JonathanS Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 Hi all, Just looking for some advice- I’m helping a friend out by buying a AYA 25 from him. He bought it at auction a few weeks ago, is yet to collect yet but has some issues and can’t afford it. He paid £440 for it. I understand it is mid 1970’s and in very good condition. However I’ve just found out that it has about true cylinder borings- I haven’t come across this before and am concerned. I was intending to use the gun on clays, pigeons and the odd driven day. Is it possible to get the gun choked or will it be ok for the aforementioned activities? thanks J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 cylinder is fine for skeet....fine for decoying and fine for game.......... if you are going to be flightlineing pigeons at -45-50 yds you are asking a bit much catridge choice will be important tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matone Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 7/8oz of 8`s for clays ,1oz of 6.5 or 7`s for the rest ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanS Posted February 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 6 minutes ago, ditchman said: cylinder is fine for skeet....fine for decoying and fine for game.......... if you are going to be flightlineing pigeons at -45-50 yds you are asking a bit much catridge choice will be important tho Ok thanks- so a 32gr 6 or the like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPhantom Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 Think you will struggle on a testing sporting clays layout with true cylinder. You could get it multi choked by Teague but it would cost a few hundred. Up to you if you think it is worth it the cost. Is it the sidelock or boxlock XXV? Might be worth it if you can get it cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dipper Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 Might be able to have it jug choked .If enough metal in it you could get about imp cyl not much more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanS Posted February 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 3 minutes ago, MrPhantom said: Think you will struggle on a testing sporting clays layout with true cylinder. You could get it multi choked by Teague but it would cost a few hundred. Up to you if you think it is worth it the cost. Is it the sidelock or boxlock XXV? Might be worth it if you can get it cheap. It’s the sidelock. Looking online the xxv retails from £800-£2k so might look into it further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPhantom Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 10 minutes ago, JonathanS said: It’s the sidelock. Looking online the xxv retails from £800-£2k so might look into it further. Nice guns, good luck with it whatever you decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 1 hour ago, MrPhantom said: Think you will struggle on a testing sporting clays layout with true cylinder. You could get it multi choked by Teague but it would cost a few hundred. Up to you if you think it is worth it the cost. Is it the sidelock or boxlock XXV? Might be worth it if you can get it cheap. This is good advice. I see now that it's a sidelock. In my experience - long story, won't bore you - it is odds on that a barrel at or near a true TC will not make that actual performance. If you're old enough to know what I'm talking about it's more than likely to be ideal for Star-shot. I would be inclined to pattern test it properly before parting with any dosh - not necessarily to possibly reject it, but to find out how to play it. These barrels tend to like Hull High Pheasant, Gamebore Super Game and also Blue Diamond to show them to the best advantage - just check the chambers, but from the 70s they'll probably be 2&3/4". If it turns out that they are too open for your needs, speak to that nice Mr Teague. Being the gun that it is, I'd go fixed 1/4 by 3/4 as this can be opened out if necessary by simply changing the cartridge but it's there should you need it. Also bear in mind some metal is required at the muzzle for the work to be done. Price? Possibly by now c£400 so if you can haggle you're on course - except the £2k is wishful thinking. Good luck, all being well you could end up with a 'keeper'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 1 minute ago, wymberley said: This is good advice. I see now that it's a sidelock. In my experience - long story, won't bore you - it is odds on that a barrel at or near a true TC will not make that actual performance. If you're old enough to know what I'm talking about it's more than likely to be ideal for Star-shot. I would be inclined to pattern test it properly before parting with any dosh - not necessarily to possibly reject it, but to find out how to play it. These barrels tend to like Hull High Pheasant, Gamebore Super Game and also Blue Diamond to show them to the best advantage - just check the chambers, but from the 70s they'll probably be 2&3/4". If it turns out that they are too open forn your needs, speak to that nice Mr Teague. Being the gun that it is, I'd go fixed 1/4 by 3/4 as this can be opened out if necessary by simply changing the cartridge but it's there should you need it. Also bear in mind some metal is required at the muzzle for the work to be done. Price? Possibly by now c£400 so if you can haggle you're on course - except the £2k is wishful thinking. Good luck, all being well you could end up with a 'keeper'. hello, i remember Starshot even got on the Telly version Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 hello, i had the boxlock verson but had chokes about 1/4 1/2, in the 1970s people did have bores reamed out as a lot of foreign shotguns had half and full, it was not expensive then, before you worry to much when you get the XXV have the barrels properly checked out, if you find the are to open just use a suitable cartridge, still good for sporting clays, hide decoying but high bird game shooting i would think not suitable, the price was good but i would not spend money doing chokes, cheaper to buy another shotgun, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 