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Lincoln Vogue HSX Sporting

Lincoln Vogue HSX Sporting

These Italianmade guns from John Rothery Ltd Wholesale continue to offer great value for money and many an aspiring shooter has started life with one Lincoln or other. This model is aimed more at the person who likes to shoot a bit of both clay and game, or rough shooting. It doubles as a really nice all-rounder without any of the compromises associated with a gun like this. Available in 12-, 20- or 28-gauge all but the 28g are supplied with Sporting extended chokes, long stroke selective ejectors, nice walnut stock and a three-year warranty.

The name Vogue comes from their Game series shotguns and the HSX stands for Hunter Sporting Cross or cross over, so definitely a gun for all disciplines.

Barrels

The barrels are supplied as 30-inchers, 3-inch magnum chambered and are steel shot proofed. Again, allowing the end user to use the HSX for what every game or target their selective ammunition is suitable for. 30-inch barrel lengths are a popular choice as this length does give a smooth controllable swing and combined with the XP70 extended chokes offer very good patterns. The bores are fully chrome-lined, again ensuring longevity and ease of maintenance too and use of steel, bismuth etc. is no problem to the HSX with the correct choke fitted. Like the 20g Premier the barrels are made from a special three alloy construction and are bored from a single bar for uniformity and strength.

Overall finish is the same high-standard polished bluing, very deep and black with nicely jewelled finish monobloc faces where the ejectors sit. These ejectors too are forceful and well timed with a long stroke action that reliably ejected all the test ammunition.

The top rib on this model is 11mm width and the sight is a single long red Hi Viz type lozenge at the muzzle. (20 and 28G have a 9mm rib width). You also have seven large vents under the top rib to aid in cooling and reduce heat haze and the barrel jointing rib is also vented again to aid cooling and also reduce some weight. On the hot test day you could see the heat parring away from the rib.

The XP70 chokes are very nicely made and five are supplied with this Lincoln. Hand screwed in if you like as they extend 20mm out of the muzzles whilst the other 50mm is inside the barrels (choke key supplied also). Extended chokes are again en vogue, excuse the pun, as they look impressive but do offer some advantages to pattern formation down range.

They had a good hard finish that should take some punishment.

Action

This action emanates from the Boxlock/monobloc series of actions from the first Premier Gold days and as such produces a time proven and tested reliable and strong action. Its capable of multiple trips around the clay circuit as it is with fast paced pigeon shooting.

There is plenty of bite built into the action for longevity and the action locks with the characteristic locking or cross bolt that engages the width of the barrel lumps when the action is closed.

It needed a few rounds to settle it all down and then it was opening and closing smoothly. The action components are a blend of older style wire spring set up for the trigger and sears whilst the hammers were activated by coil springs.

The trigger is a single selective type, weight of pull was 4.75lbs and has a gold finish and is adjustable for length of pull by sliding it on its carrier after loosening the securing screw. I like the manual safety as the gun is always ready and barrel selection is conventional with a sliding inner catch for top or bottom barrels.

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The top lever sits far to the right so plenty of built in wear factor there, good, and is lightly scroll engraved. In fact, the action finish overall is very nice.

You have a highly polished blued action finish, that I prefer with laser engraved scroll work around the periphery and the action faces on the right side have a flighting pigeon turning into a breaking clay pigeon accented into gold relief in three stages. The left side is the same but this time a duck and then clay transformation. The bottom of the action has a large gold clay pigeon which is a bit odd looking and also the Lincoln logo and Vogue engraved with further scroll work. Overall a nicely made, functioning and attractive action design.

Stock

The stock is walnut with an oil finish. This model was a little lack lustre compare to the 20g tested earlier but it was comfortable and fitted me well which is more important. It’s a pretty standard format though with a slender gait to forend and butt stock which some may feel a bit small at first.

The forend has your typical Schnabel tip, pronounced and does help keep the supporting hand where it should be. The stock is again quite slender with a small amount of right-hand cast and no palm swell. I actually quite like this despite having large hands, I shoot more 28g and 410s than anything, so I suppose I am used to it. Clay or sporting users may find a more generous grip to both areas beneficial though.

The checkering is okay, with large laser cut panels to the forend sides and pistol grip and there is a Sporting rubber recoil pad. This is quite slim and gives the Vogue a length of pull of 14.75-inches and is also ventilated in style that does help cushion the recoil to the shoulder a tad.

Field test

The HSX had a ½ choke fitted to the top barrel so I selected this and set up some pattern boards at 30-yards with differing clay and game loads.

First up were the NSI Quattro Flou, these are a quality clay load with shot having a 4% antimony for hardness and regularity and has a silvercoloured graphite coating.

The 28-gram load of No 7 ½ shot resulted in a total of 306 pellet strikes within 30-inches of which I had 137 inner hits to 15-inches and the rest distributed evenly outside with no holes or gaps, lovely pattern.

Game Bore Pure Gold is another sweet shooting load that uses a 28-gram load of No 6 shot. From the Lincoln HSX it shot nice consistent patterns of 170 pellet strikes of which there were 64 inner hits and a few spaces and 106 outer hits. Quite a loose pattern but very mild to shoot.

Game Bore Clear Pigeon another favourite for pigeon or vermin controllers. I had a good pattern with these loads. Using 30-grams of No 6 shot as standard these days it gave even spread and quite dense patterns. A total of 261 pellet strikes was good and spread 104 inner and 157 outer hits.

The plastic wad here helped keep the pattern tighter. A hard hitting and good all-rounder, just like the Vogue HSX was.

Conclusion

Apart from the new gun stiffness that always eases with use the Vogue was a very good performer, perhaps not as slick and well-fitting as some, but in this price range it performed perfectly. The chokes fitted gave some very impressive patterns with either game shot or clay loads and recoil was very manageable and the finish was actually tastefully done.

The Lincoln Vogue HSX will appeal to a person on a budget but still likes a Europeanmade gun and can appreciate the performance.

  • Lincoln Vogue HSX Sporting - image {image:count}

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  • Lincoln Vogue HSX Sporting - image {image:count}

    click on image to enlarge

  • Lincoln Vogue HSX Sporting - image {image:count}

    click on image to enlarge

  • Lincoln Vogue HSX Sporting - image {image:count}

    click on image to enlarge

  • Lincoln Vogue HSX Sporting - image {image:count}

    click on image to enlarge

  • Lincoln Vogue HSX Sporting - image {image:count}

    click on image to enlarge

gun
features

  • Name: Lincoln Vogue HSX Sporting
  • Calibre: 12-gauge
  • Barrel: 30-inches
  • Chokes: XP70, 5 supplied
  • Weight: 7lbs 8oz
  • Chamber: 3-inch, 76mm
  • Stock: Walnut
  • Length of Pull: 14.25-inches
  • RRP: £1200
  • Contact: John Rothery Wholesale Ltd: bisley-uk.com
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