Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Think I may now be a Benelli whore

By this Theory over and under shotgun should not be able to be shot worth a damn. But most people recognize a shotgun fits people that's a lot to do with how they shoot it in perceived recoil. Letters the word perceived not on a calculator how a person feels it to their shoulder. There's also some people that laugh at the idea as people age or left eye dominance can change to the right eye. Same kind of people think the more money you spend on a shotgun the better you are. Neither one of these type of people I've ever been left eye dominant right-handed and struggle with shotgun shooting.

I have several benellis including a new 20, Ga SBE III. Two of em have killed more ducks than 99.99% of people living on this planet have ever seen.

I rarely take my benellis for clays. Got other scatter guns for that purpose. But when I leave out for duck camp, those guns don't make the trip.

By this Theory over and under shotgun should not be able to be shot worth a damn.

Wrong, Gas isn't the only way to tame felt recoil and muzzle jump.

[quote=battue] Tell me why, some of you think the Benalli is the best in a semi auto?

I’ve shot them, and found them to offer little over some others. Especially for clays.

Addition : Would Be interested in how many rounds you have shot out of your Benelli.

Know one guy here who has shot his more than a little, but curious about the rest of you. [/quot e]

Most shotgun Benelli/Beretta semi-auto shotgun discussions can be broken down to clay shooters vs. bird hunters. I will agree with Battue on his choice of migrating to a Beretta 400 (I’ll add a 391 to this category). A Beretta is a much softer recoiling gun than the Benelli. This point becomes magnified when tournament shooting up to 300 rounds per day. On the other hand, in a hunting situation where firing maybe 1/10th of the rounds of a competition scenario, is where the Benelli shines. The sleet, snow, mud elements in a hunting scenario potentially effect the cycling of an inertia gun (Benelli) less than a gas operated gun (Beretta). The softer shooting aspect of the Beretta is the reason why so many more are seen in the sporting clay, skeet and trap competition than Benelli’s. On the other hand, the reliability of Benelli’s in a hunting scenario is why you will see proportionally more of this model in the field than a Beretta. The but to this is that both guns can and do crossover their intended discipline. My two cents and yes I own and shoot both. But since I shoot more sporting clays than birds, I own more Beretta’s. Then I muddied the waters and bought a Krieghoff.

Mechanically there can be little argument the Benelli should win the reliability race..However, I have a A400 with around 30,000 rounds that has malfunctioned less than 10 times. And I think the actual number is 5 or 6. And two of them were with the first two boxes of shells. Cleaning is essentially wiping the internals off after a couple thousand rounds. Other than that it get an outside wipedown. One of those ugle blue ones...What was Beretta thinking?



Careful there are Sharks and Gators in that water.

Which raises another question...Does one point and shoot better with an O/U or a single barrel Beretta or Benelli?

After swimming in your same water, I've come out on the side of the single barrel. Little doubt I point better and "see" more with a single barrel shotgun. And for clays a couple of the sharks are going down the road because of it.

As far as the comment re; some think they shoot better with an expensive shotgun...The cost is not the question for most. Since the beginning, hunters and shooters have had an appreciation for firearms that are better and nicer than run of the mill. Evidenced by the gold wire and decorations that were placed on the original wheel locks. The intricate carvings that sometimes were placed on the wood. In more recent times engraving. Most know they will not shoot any better. However back in time, and like now, I'm sure shooters sat around the fire and admired what then was considered the best of the day. The old Mountain Men we are told, all wanted and found pride in a Hawken rifle. The difference is having an appreciation of something that was made to the highest standards.

(Rifle shooters here often show more than a few high end rifles with $2000 scopes all lined up for a picture. Yet great shotguns are often looked at as an unnecessary extravagance.)

The reason I added the 391 comment is due to the fact I have one with over 80K rounds thru the gun. Regularly changed the springs every 5-8K. A little plug to J&P springs as the sell an upgraded spring kit for les than $50. Saw zero issues when the springs were regularly changed. I am amazed at the number of people shooting these types of semi-auto that never change the recoil springs in their guns. Not doing this leads to excessive wear of the mechanism. As to point-ability, I would say that’s subjective. I used a stock 391 years ago and won at the state and even placed 2nd at Nationals in AA. The only modifications to the 391 during my competitive days was an 8 ounce front cap weight and 8 ounces in the butt stock. Later in life I moved thru several different brands on o/u before settling on a K80. I shot/shoot this type gun well and I think it has to do with the weight of this gun. But… I added a K20 to the stable. With the K20 I believe I could also be sending a few down road. Of course that will never happen because I have children and grandchildren that can use these tools.

A K20 is almost perfect...Perfect is a MX28 on the 28 frame...

Or perhaps a Model 12 16 gauge. Few are it equal for balance and reliability.

Point taken.
Or, I might add a K20 with a 28gauge barrel. Point made. LOL
Now we have the age old discussion of P vs. K.

Same with other types too...

You mean Ferrari or Mack truck?

The MX28-B I have weighs exactly 6# with 30” barrels and fixed chokes. It will go in my coffin with me!

A Model 12 16 gauge and Benelli M2 are in the same category for me and though they feel a little different, both balance similarly to me. My two favorite shotguns.

Then put me in the ignorant category. I've put 50,000 rounds combined though a couple of 391 Sporting guns. My scores picked up by several targets per round when I quit the 391s. My friend that likely has over 100,000 through his Benelli Super Sport switched from a 391 also, though he most often uses a Browning Superposed for hunting. These days I most often use a Citori CXS for sporting because I can use 1200 fps 1 oz loads without malfunction though have considered switching to a Benelli for sporting on occasion. That would allow me to use the same platform for sporting and hunting. For me, few gas guns handle as well as a good inertiangun.

I would not chalk up the improvement in scores to the inertia operating system. The gun probably fits you better. 1oz loads cycle just fine through Benelli's.

Can you spell BACK PETAL Z

No back petal Sorry I actually have the experience shooting a Benelli in Competition more then a little. The fact of the matter is you can't change physics.

Are you kind of did the gun probably fit you better was your exact words that's exactly what I said earlier in these threads. And no you're not the only person with real experience I love how some of you guys think you're the only person ever done s*** your f****** hilarious

Fit and gun balance. For me, Benelli's balance better than most gas guns. You can't change physics.

WOW +P on the stupid level........ I love it when people think they can change Physics or Reinvent the wheel. So please share how many Big Blast have you shot, Class, Wins?

Never said I was a professional shotgun shooter I live very close to several world-class shotgun shooting the facilities. Played more than a little. Go back and read through the thread other people telling you the same basic thing. You want to keep running your mouth and trying to belittle me won't you just show up down here with Bob at VanZant Missouri and shoot with us and give us some lessons and give me a personal tongue-lashing I'd like to see this

Nobody can top you! But trust me I am lmao. I have shot plenty in your neck of the woods. World Class, you don't get out much and it shows! A few really nice lodges in you AO, but hardly world class targets. So I'll take it you are not an NSCA member, have not shot a big blast, and well haven't traveled much on the Sporting Clays circuit. I'll take you up on your offer to come on down there. Buy me a plane ticket and put me up in that fancy lodge! I would come down there no problem.