Diggoyry Hadoke wrote a price in one of the monthly magazines, about shooting guns with little or no choke and how well they killed game. Try it and see how it is, you can have chokes added by Teague and Briley but not cheap. I'd just find carts to suit what I wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theshootist Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 That's a good price for an AYA number 2 XXV. You will find short barrels very handy for walking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunman Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 Buy it , shoot it and find a cartridge that suits for each type of shooting you are doing ,ie adjusting the load to the target. Have said it before and will say it again , there is so much rubbish talked about chokes , that people no longer think they can hit a barn door at 10 paces without 6 different chokes . Its all in the mind .So if the gun fits you , you like it and have confidence in your self , you will hit what you aim at . If you dont have this then take up another hobby . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Boggy Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 21 minutes ago, theshootist said: That's a good price for an AYA number 2 XXV. You will find short barrels very handy for walking. It's been established that it's the AYA25 sidelock, not the No.2. Pretty sure that the No.2 was only made with either 26 or 28 inch barrels only. Might be wrong though. The No.2 with 26 inch barrels seem to sell (or at least are advertised) for between £600 & £800, whereas the 25 sidelock a fair bit more, so if the OP can obtain the gun for what his seller bought it for, namely £450 or thereabouts, then he'll get a bargain. I think that he will need to try the gun first to see whether the short barrels suit his style of shooting as they are 'quick to start and quick to stop' and then decide what to do, if anything, about the chokes. OB 8 minutes ago, Gunman said: Buy it , shoot it and find a cartridge that suits for each type of shooting you are doing ,ie adjusting the load to the target. Have said it before and will say it again , there is so much rubbish talked about chokes , that people no longer think they can hit a barn door at 10 paces without 6 different chokes . Its all in the mind .So if the gun fits you , you like it and have confidence in your self , you will hit what you aim at . If you dont have this then take up another hobby . Good advice from someone who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 22 minutes ago, Gunman said: Buy it , shoot it and find a cartridge that suits for each type of shooting you are doing ,ie adjusting the load to the target. Have said it before and will say it again , there is so much rubbish talked about chokes , that people no longer think they can hit a barn door at 10 paces without 6 different chokes . Its all in the mind .So if the gun fits you , you like it and have confidence in your self , you will hit what you aim at . If you dont have this then take up another hobby . that just about sums it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 8 minutes ago, ditchman said: that just about sums it up Yep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 30 minutes ago, Old Boggy said: It's been established that it's the AYA25 sidelock, not the No.2. Pretty sure that the No.2 was only made with either 26 or 28 inch barrels only. Might be wrong though. The No.2 with 26 inch barrels seem to sell (or at least are advertised) for between £600 & £800, whereas the 25 sidelock a fair bit more, so if the OP can obtain the gun for what his seller bought it for, namely £450 or thereabouts, then he'll get a bargain. I think that he will need to try the gun first to see whether the short barrels suit his style of shooting as they are 'quick to start and quick to stop' and then decide what to do, if anything, about the chokes. OB Good advice from someone who knows. Tend to disagree I'm afraid and mainly because the intended quarry/target is far smaller and requires more pellets in the pattern than does the most frequently shot game bird which are at the bottom of the OP's intended target list. It is far easier to opens choke up by changing cartridges than it is to tighten it when that would be required. Going to stand by my original suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 hello, what Auction did he buy it from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 i shoot fairly open chokes..............TIC & 1/4..26".......always have done.....my mate has an old AYA 26" Cylinder left and right....he uses a 32gram express cartrige for everything....the Express cartridge that he uses is VERY soft...gentle recoil.....and im always amazed at the distance he brings birds down dead.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centrepin Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 11 hours ago, wymberley said: . If you're old enough to know what I'm talking about it's more than likely to be ideal for Star shot Off topic I know, does anyone still do Star shot? Can't honestly remember last time I saw it, maybe TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewluke Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 Only ever shot it a couple of times if one showed up at a fair where we were coaching. I could never hit the bottom high scoring quadrant even with my very open choked AyA XXV SL. Until I was tipped the wink. Mount the gun in the middle of the area, call 'pull' and as soon as you hear the trap fire, pull the trigger. Had it been a fairground I'd have won the cuddly toy every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 12 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said: hello, i remember Starshot even got on the Telly version hello, not sure if there is a video but it was a Celeb shoot, filmed at Littlecote House Berkshire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 Used to watch pro celebrity starship, loved it. Also the sporting shoot that was shown where prince Charles competed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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