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OP
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I recently acquired a Benelli SBE3. It's a lefty--a rare find in my neighborhood.
I'm a big guy and generally don't notice recoil all that much, but test-firing this new shotgun with 3" 1 3/8 ounce Winchester Blind Side loads was an exercise in recoil management! I'm not sure if the light shotgun, the ammunition, or a combination of the two made for a stouter recoil but it had me searching Google for ways to tame the kick a bit.
Any suggestions?
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Fifty views and no one has an opinion or recommendation?
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Campfire Ranger
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Yes…. Since this particular shotgun and load is at your level of recoil tolerance… and provided the shotgun fits relatively well.. You have two choices. Shoot a softer shell…or add weight to the shotgun. The first is the easy fix….the second not so much.
There is a third, which would be a mechanical collapsible attachment to the stock…which may or may not work, and is expensive.
You should be sure, there is a good chance the combination of the two is the problem.
Last edited by battue; 10/03/21.
laissez les bons temps rouler
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Yes…. Since this particular shotgun and load is at your level of recoil tolerance… and provided the shotgun fits relatively well.. You have two choices. Shoot a softer shell…or add weight to the shotgun. Good advice.
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Fifty views and no one has an opinion or recommendation? Load her up with a 3.5" shell and pull the trigger....after that you'll think the 3" is a pussy cat. I have a PAST recoil shield I wear when shooting off a rest with a hard kicker....has a chest strap and could be worn under your shirt if you're worried about your buddies poking fun at you. I shoot a left hand SBE with 3.5" loads hunting....off a bench rest it's a beast but normal shooting it isnt too bad. I'd recommend buying a PAST....I believe today they are ambidextrous when I bought mine they made a left and right hand model. Here ya go...I believe that's less than i paid for mine 30 years ago. https://www.ebay.com/itm/PAST-ADJUS...m46890.l6249&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0
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3 basic ways to reduce recoil 1) heavier gun 2) lighten the payload (I.e. go from 1 3/8 oz to 1 1/8 oz load) 3) slow the round down ( go from a 1400 FPS load to a 1200 FPS load)
If you have a rock hard recoil pad, change it out to a softer pad.
Almost any inertia gun that I am aware of will kick harder than a gas operated gun. After 2 shoulder surgeries, I gave up on anything inertia in 12 ga.
LFC is right 3.5" turkey or duck hunting shells will make your round feel like a pop gun. The PAST pad does help as well
I may not be smart but I can lift heavy objects
I have a shotgun so I have no need for a 30-06.....
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3 basic ways to reduce recoil 1) heavier gun 2) lighten the payload (I.e. go from 1 3/8 oz to 1 1/8 oz load) 3) slow the round down ( go from a 1400 FPS load to a 1200 FPS load)
If you have a rock hard recoil pad, change it out to a softer pad.
Almost any inertia gun that I am aware of will kick harder than a gas operated gun. After 2 shoulder surgeries, I gave up on anything inertia in 12 ga.
LFC is right 3.5" turkey or duck hunting shells will make your round feel like a pop gun. The PAST pad does help as well (1) Should he tape lead weights to his SBE3 to get the weight up...or maybe buy an expensive Mercury Reducer and put in the stock and throw off the balance of his gun ? (2) Last I checked they don't offer 1&1/8 oz duck loads. (3) No duck hunter wants a slow speed steel shot load. The SBE3 comes with a soft recoil pad.....And most serious hunters don't want a gas operated shotgun. PAST is the answer for a guy that doesn't shoot shotgun enough to get his shoulder conditioned to recoil....in cold weather thicker clothes will take care of most of the recoil.
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Like Turkeys....Bring them into the decoys and stay around 30 yards and shoot 2 3/4 and all will be fine...TSS shells may be an option....
No pads, no lead weights, no mercury....
However, that is the easy answer....
laissez les bons temps rouler
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(1) Should he tape lead weights to his SBE3 to get the weight up...or maybe buy an expensive Mercury Reducer and put in the stock and throw off the balance of his gun ?
(2) Last I checked they don't offer 1&1/8 oz duck loads.
