MH]

You are correct they are no longer on the list of quarry that may be legally shot as pests !
In most areas of the uk there has been a decimation of thier no.s .
Brian

They're still on the general licences in Scotland (the new ones issued this January) so you can still shoot them here if you comply with the conditions.

[Pudding]

Richness,

Is it the fully moderated version you have, or the one with the 9" moderator on the end?

Thinking of getting something like this for my 10 year old to introduce him to shooting...assuming it's not going to be too heavy or unwieldy.


Cheers

Harry

[richness]

Fully moderated mate
It is alot heavier than a normal 410, mind. That's still not very heavy, mind. And well balanced. Depends how strapping he is!
BFN

[jax13]

as tempted as i am to sell mine to pay for a nice 12 i just don't want to part with it, it'll dust clays nicely, fairly quiet so long as you are in a bit of space and i find its weight and balance really nice too.

mine is a wood stocked version and the wood and finish are pretty cheap but it is a cheap gun to start out with. I may re-finish the wood in time but i'm in no big hurry to do so. To be honest, that is the only fault i can pick with it!