Zoli One 12-Bore Shotgun Review: A Detailed Field Test

I always appreciate the fine quality and handling of a Zoli shotgun the moment I pick one up. You can instantly feel the Italian shotgun maker’s heritage, which dates back to 1845 when the Zoli family began crafting firearms in Magno Val Trompia, a region renowned for its artisanal excellence and as the home of Italy’s finest gunmakers.

Zoli is one of those brands that seems to have flown under the radar, but for those who own one of their guns, it is a real find. A 10-year warranty is a good indication of the maker’s confidence in the gun, and the range of models is also very good.

Today we’re looking at the Zoli One, a model specifically designed in the UK for British shooting sports, offering understated elegance along with excellent handling and balance.

The company is also known for its obsession with ballistics (something I share), and their barrels are the crowning glory, delivering exceptional pattern performance and impressive terminal ballistics downrange, but more on that later.

At the heart of the gun is the Boss and inertia-type action, which combines excellent fit and finish with a level of performance that’s hard to beat in the sub-£3,000 range.

This model is only available in 12-bore and comes with the following options:

 
• 29.5” barrels (as tested) or 32” barrels
 
• Right and left-handed configurations

It has everything you need if you’re serious about any form of shotgun shooting.

What Defines the Zoli One’s Boss-Type Action?

The action is not only visually very appealing, especially to me, but also superbly engineered and machined. It starts as a forged steel monobloc-type design and is then crafted into the familiar Boss-type action configuration that forms the heart of the Zoli shotgun lines. What stands out first is the overall hot-blued action finish, which offers a more refined look than the usual polished coin silver. I much prefer this finish, being a rifleman, and to me, it is very elegant, looks expensive, and is far less gaudy than some other silvered designs.

The action also features fine, highly detailed scroll engraving on all sides, subtle enough not to draw too much attention, yet pleasing to the eye when it catches the light in the field. The trigger guard and tang are left unengraved and finished in a deep blue, giving a very understated and classic look, which I find rather appealing. The escutcheons and top lever have a complementary matted stippled finish, and the opening lever has chequering to the left side to facilitate easier opening. Up top is a Beretta-esque barrel selector (single and double dot) and manual safety with a nicely profiled, single raised lever and positive action.

When it comes to breaking the barrels, this Zoli opens easily, almost like a self-opener, yet still delivers a tight and secure lock-up on closure. As stated earlier, this is a Boss-type bolt-locking system with well-defined monoblocs and very positive engagement. Internally, it’s an inertia system, so the recoil from the first barrel firing sets the hammer or striker for the second barrel, and as such, even with the light loads, reliability is no issue.

Zoli also allows a complete strip-down of the trigger unit, as it can be removed from the action for cleaning or safekeeping, which is a nice idea, but I’m not sure how many people would strip back this far. This Posi-Lock trigger system unit separates using the provided single screw, which also ensures the correct torque, and you are also supplied as standard with additional strikers and springs. The single-select trigger is equally good, almost rifle-like in its feel and lightness, and the second barrel is instantly on its way without a moment’s hesitation.

What Are the Barrel and Choke Specifications?

You only get a choice of 29.5”, which is a bit unusual and was the length we had on test, or 32”, but both feature a tapered rib width from 11.52mm to 7.25mm. There is a single white bead up front, and the barrels have a uniform, rich blue-black colour along their entire length. The two barrels are silver-soldered together, with both the top and mid-ribs ventilated. This not only creates an attractive appearance but also helps to reduce the overall weight of the Zoli One, improving balance around the hinge pin. The design also aids air circulation, which in turn enhances cooling.

Internally, the bores are both 18.5mm in diameter, for improved ballistic performance, reduced felt recoil, and longevity. They are chambered for 3” cartridges and are superior steel shot proofed, so all or any cartridges can be shot with confidence in the Zoli One.

At the muzzle end, the flush-fit chokes are stainless steel, and five are provided:

 
• CYL
 
• IM-CYL
 
• MOD
 
• IM-MOD
 
• FULL

I fitted the ¼ and ½ chokes, as the others were mistakenly 20-bore. As usual, steel shot is only proofed up to ½ choke, which is the recommended maximum.

How Is the Stock Designed for Fit and Handling?

“Just right” accurately sums up the stock on the Zoli One. It has been designed to resemble a Perazzi in gait, with a very comfortable, almost upright pistol grip and palm swell, adorned with machine-cut chequering. The fore-end has a round, generous profile and twin panels of the same cut chequering, and an all-metal, one-piece release lever snugly fitted to the underside.

The rear butt section has a slight cast and a relatively low comb, allowing for a fast and perfect sight picture down the rib. The thin black rubber, non-vented recoil pad offers good grip, and the 14.5” length of pull does not hinder quick shouldering. The hand-rubbed oil finish certainly lends an air of sophistication to the whole gun, and as Zoli uses Turkish walnut, the level of colour and grain/figuring is very pleasing and would equate to a Grade 3 in my book, although it is not specified. The overall design and ergonomics follow a European sporting-style stock, and as such, the gun performs just as well for clays as it does for game, or even vermin in my case.

How Does the Zoli One Perform in the Field?

The One mounts with ease despite its fairly chunky weight of 8lbs, thanks to its superb balance that makes it feel much lighter in the hand. Despite the shorter barrels on the test gun, it also pointed very naturally and swung remarkably freely and quickly, all while offering an uncluttered field of view around the tapered rib and bead. In use, the recoil seemed very passive and straight in line, with no cheekpiece nibbling, and I could shoot this all day on, say, a simulated clay day.

With the ¼ and ½ chokes fitted, I shot at some pattern boards to ascertain, as usual, the number of pellets in the inner and outer sectors.

 
• Eley’s DTL Gold: With a loading of 28g of No.7.5 shot and a plastic wad, it managed a total of 310 pellets on the board, with a distribution of 101 inner hits and 209 outer hits. The overall density was very good, with decent, even coverage.
 
• Eley Pigeon Select: This 30g, No.6 round produced spectacular, perfectly symmetrical patterns with the ½ choke, showing 107 inner hits and 141 outer hits for a total of 248 pellets.
 
• Gamebore Clear Pigeon: A 30g, No.6 load that was slightly more dispersed, but just as even and well distributed, with a healthy 79 inner hits and 131 outer hits. A good, hard-hitting loading.

Conclusion: Is the Zoli One a Worthy Investment?

Yes, Zoli is not mainstream, and for me, that’s the bonus. Their guns are a bit more exclusive and desirable, and you will never regret picking one up and marvelling at its great balance and handling. Yes, £3,225 is a tad steep, but why not have something different, stand out from the crowd, and appreciate those marvellous patterns it throws downrange?