Target=Gas and Hunting=Inertia
That sums up my feelings too. I've hunted with a variety of pumps, Remington 1100's and 11-87's and a Beretta 391. I can't say much negative about any of them, but several years back I ran across one of the Benelli M-1's used at a price too good not to buy. This was right after the newer M-2 came out and some guy had a lightly used 1 year old M-1 and he just had to upgrade to the M2. He sold it to me cheap.
I simply fell in love with it. I shoot it better than all of the others. It is much lighter than any of the gas guns, even more so than my 870. Yes, it does recoil more than the gas guns, but no more than the pumps or a double. While pump guns are mechanically extremely reliable, they do fail from operator error. From my perspective I get the same mechanical reliability in harsh muddy, icy outdoor conditions without the chance for operator error.
But I'm not sure I'd want the recoil if I were a high volume clays shooter. I'm primarily a hunter who will get in a few rounds of sporting clays. The Benelli works for what I use it for
