Benelli choice?

T

Thejunk07

New member
I have money set aside (about 1200, maybe more) for a shotgun purchase and I've decided I want a benelli semi auto 12 gauge. I want something that will be versatile, able to shoot bird shot just as well as buck or slugs, but don't want to sacrifice any performance. I love wood stocks, but since I want it to be indestructible basically I figured polymer would be best(but could possibly change my mind). I'm leaning toward the Vinci, but does anyone else have any input on any other models and why I might want to change my mind?
 
I'm was thinking along the same lines a few months ago and got their 2011 promo video. Bad idea... They make so many cool guns! More lost than ever. Super Vinci might be for me- 3-and-a-half inchers for geese and long duck shots. My buddy has the Nova (pump) and I really dig it. Shot my only double of quail with it this past season, and I only used it once while using my Moss 500 on my other 20+ quail hunts.
 
I started with a nova for duck and geese. I liked the nova so much I bought a sbe2. I've used it on geese,ducks,swans,rabbit,and for trap. Never had a problem with it. Light ir heavy loads.
 
Benellis have lots of happy owners. I've handled and shot maybe 10 Benellis of sundry models. They all have worked perfectly.

The triggers are less than stellar, and same with the price. Otherwise, hard to fault them.
 
I've got a Monte, I've used it for clays the past 2 years putting down 2100rnds. It's hasn't shown any signs of wear whatsoever. I did throw in a Wolff +25 spring because it improves cycle speed and just makes things smoother. The Monte is an M2 reciever with a really tough coating, a Legacy barrel, and a legacy magazine tube. It's really Benellis crossover between birds, deer, and clays. I've also shot about 50 slugs through her, shes quite accurate and handled the slugs just fine. Fitting the shim system changes the recoil so much.
 
I have a pair of SuperSport's a 12ga and a 20ga ...and they've been very good guns...kind of a do everything well...a little hunting, some clays, etc..in one gun.

I've fired a number of Benelli models ....and they're all solid guns / when you pick one model over the other...look at the stock dimensions ( drop at comb and heel, length of pull, weight ) and pick the gun with the most adjustability ( does it have shims, changeable comb pads, etc ) so the gun fits you.

Its my opinion - that the other affiliated Beretta corp mfg's ...some are similar to Benelli - but the parts are not interchangeable / and the quality is not the same. Benelli seems to be a much better gun - in the inertia guns - than most of the alternatives. Beretta - under their own name ..only makes gas guns ...and leaves the inertia guns to their subsidiaries like Benelli, etc.
 
Benelli m2..... simple as that. This gun is a maximum workhorse with no issues at all. But that is from my experience. Best semi shotgun I have ever bought and the best fitting shotgun I have ever put up to my shoulder.
 
Check out the nova its a very nice pump gun,I know your looking for an auto, but for the money the novas are worth every penny and cost half as much as an auto. They will handle birdshot,slugs, and buck shot the same as an auto. Just my p's and q's.
 
my BIL has a 12 gauge M-2 field model with wood furniture. I've shot it a number of times with great success. Nice gun...
 
I have a Nova and it's a fantastic, indestructible pump gun for birds. Mine doesn't shoot slugs well at all. Started at 30 yards with a clean gun and 10 boxes of rifled slugs (2 boxes of 5 kinds). Cleaned it after every 10 shots. Hit a 2' by 2' target twice in 50 loads. Handed er over to my dad and he hit the target once in 10 shots. We got his SBEI out and got about the same results. This was 8 years ago or so when the SBEI was new and I had just picked up the Nova. We then got his old 1300 out and ran the same slugs through it. Both able to hit a paper plate at 80 yards with a plain bead sight and smooth bore, so the results weren't us just shooting poorly. That being said, out of all the people I know who own Nova's I hear 2 responses: "Shoots rifled slugs amazing for a smooth bore," and "Can't hit a bull in the hind end." I don't know if people have that differing of opinions or if it really does just matter on the gun but I was not impressed with either of ours.
The Vinci is a sweat gun for a waterfowler, but everyone I know that owns one uses 3 dram shells when trap shooting or they jam. That may make a difference if you hunt quail. The same SBEI my dad had the lousy run of slugs through has fired absolutely flawlessly on everything from trap loads up to 3.5 inch mags for geese and every SBEII that I have seem to have a similar rep. The M2 has a reputation for reliability as well and the only one I ever shot ran slugs fairly accurately. Can't say much about the Monte other than as far as I know it was designed for upland and is very light so it's nice for walking, but firing a box of steel loads through it may be painful if you duck hunt a lot.
Next time you're at a gun store take a look at a Browning Maxus. I've shot a few and never seen one jam. It shoulders nice for me and is weighted nice for me.
 
I have a Vinci and think VERY well of it. It's light enough to be a good field 12ga (just under seven pounds, unladen), it has excellent ergonomics for me (despite its unconventional looks), and I find it to be very easy to maintain. About the only negatives are the price and the smooshy trigger.

It struggles a wee bit with light-ish 7/8oz loads but shoots 'normal' to heavy recoil loads very well indeed.
 
My nova shoots slugs rather well. I got mine when they first hit the market in Oregon. Paid 364.00 for mine(no sales tax there), I do not have any mods for it everything is stock. Used to have an old savage bolt action shotgun with a bulbous poly-choke on the end of it, use the same loads in it and was able to push the slugs out to 200yds just fine. I also use a super full choke on my benelli with number 4's are inside the diameter of a standard coffee cup at 25 yards. the choke extends about an inch beyond the barrel, which is normally 28''. 3'' mags are a joy to shoot, have yet to try ny 3 1/2'' mags, just haven't bought any. Mainly they are too expensive, and when I do have the money, good old bills catches up with me lol.:rolleyes:. I use number fours for quail, grouse, ducks, turkeys, squirrels, and rabbits. My gun and that shot size pattern rather nicely. Many auto lovers, who have shot my benelli, were newly converted to pump action lovers.
 
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