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Tristar Shotguns any Good?
- Thread starter Elk botherer
- Start date Jul 10, 2021
JoinedMay 11, 2020Messages78
I’m in the process of picking up a 20 gauge shotgun for my 8 and 10 year old kids to get them started on birds this fall and I ran across some Tristar pump shotguns but have no experience with them at all. I’ve always just discounted them as bottom tier guns and never gave
them a thought but in today’s market there’s not a lot of options out there so I’m sending out some feelers to anybody that has experience with them. Is Tristar worth pursuing or should I stick to one of the major manufacturers? Thanks.
- #2
Joined Jun 4, 2014Messages591Location Idaho
I bought my kids the youth semi 20Ga about 6 years ago. They have used it for hunting and trap. Never had any issues with.
- #3
Joined Jan 24, 2015Messages3,723
I’m good at talking myself into stuff. Especially stuff that lasts a long time. I was looking for a weatherby sa-08 compact, which by the way is a great little gun. For 250 more I upgraded to a franchi affinity 3 compact. The fit and finish is awesome. It’s incredibly light and the action is
butter smooth. It will make a great youth shotgun or woman’s shotgun for a long time.
- #4
I'd be looking hard at the Winchester SXP. Up here maple syrup land they're nearly the same price but manufacturer, dealer and accessory support is superior for the Winchester if you want a gun that can grow with them.
- Thread Starter
- #5
JoinedMay 11, 2020Messages78
Thanks to all for the feedback. The weatherby sa-08 is actually on the short list I originally had. I was having a hard time finding the 20” Winchester sxp (which is light enough both of my kids can handle it) when I ran across the Tristar. It’s under 6lbs and fit most
criteria but I am reluctant to buy a gun I’ve never handled sight unseen. There’s no local options and I’d have to purchase online. My kids both handled a super bantam mossberg 510 with ease as well as a savage stevens 301 compact but I’d like a repeater. I can’t find the mossberg anywhere for a reasonable price. The only youth 20 gauge shotguns I’ve found local have been 6.5 lbs to 7lbs which was too much weight for the 8 year old and marginal for the 10 year old. Thanks again for the input
all!
- #6
JoinedJul 1, 2014Messages1,488
Personally I’d avoid TriStar. A young lady hunted ducks with us 2 years ago and she got 3 shots out of her TriStar before the side rail on the slide broke. Found out it’s cast metal, not forged. Took a
long time to find parts to repair. She promptly sold it and bought a Franchi
- #7
JoinedSep 22, 2020Messages9
I bought my son a 28ga Tristar Viper G2 on the recommendation of a friend whose boys shoot them. It’s been flawless so far. Beautiful wood as well. It’s very close to being a clone of the Beretta
A400 Xplor. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited: Jul 12, 2021
- #8
JoinedFeb 20, 2017Messages1,084
Recoil will be an issue. We ended up with a Benelli Montefeltro that has a youth stock. We single load it for now.
- #9
JoinedApr 1, 2013Messages2,020
Recoil will be an issue. We ended up with a Benelli Montefeltro that has a youth stock. We single
load it for now. You can also shoot lighter loads with gas. OP -I have 28 in Tristar and 20(montefeltro and berttea 301a). I like, operational wise, Tristar first, 301a second and wife now has the Benelli. I'm looking to buy her another Tristar 28ga to duck hunt with. We can light load TSS and it absolutely thumps them, with minimum recoil and
report. As soon as I find a bronze ill buy it The tristar is probably best eco gun on market. With that said best money ever spent is getting a shot gun fitted by a professional
it's the opposite at same or similar weights. Tristar is a beretta gas clone where as the Montefeltro is a inertia spring.
Last edited: Jul 11, 2021
- #10
JoinedFeb 20, 2017Messages1,084
it's the opposite at same or similar weights. Tristar is a beretta gas clone where as the Montefeltro
is a inertia spring. You can also shoot lighter loads with gas. OP -I have 28 in Tristar and 20(montefeltro and berttea 301a). I like operational wise Tristar first, 301a second and wife now has the Benelli. I'm looking to buy her another Tristar 28ga to duck hunt with. We can light load TSS and it absolutely thumps them, with minimum recoil and report The tristar is probably best eco gun on market. With that said best money ever spent is getting a shot gun fitted by a
professional Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah the OP is looking at a 6# pump.
- #11
JoinedApr 1, 2013Messages2,020
Yeah the OP is looking at a 6# pump. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Oh
oops I missed that!! sorry. Yea pump is a lot more recoil.
