Winchester Select 2 Sporting

When I first tested Winchester’s range of Select shotguns I actually bought the 12 – bore I reviewed, so impressed was I. Pound for pound, I considered the previous version to be some of the best value and handling guns on the market. But in true Browning tradition, they’ve had to fiddle.

The end result is a shotgun that in my opinion makes those that went before feel archaic. In evolving the Select, Browning have tightened up their tolerances, refined the balance and improved the overall feel. The end result is in nearly every respect immeasurably better.

Looks Alone

The Select 2 Sporting seen here has been primarily designed as a clay buster, the 3” chambered 30” anodised style monobloc barrels coated in the type of stuff that protects it from the elements. Chrome-lined and back-bored both mid and 10mm top – ribs are vented, a white lozenge bead backed up with a smaller mid distance white pip whilst this particular example came complete with a set of five, flush-fitting Invector Plus multi chokes.

The matte finished woodwork is well grained; fine cut traditional chequering adorns the Schnable forend and semi pistol grip. Drop at comb and heel are 1 9/16” and 2 5/8” respectively whilst the stock is finished off with the now familiar Pachmayr-style hard insert recoil pad. One notable point is that although the tester was right–handed, the cast was virtually non-existent, so left hookers should have no problems whilst the lack of a palm–swell offers a comfortable yet ambidextrous grip. 

The action design remains more or less the same whilst the wood to metal fit easily exceeds what went before. The word Select appears in stylised form underneath and each side of the action, whilst heavy rather attractive scrolled panels fill in the blanks, fences and generously sized trigger guard. Equally interesting; for a brand new gun, was the ease of assembly. The barrels opened and closed smoothly and with a degree of quality rarely encountered on what might be unkindly referred to as a budget shotgun. All in all, and like the rest of this new Winchester, the overall finish and feel of the action is a distinct and marked improvement over the Select’s predecessor. 

Bangs Like A Good ‘un

With more and more Sunday morning and other temporary layouts now insisting on fibrewad loads, I elected to shoot the Select with my usual 28 gram Express Supremes. I also used the fastest fibrewad in the business - the 28 gram Express World Cups, both filled with 6½’s, a shot that’s finding more and more favour amongst Sporting devotees. Needless to say, 50 of Coniston SG’s Compact birds followed by an equal number of Sportrap resulted in some serious scores, ¼ and ½ choke producing some superb patterns and good long range kills.

At 7lbs 8ozs, combined with a length of pull of 14 5/8” , although this can be altered since the position of the distinctly hooked trigger blade can be varied. The Select’s weight and balance centres about an inch in front of the hinges, the bulk of the gun’s mass centring between the hands. This means that no matter where the target is coming from, if ‘gun down’ is your chosen style, it swings easily onto its targets. Meaning the continual movement of bringing the muzzles onto line positions the butt in your shoulder pocket and is an effortless process.

Don’t Be A Jerk

If I had to comment, with an average trigger pull weight of just over 7lbs on both barrels, you may need to adjust your initial technique to prevent jerking the gun between shots. It may lighten up in time, but this is slightly heavy considering the improvements and refinements the Select has undergone. Further back, the short throw top lever is well textured, so glove wearers such as me have no opening problems whilst the ejectors are powerful and well timed.

Likewise recoil, even with the notoriously punchy World Cups onboard, is no more dramatic than with lesser loads, the Select noticeably capable of dialling out the bulk of the blow.

Yet another example of the now burgeoning number of extremely capable sub - £1,000 shotguns, the appeal of Winchester’s new Select 2 is more than apparent. Equally, even though a game-specific version with gloss black barrels sits alongside this Sporter, I can readily foresee owners using this version for both clays and pheasants.

The overall decoration and appearance means the Select Sporting doesn’t especially stand out as a purpose specific shotgun. Revamps and upgrades don’t always work and at times tend to be carried out for the sake of it. In the case of this Winchester, Browning’s boffins have proved that you can make a good gun even better to a degree that the Select 2 is a 12 – bore I’d thoroughly recommend to anyone. 
   
We Reckon!

• A vast improvement on what went before
• Cracking value for money
• Easy and predictable to shoot from the word go

PRICE:  £926