The Yildiz Pro 20-bore in depth

This test looks at a type of gun that I have long used for much of my own game shooting: a 32in 20-bore over-and-under. This one is made by Yildiz, a Turkish firm best known in the UK for its well-priced, lightweight, alloy actioned .410s. Yildiz guns are imported into this country by Raytrade, a Hampshire-based company that took over UK distribution of the Turkish guns in January 2019. The firm’s intention is to develop the brand further; it also handles Remington, Marlin and Chiappa firearms, as well Barnes bullets and Aimpoint sights, among other things.

As for the test Yildiz Pro 20-bore, the first thing to be said is that you might easily mistake it for a Perazzi. It has similar styling with a low-profile black action and near-identical mechanical specification. Its price is not comparable, however. The Yildiz Pro, as tested, has an RRP of £1,849, with similar looking Perazzis starting at around £9,000.

Is it as good? Perazzi set the standard for this type of gun, paying special attention to finish and final regulation I think we can say, without giving too much of the game away, that this Yildiz ‘clone’ seems to offer remarkable value for money for a very similar sort of gun.

Quality

Quality is not lacking. The materials are first class. Being picky, I thought the bluing lacked depth but the wood was well figured, well oiled and nicely chequered (by laser). The plain black action – made from 4140 chrome moly steel – will get no negative comment because I have always liked plain guns, especially if they are less expensive (nothing looks worse than cheap engraving). The test gun is quite hefty for a 20 at 7lb 10oz but it is well balanced with a point of balance only about half an inch forward of the knuckle.

The Yildiz felt secure in the hands, with a tightly radiused but comfortable grip and a schnabel fore-end of good proportions. There is no palm swell and the grip feels quite square in cross-section. It fills the hand well and promotes good muzzle control. The 7mm parallel rib is excellent. The gun has British (Birmingham) fleur-de-lys proof marks and is compatible with steel shot. It is multichoked, with a relatively short design of choke being employed (although two extended chokes are also supplied with five flush fitting ones). The barrel bores measure up at 15.8mm – about average for a 20-bore – and have short forcing cones. There is a red, translucent, rod-type foresight that is not too big (although my own preference is for less fragile metal beads).

The plain black action is made from 4140 chrome moly steel

Stock

Looking at the stock in more detail, the wood is of good quality, as noted. Much walnut for guns emanates from Turkey, so Yildiz can obviously source good blanks at reasonable cost. The shelf measurements were sound – 14¾in for length of pull with drop of 1½in and 2¼in (my preference would be for a little lower).

Yildiz guns have notably improved in respect of both stock measurements and shapes. I thought the fore-end good. The tightly radiused grip was also good for its type but the shape to the side might be refined – there needed to be more relief for the base of the thumb (easily remedied). The grip was quite square in cross-section, too, as mentioned, but it still allowed for good purchase. The comb might have been improved with slightly more taper (again, easily remedied).

What of the long-barrelled 20-bore? I have found that they suit British driven shooting (especially pheasant battues). I vacillate now between 30in and 32in. My own 32s handle and balance much like the test gun, though they are a little lighter; 32in guns are both pointable and steady. In 20-bore form they move especially well. They are much quicker to point than their 12-bore stablemates, allowing for correction when required, but still encourage a smooth, precise style.

Technical

The Yildiz 20, like its 12-bore sibling, draws inspiration from the Perazzi MX8 but without a detachable trigger-lock. Conceptually, it is perhaps most like the fixed-lock MX12, with a barrel selector-cumsafety on the top strap and similar coil spring-powered mechanics. The relatively thick-walled, low-profile action puts good weight between the hands. Bifurcated lump barrels hinge on stud pins near the action knuckle in familiar Woodward/Perazzi/ Beretta fashion. The bolting is Boss/ Perazzi style. In the middle there are Boss-type draws and wedges. At the back of the action, radiused projections either side of the bottom of the monobloc mate with corresponding recesses in the base of the action face. The bolt comes down on top of these to secure the action. It’s a strong arrangement and has inspired many other makers. The MX8 may be considered a generic design now and imitation, as ever, is the sincerest form of flattery.

Shooting impressions

I took the Yildiz Pro 20-bore to our usual test venue, Fennes in Essex. Shooting the gun was rewarding. Trigger-pulls were better than expected (though not quite up to Perazzi standards) and overall handling was excellent. The gun was pointable and felt recoil low. The trigger-pulls had a little creep but were not too heavy and did not impact the otherwise fine shooting qualities. The tight radius grip secured the rear hand, the foreend was comfortable and promoted good muzzle control. Using a variety of Lyalvale Express loads and open chokes, everything on the Skeet range was accounted for before tackling Sporting and tower birds with equal success. The gun inspired much confidence. It was stable and forgiving in use. At its price p