Sporting Gun UK – May 2019

Great subscription deals at http://www.sportinggunsubs.co.uk MAY 2019SPORTING GUN 87

GEAR

CARTRIDGES

Thecartridgesinthistestwere12-bore

EleySuperb,28g,No.7½shotwith

fibrewads.AvailablefromDBGuns,

Unit4,FieldFarm,NorthWeston,

Thame,OX92HQ,tel 01844 214404.

Formoreinformationvisitwww.

eleyhawkltd.comortel 01213 523277.

ManythankstoTheOxfordGunCompanyforhostingthistest.TheOxfordGunCompany,JerichoFarm,

Oxford Road, Oakley, Buckinghamshire HP18 9RG, tel 01844 238308, http://www.oxfordguncompany.co.uk

WE NEED YOU!

Wehaveroomformorereadertesters.If

youlivenearTheOxfordGunCompany

andwanttogetyourhandsonsome

newguns,emailusatsportinggun@

ti-media.com

DAVIDSAYS:

“Browning

hasasolid

reputation

andthisisno

moreclearthan

intheBrowning

525 SLLaminate.

Ithasafully

adjustable

stock,soitcan

bemadetofita

widevarietyof

shooters.Withthe

525 SLLaminate

youcertainlyget

alotofgunfor

yourmoneyand

foraround£2,000

youwon’t get

muchbetter”

DavidFlorentismanagingdirector

andheadshootinginstructor at The

Oxford Gun Company

Atmorethan8lbthe 525 SLLaminateis
fairlyheftybutJohnsaysit feelsjustrightfor
him.“Whenthegunismountedyoudon’t
noticetheweight,whichmeansthegunis
well-balanced.Itevenfeelsbetterbalanced
thanmyoldBrowning525.”Lucypicksup
thegunandsaystheweightisrightforher.
“Thebalanceisjustaroundthe hinge pin and
thegunfeelsjustright.”
Johnlikesthefactthatthestockis
adjustable.“Itfitsmewellasit is,butif you
reallysetit up,thegunwouldfit aswellas
a custom-builtgun.I mightmakethecheek
risera bithigherif it weremygun.”Lucy
adds:“Ifyouwanta longerlength-of-pull
presumablyyoucouldchangethebuttpad,
soit ’sa veryversatilegun.”Lucyalsolikes
the fi nish of the stock. “The colour is quite

strikingandthesmoothnessofthestockis
nice,especiallywhenyou have the stock
against your cheek.”

Ontarget
JohnisfirsttotrytheBrowningLaminateon
a fewtargets.Therearea fewdriventargets
tobeginwithandthena fewcrossers.John
duststheclaysandcomesawayfromthe
standsmiling.“Thatfeelsbeautifultoshoot.
Forsomereasonit feelstotallydifferentfrom
myold525.I can’texplainit.TheLaminate
justhandlesbeautifullyandit fits me pretty
wellstraightoutofthebox.”
Lucyisupnextandalsodoeswellwhenit
comestoslayingtheclays.“Thegunswings
ontargetbeautifullyandfeelsverywell
balanced.Youcantracka targetwiththegun
easily and you don’t notice the recoil when

youpullthetrigger,whichisimpressive

consideringweareusing28gcartridges.”

Nextcomesomeleftandrightcrossers,

whichprovea littlemorechallengingforboth

Guns,buttheystillshootwell.Doesthisalter

theiropinionofthegun?No.Theystilllove

it.“Itfeelssolidbutnotheavy.It manages

recoilwellandisverycomfortabletoshoot,”

saysLucy.Johnadds:“Thisisa gunthatwould

suitsomanypeoplebecauseofitsadjustable

stockandhandlingcharacteristics.”

Sowouldeitherofourreadertestersbuy

a Browning 525 SLLaminate?Johnisa big

fan.“Iwouldcertainlythinkofbuyingoneof

theseguns.Ithandlesbeautifullyandlooks

good.”Lucyagrees:“TheBrowningLaminate

isa verynicegun.AsJohnsays,thehandling

issuperbandit feelsbeautifullymade.It ’s

also a reasonable price. What ’s not to like?”

Reader test

LucylikedhowtheBrowning

Laminatehandledtherecoil

from the 28g cartridges