I’ll be honest and say that I’ve never been overly fond of Turkish shotguns. The main reason is that they are generally produced on a low budget, with lesser quality components, to achieve a low price for the end user. As a result, such guns would generally not suit someone like me, who shoots thousands of cartridges per year, as it wouldn’t last long. However, the occasional shooter, who doesn’t shoot anything like as much as me, would get years of use from such a shotgun.

Having seen ATA shotguns grow increasingly popular over the last couple of years, I was excited when the opportunity arose to review the new ATA SP Pro 12 Competition, as I had never actually used an ATA. I had heard many good things about this new model and I was very pleasantly surprised by what I discovered.

First impressions

The gun is presented in a well-appointed cardboard box, which I don’t see as an issue, as most of us probably wouldn’t use a hard case and it would only gather dust under the bed. After assembling the gun my first thought was that it has a good weight, 8lb 7oz to be exact, which is just what most sporting shooters are looking for in a competition shotgun.

As I mounted the gun and looked down the barrel I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of the rib, even with the adjustable comb at the lowest setting. The 10mm to 8mm tapered rib is very satisfying to look down and guided my eye perfectly towards the end of the gun, ready to obtain a target.

There is a subtle palm swell that filled the palm of my hand nicely, and the chunky beavertail-style forend felt great to hold. I liked the pistol grip design, which has a very steep angle, allowing the wrist to stay straight and comfortable when mounting. This should aid the shooter in maintaining a solid hand position, resulting in a more consistent mount.

The review gun was fitted with an adjustable comb that can easily be altered using the Allen key provided, allowing the shooter to achieve an exact gun fit. There is an option to have the Pro 12 as a non-adjustable model if you don’t require adjustment, at an even lower price.

The trigger is easily adjusted via a spring-loaded adjuster. I moved it as far back as it would go so that I could comfortably reach it with my short trigger finger. A feature I wasn’t expecting is the Pro 12’s removable trigger unit, which slides out with the push of a button. Typically a shotgun would have a removable trigger unit so that a leaf spring can be replaced easily during a competition, but this one has coil springs, which are not as easily changed. I can’t see any advantage to being able to remove it, other than giving the shooter easy access for cleaning and maintenance, but it’s a really cool feature nonetheless.

A selection of five extended chokes is provided, including Skeet, ¼, ½, ¾ and Full, offering a range to suit each individual’s preference. A great feature is that each choke is colour coded, enabling easy identification and quick changes.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when first looking over and mounting the gun, but I instantly felt confident that I would enjoy shooting it, which I wasn’t expecting. We must remember that this Pro 12 model with adjustable stock retails at £1,099.99. I can’t believe the quality, technology and features integrated into this gun for the money.

With all that in mind, it was time to give it its first outing and see how it performed when shooting clays.

On the clays

I didn’t adjust the comb settings at all. I assembled the gun, mounted it a few times and was extremely happy with the sight picture. I decided to use ½ and ¾ chokes, with the intention of changing to ¼ and ½ if the combination didn’t prove effective with my preferred cartridges.

After shooting half a box at a hanging crow target and a steady left-to-right crosser, each target was turned to dust, so I was confident the combination worked effectively.

My initial thoughts after shooting the Pro 12 for the first time were how comfortably it mounted to my shoulder and how little recoil I felt. Interestingly I discovered that this model boasts a new and improved barrel profile with elongated forcing cones, supposedly reducing felt recoil by nearly 27%.

The weight of this gun certainly contributes significantly to the reduction in recoil, but I also believe it greatly enhances its handling qualities. I found it very easy to control the muzzle when moving onto each target. I felt confident in moving quickly onto fast-moving close targets and also maintaining a slow and controlled movement on distant ones.

The gun isn’t balanced on the pin but is forward heavy. For those who prefer a gun balanced on the pin, this can be achieved by purchasing a Competition Weight Kit from the manufacturer.

My only negative thought about the gun was how it closed. I didn’t hear a very assertive noise from the top lever locking shut, prompting me to open and close it again to check – not ideal when trying to focus on the next target. However, this may be because the gun was brand new and needed a few outings to loosen up slightly.

The Pro 12 performed faultlessly and I was surprised by how well it handled. I can see how this gun will appeal to many club-level sporting shooters, as it seems to be excellent value for money. But can it withstand a day in the hide crow shooting? Let’s find out.

In the hide

I know this Pro 12 isn’t designed for hide shooting, but most guns technically aren’t. Many shooters want a gun that can do it all, and who’s to say this doesn’t fill that need?

I set up a hide against a straw bale on a field of wheat stubble, set out the decoys, and it wasn’t long before a jackdaw flew across the back of the pattern and dropped cleanly from the first shot. Even with the heavier 30g fibre load there was very little recoil, which was reassuring.

I continued using the Pro 12 for the afternoon and shot to a very respectable standard, which you’ll soon be able to watch for yourself on the Fieldsports With Speed YouTube channel.

The corvids didn’t decoy particularly well, so I was forced to take birds out to 50yd, which the Pro 12 handled extremely well, putting a smile on my face. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the hide with this gun, although I would have liked to have had it better balanced. With the ShotKam on the barrel it was extremely front heavy and hard to handle on quicker targets over the netting.

Conclusion

This gun has changed my opinion about Turkish shotguns, and I’m willing to admit I was wrong. The Pro 12 has so much to offer to sporting clay shooters and even those who would use it for pest control.

I believe it will have a shorter life than products from some other well-known manufacturers, but the price has to be considered. I would confidently say that the Pro 12 will give an occasional shooter many years of service if looked after and maintained.

It handled exactly how a competition shotgun should – smooth with recoil and easy to handle on a variety of sporting targets.

The gun offers a lot considering its budget, with the adjustable comb, adjustable trigger, drop-out trigger unit, selection of extended chokes and improved barrel characteristics.

I would have liked the Pro 12 logo and ribbon on the sides of the receiver to have been filled with colour; I can’t help but feel it looks slightly unfinished. Still, that’s a very minor point and I can see why this shotgun achieved the Great British Shooting Award Shotgun of the Year 2024.

It truly is a lot of gun for the money.