Retay Ace-R Upland Ultralight 26 in 12ga – Proven

Description

The Retay Ace-R Upland Ultralight 26 inch model pairs the rounded receiver profile of the R series with the longer of the two barrel options. Twelve gauge, Turkish walnut, an inertia action and around six and a quarter pounds on the scale. The receiver shape is what separates this line, and the barrel length is what separates this gun from its stablemate.

Choosing the Retay Ace-R Upland Ultralight 26 Inch

A Retay Ace-R Upland Ultralight 26 puts a little more weight ahead of your hands, and that weight keeps a swing moving through a bird rather than letting it stop. On open ground, where shots come at distance and you have a moment to set up, the longer gun is the easier one to shoot consistently. In thick cover the 24 inch version comes up faster.

The Retay Ace-R Upland Ultralight 26 receiver is the reason this line exists. Retay calls it a streamlined profile, which in practice rounds off the squared lines of the standard Ace into something that looks like a classic field gun. It suits walnut, and the alloy construction keeps the weight down without giving anything up mechanically.

The Retay Ace-R Upland Ultralight 26 action is inertia driven. The Inertia Plus bolt uses a rollover torsion spring to rotate the bolt head positively into battery, which addresses the old complaint about inertia guns being jarred out of lockup when slung or pushed through brush. With no gas system there is nothing to foul after a wet morning.

Recoil, Chokes and Fit

Light twelve gauges kick, and a Retay Ace-R Upland Ultralight 26 is a light twelve gauge. Retay fits the AIRY pad, which uses an internal air pocket instead of solid rubber and is claimed to cut felt recoil by up to thirty percent, and the forcing cone is lengthened at the factory. With standard upland loads the gun is comfortable. With heavy 3 inch shells you will notice.

Five flush chokes ship in every Retay Ace-R Upland Ultralight 26 box, covering cylinder through full, and the sight is a single fiber optic bead, which is correct for a gun that gets pointed rather than aimed. Capacity is 2+1, already plugged for migratory bird regulations and plenty over a dog.

A Retay Ace-R Upland Ultralight 26 has a 14.5 inch length of pull and a shim kit for drop and cast, and the trigger group comes out at the push of a button with no tools. Take the twenty minutes to fit the stock before the season, because a light fast gun shows up a poor fit far more quickly than a heavy one does.

Specifications

• UPC: 193212035967
• Model: RACEUL-26
• Gauge: 12, 3 in chamber
• Barrel: 26 in, deep bore drilled, factory lengthened forcing cone
• Capacity: 2+1
• Action: Inertia Plus rotating bolt with rollover torsion spring
• Receiver: Streamlined alloy profile, no polymer components
• Trigger group: Push button removable, no tools
• Sight: Single fiber optic bead
• Chokes: Five flush tubes, cylinder through full
• Stock: Turkish walnut, shim kit included
• Recoil pad: AIRY air pocket system
• Length of pull: 14.5 in with shims
• Weight: Approximately 6.3 lbs in 12 gauge
• Warranty: Retay USA limited lifetime

Who Should Take the Longer Barrel

Open country bird hunters are the natural buyers. Sharptails, huns, prairie pheasants and doves over a cut field all reward a gun that keeps swinging, and a Retay Ace-R Upland Ultralight 26 gives you that without adding weight you have to carry.

It is also the better choice if the gun will see clays between seasons. The longer barrel tracks more smoothly on sporting targets, which is where very light guns usually struggle, and the extra sighting plane helps at distance.

Where the 24 inch version wins is tight cover and fast mounts. Grouse in alders, woodcock in thorn, quail in brush. Both guns are the same price, weigh within an ounce or two of each other and carry the same lifetime warranty, so choose on handling.

A few practical notes before ordering a Retay Ace-R Upland Ultralight 26. Fit the stock with the included shim kit first, because it takes twenty minutes and changes how the gun points for you. Break the action in with reasonably stout field loads rather than the softest target shells, since inertia systems need recoil energy to cycle reliably when new. Keep a choke wrench in the vest. And use the removable trigger group at the end of wet days, because cleaning without a bench is exactly the point of it.

Full factory specifications are published on the Retay USA product page, and you can compare it against the 24 inch Ace-R or browse our other shotguns.