The automotive industry has moved from ‘any colour as long as it’s black’ to any colour. At the same speed and over the same timescale, the gunmaking industry has moved from ‘it goes bang’ to ‘what do you want to shoot?’
When a gunmaker launches a new mass-market shotgun, it has to cover all of shooting’s disciplines, yet somehow remain the same gun. Companies like Blaser went entirely modular with the F3, launched in 2003, and based on the same receiver for whatever you want to do with it. With the B725, launched nearly 10 years after the F3, Browning achieved an all-rounder that comes in many different shapes and styles yet is still, palpably, a B725.
Browning’s idea with the B725 was to produce a shotgun with a lower receiver, and another shift in balance compared to its market-leading B525. The B725 has a mechanical trigger system and comes with Invector DS Chokes, a thin-wall choke.
Ask not what the B725 can do for you, but what you can do with the B725 (apologies, Mr President). For example, World Champion shooter Amy Easeman uses a B725 (Sporter Black Edition) for both her clayshooting and pheasant shooting.
So which B725 is right for you? (Spoiler alert: if you don’t know already, it will probably be a Sporter). First of all, choose your main shooting discipline. Are you a clay or game shooter? If purely game shooter, you may be tempted to choose a B725 Hunter. Then it’s a question of wood and engraving, from the top end grade five or ‘G5’ to the more basic yet still elegant Black Gold II, designed especially for the UK market.
If you are solely a clay shooter, you will be tempted by the Pro range. The Pro Master and Pro trap come with adjustable ribs, designed to turn you from Sunday shooter to Olympic. Well, maybe that’s up to you. If you shoot sporting disciplines such as compass or FITASC, take a look at the Pro Sport Adjustable.
The all-rounder is the Sporter. All B725 Sporters from the basic Sporter to the Adjustable, the Black Edition and the G5 come ready for you to insert counterweights for the perfect balance. The B725 is the techie choice, compared to the more traditional B525. And if yo u still can’t make up your mind if you are a pheasant fan or a clay duster, the G5 Combo offers you a barrel for each.
If you do get one, you will be in good company. We surveyed our viewers about the kit they use for shooting in March 2020. 3,500 responded, of which 1,300 responses were about shotguns. The B725 is the fourth most popular shotgun owned by Fieldsports Channel viewers, behind the Beretta Silver Pigeon, the Browning B525 and Beretta 686, and ahead of the Beretta 687.
Around three-quarters of our viewers are Browning or Beretta owners, and they give their guns similar scores for reliability. Browning owners reckon they get significantly better value for money than Beretta owners.
Watch our film about the B725 Pro Trap High Rib here:
For more about the B727 Sporter range, visit BrowningB725.eu/en/b725-sporter/
