Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Remington Versa Max v. Winchester SX3

I'm looking at new shotguns for general turkey/duck/dove/general needs. I'm not a shotgun aficionado. For years I've had 3 shotguns - a 12 ga dedicated to turkeys (extra full Hevi-shot), a 12 ga dedicated as a general all purpose gun (screw in chokes), and a Remington 1100 20 ga that handled all the smaller stuff.

Been watching the Versa Max and SX 3 over the past couple years kind of waiting till all the bugs got worked out. It seems that they are better than when originally launched. My Dad has an SX 2 and it has performed well. It doesn't fit me all that well which is why I never bought one. Now, they have an adjustable 'kit' to adjust drop and cast. I did this with my Mossberg 935 with great success.

What are your thoughts/experiences with both guns? Although the Benelli SBE is a bit more money, how do the three compare?

Thanks.

I shot the SX3 this week. I liked it's feel and mild recoil. I just bought the Versa Max but have not shot it yet. It feels a little bulky in my hands compared to the SX3 but it was on closeout and too good of a price to pass up. I've owned a SBE for close to 20 years. You never know when it will let you down by not firing and the recoil made me swear off 3.5" shells. It's one of the original H&K models and highly over rated IMO. From now on it's gas operated for me.

The Versa Max is the biggest POS big green has ever unleashed on American shotgunners. I work at a Remington warranty station and I have never seen one that worked right. Had a duck hunting buddy who bought one after reading the ads, literally fell apart in the field.

Forends aren't attached to the reciever in the rear, at all, just held in place by the cap and the gas pistons so get used to it flopping around. The mag cap is tensioned by some little plastic teeth on the magazine end plug that make the plastic teeth on the 870 end plug look sturdy in comparison. The can develop the same misfire issue the Benelli is known for when the action spring takes a set or if the barrel extension gets dirty. I've also seen problems with feeding the different length shells.

And to top it off I had two come in yesterday that were apparently heat treated incorrectly. The bolt lugs as well as the abutments in the barrel extension were peened and upset to the point that the bolt would lock closed, needing a swat with a mallet to open.

SX3 eats the VM for breakfast, lunch, and supper every day of the week.

I shouldered every 3.5in chambered 12ga in the Sportsmans and left with the SX-3.

Best fit and feel for me, and as an added bonus, much less money than the B guns.

I have used it with 1oz skeet loads up to 3.5in Fasteel without a hiccup.

I took the SX3 to Nicaragua for ducks and doves. They don't use the best of ammo. Best description I've heard, the ammo is coal fired.
Any way the Berettas, the Bennellis didn't hold up well and needed lots of cleaning. The SX3 plugged right along.
I like the way the gun dealt with recoil upwards to 300 rounds in a day.

Jim

Remington has failed on shotgun design over and over in the last few yeads. That bottom ejection auto was crap so was the 1187 super mag. The SX3 is a well built gun and has a good track record. If they didn't have such a good record they would do like Remington and try again every 4 or 5 years, but they don't because it's a solid design. I love the Benelli shotguns. I'm not a huge fan of the SBEII, I like the original better. I like them better than the the SX3 but mainly because they have the best stock design to fit me perfectly and the design is very simple. The SX3 is back bored and I don't care what anybody says back bored guns are less ammo sensitive. They also pattern big shot better on average than regular bored american or tight bored Italian shotguns do. If you don't believe that go buy a couple of boxes of turkey loads and see which is the most consistent.

The only Remington shot gun I'd ever spend money on is a M31.

The SX3 is a great shotgun. That said I slightly prefer my old Beretta 390.

I bought an SX3 12 ga this AM. I've handled a bunch since I started this post. If it fits and shoots, I'll add a 20 ga little brother. I really like matched pair guns - have a pair of SS M70 in 7/300 WSM and 3 SS M77's - 243, 30-06, 35 wh.

My partner and I are very serious waterfowlers and wee shoot basically from Sept. to Mar. Up until last season we both shot SX2/3s as back ups to our Xtreema IIs Those guns were put through shotgun Hell from heat and dust to salt marshes and brant punts and freezing temperatures and snow. They fired 1000s of rounds and never missed a beat. I know 2 guys who bought Versa Maxs and both traded them in on Berettas after the first season.

I had a SX3 and sold it, if I needed (wanted) another 3.5" gun I would buy another in a minute. Don't care for the V-Max

good choice

Update: I shot the 12 a bit with several different shells. It shoots my 1 1/8oz dove loads no problem. As a result, it has a little brother - a 26" barrel 20 ga. This gun shoots just as nice as its big brother. I haven't officially patterned either yet but have shot both of them at newspaper just to see where the gun shoots when I point it. Both hit dead center at 35 yards with me behind the wheel. One of the first things I noticed was no holes in the pattern using a modified choke and a variety of 6 to 7.5s. I can see how the stock design isn't for everyone but they fit me better than any shotgun I've ever owned. Think I'm done for the next 20 years or so........

When Browning bought Winchester in the early 90's they had the Winchester Super X model 1 redesigned to simplify manufacturing. primarily the trigger group was changed keeping the two piece bolt and short stroke gas system.

The Super X model one was the finest shotgun ever built in America which became the SX2 and SX3.

Doc

I'm glad to hear your selection. I've been thrilled with mine. To assuage any doubts you might have, let me recount my experience with the SBEII. I loved the way it pointed and thought the forearm was just loose. On owning it, I learned that it simply flops about. When you give it a dirty look it loses the camo coating. Not great, but not a deal breaker. Then I learned that it will literally fail (freeze and not shoot no matter what you try) with ONE drop of water into the action when temps are around zero. Happened to me twice. Ever check to make sure it is chambered? Better not, because unless you let it slam forward it will remain out of battery and misfire (missed a chance at a bobcat from this). Oh, it has a sharp, punishing recoil with waterfoul loads. The SBEII is wonderful in the hands and complete crap in the field. I sold it, bought an SX3, and had money left over for shells. Good choice.