I recently bought a CZ Upland Ultralight Green 2016 in a 20 gauge for my girlfriend as an early Christmas gift. I shopped around, looked for the literal best bang for the buck, but also wanted a light shotgun with lesser recoil that my girlfriend could carry and use to hunt chukar and grouse. I considered a 20 gauge Benelli Montefeltro, because I own and love my 12 gauge Montefeltro.
My girlfriend and I talked about a preference on actions, and she expressed that she would be more comfortable with a break action than she would a semiautomatic action.
Besides the break action preference, I knew we needed to find a good compromise between recoil, and the ability to tote the thing around without getting fatigued. She’s a little petite, and a 12 gauge seemed like it might be too much recoil to be enjoyable and too heavy to carry all day, so we decided on a 20 gauge.
My girlfriend ultimately made the decision, and CZ made it a no-brainer. While looking at side by sides and over unders in a 20 gauge, my girlfriend saw the green anodized receiver of the CZ Upland Ultralight ‘Green’ shotgun.
Check out CZ over under shotguns at Sportsman’s Warehouse
I checked it out and it seemed like a great fit. Its an attractive and lightweight 20 gauge over under, with a nice stock, and an affordable price tag. Because I had never owned a CZ shotgun I felt like I was taking a chance, albeit a small risk, but went ahead and bought it for her anyway.
We received the Upland Ultralight at a local FFL. The initial inspection was sort of an eye opener. The shotgun met and exceeded all of my expectations. Its led me to believe that CZ’s are completely under-appreciated or under-considered firearms in the US market.
It doesn’t just look great, it shoots great too. Its fast to shoulder, the trigger was nicer and lighter than I had expected, it can be shot all day without fatigue, and its light enough to tote around for a while. Most importantly, my girlfriend loves it, and is comfortable operating it.
I love my 12 gauge Benelli Montefeltro. I have zero buyers remorse, no intention of replacing it, use it all the time, and enjoy shooting it. With that said, if I had handled and shot some CZ 12 gauge shotgun options prior to buying my Benelli, there might have been a CZ shotgun instead of a Benelli shotgun on my side of the gun rack today.
So if you are considering a CZ Upland Ultralight Green shotgun in a 20 Gauge and wanted a little help with your decision, I hope I helped you with your decision.
The general specs are as follows:
Gauge: 20g Also available in 12
Barrel Length: 28″
Weight: 5.8 lbs. (Its light, due to the machined aluminum anodized receiver with nicely jeweled internals, and the lack of a mid-rib)
Receiver Finish Green Anodized
Barrel Finish Matte Black Chrome
Safety: It has a mechanical tang safety, and select fire order.
Length: 45.75″
Chokes Includes 5 (F,IM,M,IC,C)
Stock Turkish Walnut with Pistol Grip
MSRP: $762.00
Street Price: ~ $620.00
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