Poor Shot

Agreed. Just get the DT11 and call it a day... 😅 More than twice the cost of the 694 but IMO it's more than twice the gun. I wouldn't have believed that before trying one based on just how good the 694 is but the DT11 is on another level. Almost feels like it's doing the shooting for you. It may have been new gun syndrome but my first shoot with the DT11 was at 90% vs average low 80's long term for the 694. It feels a lot more sure footed and planted than the 694 did, perhaps at the expense of a little maneuverability but I didn't notice that on yesterdays shoot which had two stands of fast, on report quartering birds. The type of target where you see it and shoot it with plenty of gun speed but next to no thought. It has a steadiness on longer targets that the 694 just didn't have which I think is because the DT11 feels a lot bigger in the hands, the action is wider and as a result it feels like you have a lot more gun in your hands and a lot more control over it. It's not too much gun either which a previous 725 pro sport felt like so it doesn't encourage you to be lazy with it.

Off the shelf teague stainless steel extended. Same as yourself I believe? I also shoot around 10k a year roughly 50/50 registered and practice. I'm sure we've all had days where a target you broke convincingly last week just didn't break the same this week with everything else (seemingly) the same. I've since swapped the 694 for a DT11 but retained the 3/8 teague chokes. Just yesterday I was shooting with a coach and hit a screaming 75 yard battue with two consecutive shots and that was with Fiocchi TT1 fibres, the absolute cheapest and lowest quality cartridge I believe exists right now. IMO its very rarely, if ever the cartridge and always the shooter and I am a typical tradesman who blames the tools. Its not impossible that the QS works a lot better with the over and back bored Beretta barrels than standard fibre wads and is actually achieving the 1500 FPS quoted rather than the 1100 FPS most fibre cartridges achieve regardless of whats claimed meaning you were missing in front. Discrepancies in the speed of the cartridge would become more noticeable at distance but I'm clutching at straws with that one.

Without wishing to offend, is there any chance that it's you missing and not the gun/choke/cartridge combo? Only way to tell for sure is to test them on some pattern plates at longer ranges. Until this week, I shot a 694 and 3/8 choke combo for about 12k cartridges of all wad types and shot sizes. I hit some pretty impressive targets, including a 75 yard battue which required 30 feet of lead and I didn't find the 3/8 choke lacking. If you are ultimately unsatisfied with the QS white golds, I'll give you £15 for the remainder of them 😉. I'll be doing you a favour..

Now sold.

Now sold.

Still for sale - £20 posted.

Still for sale - £165 posted.

Still for sale - £200 delivered.

Now sold.

Now sold.

Now sold.

Now sold.

Turn back the clock 10-15 years, what would you have done differently?

It's all down to cost. If you were to compare the service schedules for a VW and Landrover for example, the Landrover will be age/ mileage based servicing with mandatory actions at set age/ mileages whereas the VW will be engine oil and filter one year and Engine oil, filter and cabin filter the next with anything else like brake fluid, gearbox fluid, transmission fluids being optional at extra cost if the dealer will even entertain changing them at all. The downside of this is that the annual service for the landrover will be anything from £450 for the basics to over £2000 for the years where engine oil, all filters, brake fluid changes, transfer case and differential fluid changes all coincide at the same time. The VW will be £180 one year £240 the next, alternating for the life of the car. If you were to opt for longlife servicing then that would be every other year. VW (and pretty much every other manufacturer) don't really care that optional service items are missed as most will last the 3 year/ 60k warranty period without servicing at which point it becomes someone else's issue. Pretty astounding that your average £45-£50k SUV may only be serviced once during its warranty period. Compare that to cars prior to the 00's where you'd be fighting early signs of terminal corrosion at the 3 year/ 60k miles mark and an engine that uses more oil than fuel due to wear.

Tiguan and other VAG cars on the same platform (Q3, Kodiac, Ateca and Yeti) are good cars, the Haldex 4wd systems are surprisingly good but don't expect it to be scrabbling over boulders or transversing a swampy field with a horse trailer attached. They have open differentials front and back and rely on the car sensing and then braking any wheels which break traction to make the opposite wheel turn. Your budget may get you into a good example of the last of the facelift first generation or early second generation tiguan. It'll have a 2.0 diesel which is fairly robust along with most of the bells and whistles you need if you buy right. Avoid R-Line models as these do look the best, they will come with alloy wheel sizes that don't have any options for all terrain or off road tires. If you do buy, get the Haldex system serviced immediately. This doesn't appear in the service plans and get missed by most every day buyers and as a result the filter in the Haldex system becomes blocked and the car reverts to permanent 2wd. Its cheap as chips providing the Haldex pump hasn't been cooked and is just an oil and filter change. If you can get over the slightly odd looks then a Skoda Yeti would be my suggestion.