Benelli Shotguns

[mscher]

Anyone have any experience with these shotguns?

Deer - upland birds - home defense?

Thinking about taking it up a notch, from the cheapie Remington. Considering the 12GA SuperNova.

I realize that they are Italian made, but apparently The U.S. Marine Corps, thinks the M4 model will get the job done. The Supernova is a little more expensive than the Remington 870, but not by a whole lot.

Seems like a nice gun.

 

[JRJ]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

I have a Benelli Sport II in 20ga I bought primarily for Skeet and Clays. I've put 2,000 rounds or so through it. Reliable, very easy to clean and fun to shoot. I use a Beretta 391 for Trap, also very reliable and fun to shoot. Cleaning is a little more involved than the Benelli. I also like A-5's, 1100's, and some others. All good equipment. Have fun and good shooting.

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

We use M4's at work. They seem to do the job.

 

[mscher]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

I found a brand new Supernova 12GA, with Realtree camo AGP HD, for $400, from a guy who won it in a contest.

Barely feel any recoil with 2 3/4" bird shells. Can't wait to try a 3 1/2" monster load, to see if their recoil system is what they say it is.

Happy camper today.

 

[jlinder]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

We use M4's at work. They seem to do the job.

Gotta ask - what is your job?

 

[rsw21282]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

I have known a few with benellis, from what i gather they are great guns if your willing to shell out the bucks. However in my opinion for the money you cant get more for the buck than a remington 870exp. I have shot a variety of different guns. Everything from a 10k trapgun to a old bar bought gun and i think preferance has a lot to do with it. My dad has had guns ranging from thousands to under a hundred and he prefer's above all others an old winchester he bought in a bar in the 80's for 50 bucks. I was also in the marine corp. (never used the shotgun) but i would imagine if the military used it they believed it would get the job done, or it was the cheapest and most practical for the use.

 

[flatheadlakemonster]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

I have shot many Benelli Novas, and they are great guns, if you got that gun in camo for that price, you got a screaming deal. I actually just bought a Stoeger P-350(a benelli brand, baby brother to the Nova) They are great guns, the only drawback is that you may have trouble finding aftermarket parts or accessories for them. They are defintely not the 870 of the shotgun world, but you get a bit of prestige with that also. Nice find! One suggestion would be to check and see if you have a recoil reducer in the stock of the gun. If you don't, see if you can find one, and then you will be able to shoot that gun all weekend, and your shoulder won't know the difference. I just put one in mine, and it does make a difference. If you are looking for another cheaper gun for home defense, look at the Mossberg Maverick 500, or any 870 express you can find at a pawn shop. I will be building a tactical style 870 for home defense also. Later!

 

[rsw21282]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

While i agree with flatheadlakemonster about the 870exp, i disagree with the mossberg suggestion. Although i have owned a few mossbergs, im not a fan they seem to be cheaply built, and if you can believe it i had one from the factory brand new with a warped barrell. I would never buy mossberg(my opinion tho, some love em). Benelli is a great gun i think, but a bit pricey. I mean its a shotgun not like ur taking 500meter shots. I have been duck hunting with ppl that went overboard getting top of the line shotguns and my regular 300-400 870exp and walked away with same if not more duck, so dont think it matters that much. Unless like lakemonster said, home defense is a new point blank monster. I just use my 870 with rifled slugs in a smooth barrel for first 2 shots(go through walls) and last 3, buck shot for home defense. However i can see the benefit to a tactical setup, but regaurdless, dead is dead, most of the time you wouldnt need all that sh!t. Unless tactical weapon build up is a hobby/just a gun finatic.

Reading my post i almost seem like a remington sales rep. maybe i should get payed for this. There are a lot of other good guns, I have a few winchester. My only point was i dont really agree with spending all kinds of money on a shotgun that has the same quality, as a gun for half the price.

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

Yeah, maybe Mossberg put out a new gun with a warped barrel. I also know that Winchester put out at least one 1300 that wasn't up to par. My parents bought my brother and I new shotguns for Christmas about 20 years ago. I got a Mossber 835 camo turkey gun. My brother got a 1300 turkey gun. We went out Xmas day to shoot them. The vent rib flew off the barrel the first time he shot it....I guess my point is everybody makes a lemon every now and then.

Anyway, we have a couple of dozen Mossberg 500's in the armory where I work that have been beaten around for decades and still work just fine.

 

[mscher]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

One suggestion would be to check and see if you have a recoil reducer in the stock of the gun. If you don't, see if you can find one, and then you will be able to shoot that gun all weekend, and your shoulder won't know the difference. I just put one in mine, and it does make a difference. If you are looking for another cheaper gun for home defense, look at the Mossberg Maverick 500, or any 870 express you can find at a pawn shop. I will be building a tactical style 870 for home defense also. Later!

