Jimmy will be the first to tell you he is not a hardcore sporting clays shooter.

He has done plenty of shooting over the years and owns some very nice firearms, including a few Berettas he genuinely enjoys. But he never saw himself as the kind of person who needed a custom gun. He is not chasing competitions or trying to squeeze out every last technical advantage. For a long time, off the shelf worked just fine.

Things changed when his friend Rickie got involved with Zoli through Bottega di Lusso.

Jimmy admits he knew very little about Zoli at the time. Watching the process up close, seeing a custom gun come together for someone else, was what first got his attention. It was less about the gun itself and more about how personal the process was. Thoughtful. Intentional. Different.

Even then, his interest was not driven by sporting clays.

It was driven by Africa.

Why the 450/400 Made Sense

Jimmy has always been more drawn to hunting than the range, and when he started thinking seriously about a custom gun, the 450/400 stood out. Dangerous game hunting has a way of clarifying priorities. You want something you trust completely, built for a purpose rather than adapted after the fact.

This time, Jimmy was not just watching the process. He was in it.

“I’ve seen how it works with someone else,” he said. “Now it’s my turn.”

Sitting Down With Rickie

The experience started the way most good things do, with a conversation.

Spending time with Rickie was less about picking options and more about talking through what Jimmy actually wanted. How he shoots. Where he plans to use the gun. What matters to him and what does not. Over time, those conversations turned into real decisions.

The wood had already been selected before the fitting. Jimmy had seen it and knew immediately it was right. Rickie had already shared engraving ideas and photos, and because he knows Jimmy well, the direction made sense from the start. Jimmy chose the finish himself, keeping things clean and understated.

Then came the fitting.

When the Gun Is No Longer the Problem

Getting fitted changed Jimmy’s perspective more than anything else.

A properly fitted gun removes itself from the list of excuses. Once the gun fits you, the rest is on you.

“That’s kind of the point,” Jimmy said. “Now I can’t blame the gun.”

The process was comfortable and surprisingly revealing. When the gun came to his shoulder, everything lined up naturally. No forcing it. No adjusting around it.

One Gun, More Than One Use

One of the unexpected highlights was the option to add a second set of barrels for sporting clays. What started as a dangerous game rifle suddenly became far more versatile.

Having a custom fitted gun that works in both environments felt like a bonus Jimmy had not fully anticipated.

“That part was just icing on the cake,” he said.

As Simple or As Detailed as You Want

What stood out to Jimmy was how flexible the process really is.

You can design a gun that is bold and highly detailed, or you can keep it minimal and purely functional. Either way, the result is the same. The gun is built for you.

Not something close.
Not something that almost fits.

A gun that actually fits.

The Moment That Matters

At the end of the fitting, everything comes down to a single moment.

The gun comes up. The sight picture settles. It feels natural.

“How’s that?” someone asks.

Jimmy does not hesitate.

“Dead Cape buffalo. Right on the money.”

It looks right.
It feels right.

And that is when the idea of a custom gun stops being theoretical and becomes real.