(3) No duck hunter wants a slow speed steel shot load.
The SBE3 comes with a soft recoil pad.....And most serious hunters don't want a gas operated shotgun.
1) if you are getting beat on bad enough, add weight to both the front and back of the gun to balance it out. 2) they do make 1 1/8 oz and he never said this was a dedicated waterfowl gun. 3) This point I will agree on, but it will reduce recoil by going to a slower shell. I will be sure and let everyone know that hunts with a Remington 1100/1187/Versamax, Winchester SuperX, 1,2,3 and 4, Beretta autoloader (too many models to list) Browning Gold, etc. ,(Tired of typing) that according to you don't take waterfowl hunting seriously.
Last edited by pullit; 10/03/21.
I may not be smart but I can lift heavy objects
I have a shotgun so I have no need for a 30-06.....
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The easy answer is to use an 8-9# gun when sitting in a blind and save the light guns for walking miles after upland game.
Since you have bought a nice gun and want to use it for waterfowl, you need lighter shells. The 1.25 oz Blind Side will kick a little less, and 1200 fps bismuth or tungsten shells will kick a lot less.
I don't buy the "man up and learn to live with it" philosophy. Big guys feel recoil more than little guys because they roll with the punch less, and you will develop a flinch shooting those 1 3/8 ouncers. Swap them for something that fits the weight of the gun and have a good time. Hunting is for fun, not to prove how much punishment you can take (that's what marriage is for).
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Another thought. Some people weight the gun by replacing the plastic magazine plug with a brass rod, and add lead in the butt until it balances to suit. You can take it back to 7# whenever you want.
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Thank you gentlemen. This is some actionable intel, and I appreciate your thoughts.
I missed the opener due to covid, but I'm recovering and should be good to go so. It gives me time to make adjustments and/or purchases.
Best,
KP
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The easy answer is to use an 8-9# gun when sitting in a blind and save the light guns for walking miles after upland game.
Since you have bought a nice gun and want to use it for waterfowl, you need lighter shells. The 1.25 oz Blind Side will kick a little less, and 1200 fps bismuth or tungsten shells will kick a lot less.
I don't buy the "man up and learn to live with it" philosophy. Big guys feel recoil more than little guys because they roll with the punch less, and you will develop a flinch shooting those 1 3/8 ouncers. Swap them for something that fits the weight of the gun and have a good time. Hunting is for fun, not to prove how much punishment you can take (that's what marriage is for).
4 stars... Except for the big/little analogy. Little guys get rocked,,, the big ones just move a little….a solid chest punch will send the small fighter across the ring….the big boys hardly move. They may absorb more, but they get hurt less.... Watch the reaction difference between a small vs big trapshooter and who is getting pounded becomes obvious.
Last edited by battue; 10/04/21.
laissez les bons temps rouler
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All comments above are good but if it doesn't fit youll still have issues. It has to fit you so you're melded to the gun. Otherwise it gets a loose and can accelerate to jab you.
Living in a world of G17s and 700s, wishing for P7s and 202s
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A SBE fits pretty much everyone.
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That could be true and op could be not of the almost. I know I'm not.
Living in a world of G17s and 700s, wishing for P7s and 202s
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With its available shims it should be easy to make it close...
Last edited by battue; 10/04/21.
laissez les bons temps rouler
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OP, have you had the same situation with a Beretta or Winchester?
Living in a world of G17s and 700s, wishing for P7s and 202s
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Don’t alter the shotgun at all IMO. Find Kent 12 ga. shot shells in steel or bismuth in 1 1/8 and 1 1/4 oz loads if memory serves and you will be fine. They also have the Tungsten Matrix which are impressive but they are in the same 1 3/8 oz loads at 1400+ FPS you are trying to avoid. And get the PAST recoil pad. https://www.ducks.org/hunting/shooting-tips/kent-cartridge-guide-to-waterfowl-loads
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Being lean n mean I think helps. Guns stay put and are held against meat/ bone framing. Theres no fat or extra muscle to act as an intermediate sliding surface or spacer.
Even after all that inertia guns seem to have a sharper pop IMHO.
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