The new Benelli's come standard with their "ComforTech", recoil supression built-in to the stock.
http://www.benelliusa.com/innovations/comfortech_system.php

 

[mscher]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

I have known a few with benellis, from what i gather they are great guns if your willing to shell out the bucks. However in my opinion for the money you cant get more for the buck than a remington 870exp. I have shot a variety of different guns. Everything from a 10k trapgun to a old bar bought gun and i think preferance has a lot to do with it. My dad has had guns ranging from thousands to under a hundred and he prefer's above all others an old winchester he bought in a bar in the 80's for 50 bucks. I was also in the marine corp. (never used the shotgun) but i would imagine if the military used it they believed it would get the job done, or it was the cheapest and most practical for the use.

The 870 is a great gun and a great buy. Walmart even sells them with a synthetic stock, for $275. I've used several inexpensive Mossbergs, that get the job done, quite nicely also.

This will be my first and possibly last shotgun, I may ever buy. Money is a bit tight, like everyone else and one can spend huge bucks on a shotgun, but a extra couple of hundred dollars, over the years of ownership, should not be that big of a deal. We just spent way more than the price of a shotgun, buying one year's worth of books and other fees - at our kid's public schools.

I will be working selling some stuff on eBay, since my lovely wife let me "dip" in the Christmas money, for the gun. She said I owe her "big time" - if you know what I mean.

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

So you used the ol' "This will be the the last ______ I will ever buy" line on her, huh?

 

[mscher]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

So you used the ol' "This will be the the last ______ I will ever buy" line on her, huh?

Well, sure!

The slug barrel and scope next year, will be an "accessory".

 

[HAV2FISH]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

This is just my opinion but to me any shot gun is a good gun for home defense as long as it is a pump. I cant imagine any bugler not recognizing that distinctive sound of a shell being chambered. Best part is you don't even have to be in sight of the intruder.

 

[bdblazer1978]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

I bought a Benelli SuperNova and absolutely love it. I've taken it out whitetail hunting and shot 3 1/2" slugs & buck shot through it and their built in recoil really worked. I've also used it for pheasant and walked around with it all day shooting at birds again without a problem.This is the first shotgun that I've owned that I've had to clean and it's really simple.

 

[mscher]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

I bought a Benelli SuperNova and absolutely love it. I've taken it out whitetail hunting and shot 3 1/2" slugs & buck shot through it and their built in recoil really worked. I've also used it for pheasant and walked around with it all day shooting at birds again without a problem.This is the first shotgun that I've owned that I've had to clean and it's really simple.

Can't wait to set mine up for deer and hit the field.

Do you use the standard IC choke with slugs? Somewhere it was suggested that the Hastings rifled choke with sabots, works very well.

I'll start simple and see if I can hit a target, with the current IC choke and rilfed slugs.

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

This is just my opinion but to me any shot gun is a good gun for home defense as long as it is a pump. I cant imagine any bugler not recognizing that distinctive sound of a shell being chambered. Best part is you don't even have to be in sight of the intruder.

That old rack the gun and scare 'em off theory looks good in the movies and gets passed around as "sound advice". However, I'm not gonna ever have a defensive weapon around without a round in the chamber for one. For two, I may not want that racking sound to give away my position...Just my opinion, though.

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

Well, sure!

The slug barrel and scope next year, will be an "accessory".

I've shot slugs out of them using open sights. They shoot pretty darn good and have don't have alot of recoil.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

That old rack the gun and scare 'em off theory looks good in the movies and gets passed around as "sound advice". However, I'm not gonna ever have a defensive weapon around without a round in the chamber for one. For two, I may not want that racking sound to give away my position...Just my opinion, though.

+100

And a little off subject..
But WHY in all the movies, they sound effect in the "racking a round/slide sound" every time the pistol/shotgun/take your pick of firearm is pointed at somebody?????

If I heard a handgun/firearm rattle that much when they pointed it at me, I'd tell em to pull the trigger, I dare ya! lol

 

[flatheadlakemonster]

Re: Benelli Shotguns

When I mentioned the Mossberg, I was merely offering a secondary shotgun that is a cheap solution. Myself, I would probably not buy one, as I have handled them, and it seems you get what you pay for(not sure I trust a $149.00 shotgun).

On the other topic, I have a close friend that used the "rack it and scare 'em" (Benelli Nova, ironically) tactic on a guy that picked the lock on his apartment. He was down the hall in his bedroom, and the guy still knew what was going on. Needless to say, he made an about-face and high-tailed it out of there.

All this shotgun talk makes me want to go shoot some skeet this weekend, and I think I will!