I have been reading all the reviews ,watching video reviews and still can’t make up my mind. Give me some more opinions, good, bad or ugly I will listen to them all. I may be buying 2 of whatever I decide on as my 14 year decided a couple a months ago to try a 12 gauge and has not picked up his 20 gauge since.
I am a benelli fan. It all depends on what you are hunting and using for shells. I like the benelli’s cause the safety is behind the trigger where the beretta’s are in front of the trigger. Some people say it doesn’t matter but it’s all what you are use too. If you get a benelli with the confrotech stock you can get longer or shorter recoil pad and you can get a raised comb. Makes it a little more adjustable to fit you.
If you are not worried about recoil the SBII is a good choice, but recoil heavy. These inertia driven rigs are darned reliable with little maintenence. The Beretta is time proven and soft shooting. Id sway from the Versa Max, it probably has the best designed operating system on the market, but Remington is using cheap parts and these are prone to breakdowns due to broken parts. If u still want a Versa Max. I hear Walmart has them for under $500 in preparation for the new model coming out. I just bought a Winchester SX3 and love it. Exact same operating system as a Browning Silver but $150 less expensive. Stock is adjustable to length of pull, drop at comb, and cast. Very light and soft shooting. It also eats loads from 2 3/4 1 oz to the heaviest 3 1/2 load. At least mine does. Bottom line however is simple…..buy what fits you best. If u pick one up set your cheek without effort and you are looking straight down the rib you are onto something.
Bottom line however is simple…..buy what fits you best. If u pick one up set your cheek without effort and you are looking straight down the rib you are onto something.
You really do have to buy the fit, not the gun when it comes to shotguns.
It doesn’t matter how good the mechanics are of Gun X vs Gun Y, the gun going bang only does some good if you actually hit the bird.
IMO, you cannot go wrong with the Benelli or the Beretta. Both of these are time-tested action designs that go back 10 or more years.
I would also agree that both Winchester and Browning have guns in their current lineups that are worth considering. So does Franchi, which I think is a bit under-rated and under-considered. Franchi is part of Beretta/Benelli and they crank out some very good and reliable recoil-powered autos using the Inertia drive similar to Benelli’s.
Just to address a common urban legend that gets brought up with discussions of recoil vs gas operated autoloaders. Neither one has an inherent “reliability” advantage. Gas operated autos are NOT more prone to mechanical failures than are recoil, it simply is not the case.
I’ve talked to dove outfitters in Argentina that use Berettas and old Remington 1100s as rental guns and they have all said that you cannot kill these guns. One outfitter believes he has guns in his rental fleet that have 500,000+ rounds through them and they shuck shells like the day they were born.
All autos MUST be maintained properly. Period. I’ve done field surgery on an equal number of gas and recoil autos that stopped cycling and the universal cause is owner neglect.
I’m a little more ambivalent about the Remington, there were some pretty well known teething problems with the VersaMax. I’d like to think they are worked out by now, but IMO if you are going this route, do your research first.
Grouse
I have personally shot just about every autoloader on the market now and I will say without a doubt the best shooting out of all of them has been any Benelli I have picked up!
I’ve never shot an SBEII or a Versamax. I do have an a400 and I’m pretty satisfied with the fit and action. I have a friend with one that shoots waterfowl and trap and he calls the A400 “the best shotgun he’s ever owned” and “the last shotgun he’ll ever need”. He’s had Browning and SBE ll prior to the A400.
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