- #12
JoinedJul 28, 2014Messages3,321
I bought my daughter the Tri-star semi auto and she hunted ducks with no issues last year Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
- #13
JoinedDec 7, 2020Messages56Location Delaware
I know this is off topic but I'm a big believer in letting any beginner shotgun hunter learn to hunt with a single
shot shotgun. That is how I was started on shotgunning and it will make you make that first shot count. I guess you could just let them load one shell to achieve the same result though.
- Thread Starter
- #14
JoinedMay 11, 2020Messages78
Recoil will be an issue. We ended up with a Benelli Montefeltro that has a youth stock. We single load it for now.
Recoil in a pump that light is definitely a
concern I’ve had and was hoping light target loads would be acceptable to start them on clays and then give them something more stout when we chase quail or partridge and if they do well with that, move up to waterfowl. My budget is about $500 tops due to having to get them set up with a rifle also. The Weatherby SA-08 semi auto is gas operated and would take some thump out I’d think. I was originally thinking a pump is simple and safer to start a kid out on, but I could just load one round at a
time in a semi auto as has been suggested. If I start them on a semi-auto right now to train them, when learning time is over I won’t have to buy a new gun when they want to upgrade from their single shot. I’ll save money in the end by spending more now. Thanks again to all who have replied. Your experience and suggestions are appreciated.
- #15
JoinedFeb 7, 2017Messages936Location NC
Get a semi, preferably a gas gun My neighbor's kid has a Tristar Viper 20ga with the youth stock. I've taken him out on
youth waterfowl days and called a turkey in for him last year. The gun has been flawless and I was impressed for the price. Fit and finish isn't great but it handles well and has never failed to cycle. It's a bit heavy though for him but this also helps with recoil.
- #16
JoinedApr 1, 2013Messages2,020
Recoil in a pump that light is definitely a concern I’ve had and was hoping light target loads
would be acceptable to start them on clays and then give them something more stout when we chase quail or partridge and if they do well with that, move up to waterfowl. My budget is about $500 tops due to having to get them set up with a rifle also. The Weatherby SA-08 semi auto is gas operated and would take some thump out I’d think. I was originally thinking a pump is simple and safer to start a kid out on, but I could just load one round at a time in a semi auto as has been suggested. If I
start them on a semi-auto right now to train them, when learning time is over I won’t have to buy a new gun when they want to upgrade from their single shot. I’ll save money in the end by spending more now. Thanks again to all who have replied. Your experience and suggestions are appreciated.
if you watch gun broker you can catch the base model viper for about 500 or a touch over
- #17
JoinedOct 8, 2019Messages185
I bought my kids the youth semi 20Ga about 6 years ago. They have used it for hunting and trap. Never
had any issues with.
Same here. They were using it at 6 yrs old for duck hunting. It even shot 3" mag and had choke tubes. Bought 3 of them for my 2 boys and my buddy son. Now that there grown, rabbit guns now.
- #18
JoinedSep 22, 2020Messages9
Recoil in a pump that light is definitely a concern I’ve had and was hoping light target loads
would be acceptable to start them on clays and then give them something more stout when we chase quail or partridge and if they do well with that, move up to waterfowl. My budget is about $500 tops due to having to get them set up with a rifle also. The Weatherby SA-08 semi auto is gas operated and would take some thump out I’d think. I was originally thinking a pump is simple and safer to start a kid out on, but I could just load one round at a time in a semi auto as has been suggested. If I
start them on a semi-auto right now to train them, when learning time is over I won’t have to buy a new gun when they want to upgrade from their single shot. I’ll save money in the end by spending more now. Thanks again to all who have replied. Your experience and suggestions are appreciated. That was my thinking. Bought the Viper G2 bronze in 28. I called Tristar and even though they don’t make a youth stock for it, the Raptor black synthetic stock matches up fine. I
think it was around $120 for the youth Raptor stocks but now he has a gun that he can shoot forever. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
- #19
I have the Viper G2 Bronze and the Hunter Mag II and they are both good shotguns for the value. The majority of today's O/U shotguns are made in Turkey. I would not hesitate to recommend them if it is your budget.
- #20
JoinedDec 17, 2017Messages941Location N Idaho
Bought a 20ga viper for my
girlfriend off the local classifieds as her turkey gun.
Was a little sticky feeding at the start, but after some turkey loads through her, no hiccups at all.
Id buy another fwiw.
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