Baikal Cartridges - made in USSR!

[Harnser]

proberbly responcible for taking more guns off thier face than any other cartridge . I used them extensively years ago and they were a good hard hitting shell .

Harnser .

[fortune]

Back in the 80s, a guy I worked with said that he used Baikal’s and I laughed at him and told him that he’s shake his gun to pieces. He replied that they were alright. The next time I saw him he gave me a pack of ten which sort of split like a book with five in each side. He said, “Give em a try”. I thanked him for the thought. These Baikal’s were a pastel strawberry ice cream pink and I tried them against Eley Grand Prix in my lightweight AyA 25 boxlock. I had never actually seen anyone use them or had I shot any myself. I expected “from the rumours” hard recoil but was pleasantly surprised by their smooth performance and hard-hitting power. They were different to the grand prix in the fact that the Grand Prix’s were a sharp crack and recoil whereby the baikals were more of a bang and a smoother push recoil akin to black powder. On the strength of our experience with them my mate and I bought a thousand to try out some more. When I got them home I opened the pack and the cartridge tubes were Black. The next weekend we were out on patrol armed with my AyA 25 and a my mate with his Franchi Hunter. A lone high Pigeon came over and I said to my mate “Watch this boy”. I wasn’t wrong only not how I envisaged it. There was a great big red/pink muzzle flash about six foot long and an almighty bang. I was kind of knocked of balance and my ears rang. I thought that I had had a barrel blockage and the gun had blown up. The bird had been taken by what looked like a full choke 8 bore. I’m sure that the propellant that had been used was left over from Russian anti aircraft shell production. My mate loved using them in his Franchi Hunter with its long recoil action and long barrel. I’ve still got a few of the reds in a box somewhere. They were cheap to. I couldn’t shoot those blacks though and swapped them with my mate.

Edited December 18, 2010 by fortune

[Hornet 6]

Many years ago I was given 10,000 of them, load was 1oz of 6's, came packed in 250's in a dark green tin you opened with a key, a bit

like a tin of corned beef, kicked like a mule and hit just as hard.

The cartridges were an off white paper case, with the writting in blue, think it just said Baikal and No6 and a few little stars.

Not sure I would use them now though, maybe what knackered my shoulder, or at least started the rot

 

Neil.

[mowdy]

Back in 1985 when i got my first shotgun a Baikal 544 sxs i used Baikal cartriges as often as i could get them as they were only £2 per box and Eley grand prix were £3.80 a box and my weekly wage was £27.50 a week on the YTS.

They were great for rabbits except on night my mate shot a rabbit off the back of the subaru pickup and when we came to pick it up the plastic wad was stuck in the middle of the bunny with a large entry hole and an even larger exithole!!.

The flames of the cartiges was a sight to behold when out lamping.

I was told that they had stopped being imported in to the UK because of they were often over the 850kg/3tons proof for 2,3/4" shotguns dont know if that was true or not though?

 

Bob

[Hornet 6]

 

I was told that they had stopped being imported in to the UK because of they were often over the 850kg/3tons proof for 2,3/4" shotguns dont know if that was true or not though?

 

Bob

 

True as far as I know, mine came from a friend who ran fishing tackle and shooting shop up till the early 80's.

These were left in stock and could not be included in the stock valuation when he sold up, they sat in his shed for a while as he shot

4 and 8 bores for geese.

I found them ok, just a bit lumpy, but they did the business on rabbits, ducks and a few foreshore geese.

 

Neil.

[Frankbrickbats]

HI IF THEY ARE IN 10s AND PAPER THEY WILL BE VERY OLD, 42 YEARS+!!! , SUCEPTABLE TO SWELLING WHEN IN WET CONDITIONS.

