Richard Atkins tests the William Powell Perdix ‘crossover’ shotgun

IMG_6897The Perdix handles well, there is sufficient weight to maintain smoothness but it’s not so heavy that it’s hard work. The top rib, though slim, worked fine for Sporting clays. It has a medium-sized brass front bead and no centre bead, which did its job unobtrusively without adding undue weight to the barrels for improved handling.

The single selective trigger pulls are good. Release weights are fairly light and well matched on both barrels, which is a great help toward good shooting and settling in with a new gun. Despite the lack of recoil pad, the felt recoil with an array of clay cartridges was modest. One friend tried 34-gram game loads through it and said he could happily shoot with them. The long pull length, and 3mm right-hand cast, helped ensure a good mount with the shooter’s cheek dropping neatly onto the comb for a secure, well aligned hold. This, along with the sensible weight and slightly higher comb than some game guns, proved ideal in avoiding excessive felt recoil.

IMG_6877The drop-at-comb and heel dimensions measured 37mm and 60mm, respectively, which put the patterns about 60/40 per cent above the point-of-aim, for me. That’s a shade higher than some game guns and close to many clay Sporters – which is ideal for a crossover like this. This arrangement suited and those who tried the gun, including myself. Most game shooters appreciated being able to see the targets and still hit them. It’s also ideal for leading high, fast overhead targets.

The Perdix is a gun most shooters would feel pride in owning. It looks good and shoots well. The blend of game and clay attributes make for an interesting result, and I would happily take it on formal pheasant days just as I would when shooting Sporting clays. I suggest anyone restricted to only one gun for both tasks should include this on their list of desirables.

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