The GPS said my dog was 300 yards down a boulder-strewn gully. I stumbled over rocks and sage, and ten agonizing minutes later found the young wirehair staunch, one front leg raised. The chukar covey roared skyward, and I made a go-to-hell shot down the hill at 50 yards.

I missed, but not because of the Pointer shotgun I’d shouldered. It had been functioning fine in the field and on the range and turning heads, too. But in this case, only a Star Trek transporter could have beamed me into range of those devil birds.

The miss gave pause for reflection and a longer look at that gun. Legacy Sports has an MVP in the entry-level over-under market with their Pointer Field Over/Under. It fills at least four niches: an entry point for the “over-under curious,” a starter for youth and women, and a small-gauge “fun” gun. For chukar hunters it could be their go-to shooter – a gun they can abuse without remorse.

I am not a gun geek, seeking practical performance over curb appeal. Fall off a cliff while carrying a Pointer and you won’t watch your life savings crack and rattle down to the river. A stumble won’t put a gouge in your bank account, just the stock. But no matter the price, it’d better hit stuff. Among the lava cliffs, four chukars fell that day, and at the range it goes “bang” every time I pull the trigger. Sometimes, clay targets even break.

My dog checked in after a long cast and brought two shorthairs and a human with him. We compared who-knows-who, and he admired the Pointer. He was toting a Beretta, and had a hard time justifying his purchase versus mine: fit, finish, and particularly price. I agreed.

Formerly the “Arista,” Legacy is now calling their gun “Field Over/Under.” Even the name is basic and functional. Not to say it isn’t nice to look at, with a coin finish receiver and floral machine engraving, plus even, fine machine checkering. A sort-of Schnabel fore-end might seem clunky until you are holding on for dear life, shinnying down a scree-covered slope. 

Through the gauges, there is little difference but front-end weight, easily dialed in at the range. The 28-inch barrels (even on the 28 gauge and .410) also mitigate the lighter gauges’ whippiness, even at skeet stations 3-6. For an instinctive shooter like me, mounting with the soft rubber butt pad hinders the slide out of the “ready” position a bit, compared to wood or hard plastic. The top is hard plastic and rounded, helping a bit.

At the range, squad mates are often incredulous after a close look at my Pointers. It’s not due to my target-breaking ability, but because the fit and finish belie the Pointer’s price. On the pattern board my guns’ top barrels shot about 60/40 at 30 yards, bottom barrels shot about 50/50. Unsurprisingly, the guns are a bit stiff out of the box. Shoot a couple hundred rounds through them and that goes away. A thorough cleaning helps. Getting used to little-to-no cast off (for a rightie) wasn’t so tough. 

Watch my TV show and you’ll surmise I am the wrong guy to review a shotgun. I miss with high-dollar guns as well as the economy models like the Pointer. But I feel much less remorse when I clean my Pointer and find a barbed-wire scratch on the barrel. And the game bag is just as heavy as it is with the braggiń gun.

Turkish shotguns have come a long way in the few decades they’ve been a force in the U.S. Discerning buyers are demanding – and getting – much higher quality in aesthetics and performance and Pointer is the poster boy for this evolving ethic. Tolerances are tight, finish and fit rival Italian guns. A three-year warranty walks the Legacy talk. Brescia may lead the pack in Italian design flair but in most other criteria, you’d be well-served taking a close look at Legacy’s Pointer Field Over/Under. 

As the sun dropped below the craggy ridge, we chased chukars around a rocky promontory and down the river breaks. We admired a point and stellar back, then got revenge on the running bastards. Served the next night grilled hot and topped with wild blackberry compote, it was a sweet finale … thanks in part to my Pointer. After all, savoir faire does not kill birds, functionality does.

The author in the field with the Legacy Pointer Field over/under.

The Legacy Field over/under specifications: 28-inch chrome lined barrels, five choke tubes (C, IC, M, IM & F), fiber-optic front sight, raised and ventilated rib, Turkish walnut oil-rubbed stock, pistol grip, modified Schnabel fore-end, mono-block construction, single selective trigger. Available in all gauges but 16 gauge. 14-inch length of pull, 3-inch chambers except 28 gauge with 2¾-inch chambers. 28-gauge built on 20-gauge frame. Youth model 26-inch barrels, available in 20 gauge. and .410. with 12½-inch length of pull. MSRP: $589 MSRP, with extractors. Weight: 5 lbs. (.410) to 6.6 lbs. (12 gauge.). Made in Turkey by Khan-Kayhan. More information: www.legacysports.com.

Scott Linden is a book author, magazine writer, podcaster and blogger as well as host/creator of the television series “Wingshooting USA,” the most watched show in the upland genre. He has hunted birds, trained hunting dogs, shot clay targets and created content on the topics for over 25 years. Linden also created official TV series for the Boy Scouts of America, National Shooting Sports Foundation and the National Sporting Clays Association. His book “What the Dogs Taught Me” is published by Skyhorse Publishing and a third printing (first in paperback) is due in late spring.

Scott Linden

Scott Linden is a book author, magazine writer, podcaster and blogger as well as host/creator of the television series “Wingshooting USA,” the most watched show in the upland genre. He has hunted birds, trained hunting dogs, shot clay targets and created content on the topics for over 25 years. Linden also created official TV series for the Boy Scouts of America, National Shooting Sports Foundation and the National Sporting Clays Association. His book “What the Dogs Taught Me” is published by Skyhorse Publishing and a third printing (first in paperback) is due in late spring.