HOWEVER I FOUND THE BAIKAL RECORD CARTRIDGES ARE THE BEST HARD HITTING CARTRIDGES I HAVE EVER USED, I WOULD DEFINATELY BE PLEASED TO SEE THEM BACK ON THE MARKET AGAIN ESPECIALY AT THEIR ORIGINAL PRICE I BELIEVE THEY HAVE A MV OF +1500fps (IT HELPS WITH CUREING TAIL SHOOTING)

BEST OF LUCK, HAVE PLENTY OF FUN.

REGARDS

FRANK

[The Duncan]

HI IF THEY ARE IN 10s AND PAPER THEY WILL BE VERY OLD, 42 YEARS+!!! , SUCEPTABLE TO SWELLING WHEN IN WET CONDITIONS.

HOWEVER I FOUND THE BAIKAL RECORD CARTRIDGES ARE THE BEST HARD HITTING CARTRIDGES I HAVE EVER USED, I WOULD DEFINATELY BE PLEASED TO SEE THEM BACK ON THE MARKET AGAIN ESPECIALY AT THEIR ORIGINAL PRICE I BELIEVE THEY HAVE A MV OF +1500fps (IT HELPS WITH CUREING TAIL SHOOTING)

BEST OF LUCK, HAVE PLENTY OF FUN.

REGARDS

FRANK

THANKS FOR THAT! TURN YOUR HEARING AID UP!

 

Capitals makes it look like you're shouting.

 

It looks like these carts are crude but powerful.

 

Duncan :yp:

[fenix]

THANKS FOR THAT! TURN YOUR HEARING AID UP!

 

 

Duncan :yp:

 

ITS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU USE BAIKAL CATRIDGES

 

YOU GO A BIT MUTTON JEFF

[Lymmlad]

ok people, along the note of me potentially purchasing a Baikal shotgun i have now had 100 cartridges thrown into the deal...

 

They come in boxes of 10 and are of green waxed paper with a cardboard end instead of a crimp, they say on the box " Baikal game load 6, made in the USSR.

 

i must admit they look pretty cool and all are in perfect condition, having been stored in a cupboard for a number of years.

 

now to get down to business, can i shoot these SAFELY? ive had a number of stories about eastern block cartridges, none really been encouraging, such as emitting out huge flaming wads, having the shot rolled around in sand after prouduction, being overly loud , having a kick akin to a bull elephant etc etc.

 

When did they stop making them and was there a good reason for it?

 

I have not shot these cartridges before and am a bit wary about putting them through my guns....

 

Baikal cartridges along with another eastern block shell Selier & Belot were banned on many shooting grounds some years ago because of the noise they made and the disturbing flame from the muzzle. Looked quite spectacular in the dusk. They were imported by Edgar Brothers I think.

[Devon Fox]

I used these extensively as a kid, didnt have a lot of money (pocket money only) I bought them in 1000's after saving up, came in a big cardboard box with a bin liner inside and all shells loose

 

Trago Mills near Newton Abott used to sell them - I liked them,I remember them being pink though

[coneyhunter]

well yesterday was the day of reckoning, me and my mate went for a bit of a walkabout, i was equipped with my newly purchased Baikal sxs ands of course the famous green Baikal cartridges and this was the result....

 

Wandering near a bit of scrub land i came towards a small frozen pond, kicking through the brush and making as much noise as possible ( as you do in North Wales) i startled a cock pheasant, up he got and i swung on, sadly not taking into account my positioning ( turning around to my left) i let off the right barrel and not anticipating the recoil ( i usually shoot an auto) i promptly lost my footing and fell into the frozen pond! i did however bowl over the pheasant, he seemed to be knocked from the air by an AA gun! despite getting soaked in freezing water i will use these cartridges again ( when ive dried them out

[remmy1100]

when i first started shooting my mate took me to his land with old double trigger ou and a bag full of baikal shells they had a kick like mule ,fired a foot long flame from the barrels and could be heard miles away...the guns were also that tough you could knock a fence post in with them I read they stopped making them as all lead in ussr was diverted to encasing leaking reactors on the rusting mothballed nuclear submarines.