Top 10 guns for game
Editor Matt Clarke of Sporting Gun gives his wish list
The rise of syndicated game shoots means fieldsports can be enjoyed by people of all backgrounds
In my job I’m lucky enough to get to review a good few guns. Based on my experiences, and talking to our reviewers and other keen Guns, here’s my list of the best guns for game around today. (Read about the difference between a game and a sporting gun here. )
Top 10 game guns
1.Browning 525 Game Laminated 12-bore £1,695
Our reviewer Elliot Roberts gave this a top rating, saying: “I can see this gun proving hugely popular with the everyday shooter looking for reliability and robustness.”
2. Miroku Mk 11 Game Side plate £6,199
“A great all-round game gun” said Shooting Times reviewer and shooting instructor Mark Hunt, who gave the gun a score of 89%. I can’t wait to try it out myself.
3. Beretta Silver Pigeon lll £2,245
Where would this list be without a Silver Pigeon? The go-to gun for many game shooters has had an upgrade; Mark Heath on what’s changed, what has stayed the same and how it shoots.
4. Purdey Trigger Plate £65,000
I was lucky enough to be the first person granted access to test the new 20-bore version of this over-and-under. Yes, I liked it and it has made its inclusion on this list.
5. Chapuis Armes C135 Artisan Super Orion £5,290
Reviewer Alex Flint said: “You really will not believe you can buy such a stunning, hand engraved, hand finished gun for anything under five figures.” Read the review and find out why he was so impressed.
6. AYA Legend De Luxe £10,660
When I reviewed this shotgun back in October 2019 I said: “It’s a gun designed to enable over-and-under shooters to buy into the AYA brand and enjoy a beautiful and well-made gun. I think this gun has a long future ahead of it.”
7. William Evans St James £17,500
Reviewer Shane Robinson said: “William Evans has created a gun that is useable, practical, high quality and relatively affordable in the grand scheme of things.”
8. E. J Churchill Regal side-by-side £19,000
When I tested out this gun I opted for a slightly unusual calibre too, as well as testing a now less common side-by-side. I found it hard to find a fault with it.
9. Caesar Guerini Magnus £3,350
This is a reassuringly chunky gun to handle but has the lines and elegance of a thoroughbred.
10. Beretta Ultra Leggero £2,495
This would be my choice for walked-up game rather than driven game. As the reviewer said: “With the Ultraleggero, Beretta has achieved an exceptionally lightweight gun with no compromise in strength, quality or handling.”
