Tristar presents itself as a value option in shotguns. I wanted to see if that meant it was worth the money or if that just meant it was cheaply made. There are plenty of cheaply made options out there, and I have no interest in them.

After handling the Viper I think it was safe to assume it wasn’t slapped together by unskilled hands, the fit and finish of the shotgun looked very comparable to the competitive price.

The MSRP for the model tested is $990.00, but in a cursive search of the market, various configurations of the Viper can be had for as little as $460 to near the MSRP price. The majority of the ones I found were around the $600 mark, which isn’t bad for a good shotgun in my estimation.

To be fair, a guy like me would probably do well with the Viper. If you aren’t one of those haughty shotgunners looking down their nose through a strange shade of amber shooting glasses at non-Italian shotguns, you could also benefit from the Viper G2.

With a price like this, it could definitely be a winner for those looking to scatter shot on a budget.

The Tristar Viper G2 is available in a bunch of different setups, colors, and even a left-handed version. This is great for those looking, as it gives you more options at a decent price. Make sure you look at all of the models, as there may be one better suited for you than this model. Whether you are dusting clays on a range or seriously seeking turkeys, you have got some great options.

SPECIFICATIONS

Enough chit chat about numbers and prices, it was time to get the Viper into action and heat it up.

For this, my brother and I ventured into the springtime Rocky Mountains, which are currently still stuck in February mode. But with a gorgeous day before us and several boxes of shells and clays, I knew we were going to have a good time.

Hand-thrown clays add an extra layer of fun to shooting shotguns, unless you bring my nephew, in which case it becomes a very hazardous two-way range. We took turns throwing targets for each other, running an assortment of shells from Remington and Fiocchi.

RELIABILITY

I had accidentally glanced at the manual that came with the Viper, and in doing so, I noticed that they recommend a break-in process using magnum loads. I was a bit concerned thinking there may be a reliability issue since my inventory was currently barren of any three-inch shells.

With that in mind, I approached the first few shots paying close attention to the cycling of the action. Whether it be good luck or simply the sunshine, the Viper ran like a typewriter despite my complete disregard for the break-in.

We cranked through several different boxes of ammunition to see how the Viper handled them. There were some light-weight 1oz. Sporting loads as well as some 1⅛ oz. loads, everything we shot was either 7.5 or 8 shot size.

During all of our shooting, we had zero malfunctions. The gun functioned perfectly and locked back every time.

ACCURACY

I usually don’t have much trouble hitting what I’m aiming at with shotguns. But it did take me a minute to get the flow right with the Viper, and once we did, we really hammered everything.

The fiber-optic front bead made it easy to see, and every time we lined it upright with the flight of the targets, we would be rewarded with a dark cloud of dust.

OVERALL FEEL

The Viper G2 felt excellent in my hands. Its lightweight made it quick to point and easy to keep on target. I say lightweight mainly because I am used to rifles; compared to those, the Viper is very light.

But it is lighter than some of its competitors, like the Beretta A300 or the Stoeger M3500.

I mentioned before that the fit and finish of the gun was great. It looks better than I expected it to, knowing that it was a “value” branded shotgun.

The trigger and other controls were perfectly familiar and easy to operate. Almost too easy as I managed to get my finger bit by the bolt when I got too close to the bolt release.

The gun goes together easy enough, though I did have a bit of an issue getting the barrel seated properly. This was likely more my struggling than anything.

MOBIL CHOKE SYSTEM

The Mobil choke system used by both Benelli and Beretta is extremely popular, which makes it an easy choice for most folks to use. This will allow you to upgrade to aftermarket choke tubes if you’re into that kind of thing.

FIBER OPTIC SIGHT

The orange fiber-optic bead at the end of the vented rib gives an excellent point of aim while wing-shooting.

RECOIL PAD

The soft rubber recoil pad made the Viper feel great on the shoulder. We didn’t shoot any particularly heavy loads, but I am sure the recoil would have been soaked up by the Viper’s action and recoil pad

WALNUT STOCK

The beautiful Turkish walnut shows through the glossy finish on the Viper. The checkering gives great purchase for both hands to keep a good grip on the Viper.

For several hours, we ran the Viper through rounds of clays.

To make it fun, we changed position frequently, as well as the direction of targets. Switching back and forth between throwing and shooting made for great practice. Swapping chokes did seem to help somewhat for the different target presentations and distances. But it’s also likely that it was simply my perception that made it seem that way.

We shot three different types of ammunition during all this shooting, and for the most part, we didn’t notice any difference in operation or the ability to hit targets.

AMMO USED

In addition to the Remington Gun Club target loads and the Fiocchi dove loads, we also shot some Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics target loads.

RELIABILITY (10/10)

I experienced no malfunctions during testing of the Viper G2

ERGONOMICS (9/10)

As far as shotguns can be comfortable, this one certainly was. The only way I would improve it is perhaps with an adjustable cheek-riser.

CUSTOMIZATION (8/10)

Other than the included shims for the stock, and the Mobil choke system, I’m not sure what you would customize on this gun. Perhaps additional beads or something, but it’s fine as is.

APPEARANCE (8/10)

I found the Tristar Viper G2 to be quite handsome. The contrast of the Cerkoted receiver and the blued-barrel matching the glossy finished walnut made a very handsome gun.

VALUE (8.5/10)

I think the Viper is a good buy for many of the prices I saw during my internet search. The less expensive models appear to be an outstanding value.

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