Need a new Semi Auto shotgun!

matt_3479

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2010
Messages
1,586
Location
Southern Ontario
I have been looking around the past couple weeks for a new auto loading shotgun and have come across a few that catch my eye. The Browning Maxus is one, the Bretta Extreme II is another and my favorite so far is the Benelli Super Black Eagle II. This will be my first auto loading shotgun and would love some advice.
 
It all depends on what you want. If low recoil is important I would go with the Extrema (I or II) or AL391. If you are looking for a no BS gun that works no matter what go with the Benelli.

My wife shoots an AL391 and, with a couple add-ons, she can shoot it all day long. I shoot a Benelli SBE and I love it. It has never failed me and I have had to use it as a boat paddle before and it didn't miss a beat.

Don't get caught up on wanting to shoot 3 1/2" shells (if you are that is). I have hunted ducks and geese from NC to WY and have never had to shoot the shoulder breaker shells to kill anything.
 
I went out shooting with both the extrema II and the Benelli SBE I and i just preferred the SBE because it felt smoother, cycled a little bit faster. Im not too worried about recoil at the moment. and im not going out to buy a gun just because of the 3 1/2" shells. I will probably load more 3" then anything. Everyone says if im looking for a gun with no recoil then the Extrema II is the gun. Yet Benelli clams the SBE II is the softest kicking shotgun in the world? why is that.

Is the recoil on the Benelli actually that bad. Like i have an older winchester Model 1200 i believe (pump). My dad has some sort of older winchester that is a Bolt. I have a single shot that is a brake barrel. I have shot everything from SSG's, Slugs, BB, BBB, field shots, target loads, turkey loads in all of them. There all 2 3/4" shells. I also shoot my buddy's pump which is a 3" shotgun and i have shot all the same loads minus the Turkey loads in it. Will the recoil of the Benelli actually be worse then the pumps and brake barrels or just compared to the Beretta?
 
Last edited:
With my Benelli and my wife's AL391 I added a recoil reducer up front and weight in the stock. The extra weight made the guns balance better and took a lot of recoil out. My Benelli has a hard time cycling light target loads. That doesn't matter to me, steel shot is the only thing I shoot with it.

The felt recoil greatly depends on your size. For example, I am 5'10" and 190 lbs and my wife is 5'7" and 145 lbs. She can shoot my Benelli but her AL391 is more comfortable for her. In the next few years I'll have to buy a gas operated shotgun because of my back and shoulder injuries. Once that happens I'll probably go with a 20 ga 391 for ducks in the timber and a 12 ga 391 for geese and river ducks.

You will see a huge difference in recoil between a pump and an auto loader. Once you get used to an auto loader the pumps will kick the snot out of you.

Bottom line, get the gun that fits you and is the most comfortable.
 
browning is hard to beat for reliability and comfort,i use a 1929 browning A5 lite and it has never ever let me down.but then its a plainjane without all the vacum cleaner attachments
 
I've got a Extrema I. Doves, quail, turkey, geese, ducks. Smokes them all. Recoil isn't an issue and I Imagine that it is about the same for each gun mentioned. 6 of one kind and half dozen of another. I think the beretta is more reliable b.c of gas recoil and not inertia.
 
Obviously by my call name I may be a bit partial but I will give you my honest review on each that you mentioned.

Extrema-1. I had 0 problems. I bought it when it first came out. absolutly loved that gun but was a bit big for smaller shooters.
Extrema-2. I now have 2 of these. one with KO and one without. It is the same action and eveything as the first just a little thinner in the grips which makes it a little better to shoot. All 3 of my extremas will shoot 7/8oz load all the way to 2-1/4 was the heaviest I tried.
SBE-2. Great gun, lighter feeling but number wise it is not much. easier for smaller guys. kicks like a mule though. 1-1/8oz+ shoot fine
Browning. Haven't shot the maxus but I have a Gold 10. My best friend sold his gold 12 to buy the sbe2. the gold is junk. both of our guns after a year became better boat anchors than shotguns. will not buy another. 1-1/8oz+ shoot but there is a good chance the gun will turn into a single shot pretty quick.
Super x2 is the same way, not sure about the super x3.

Not sure if you have looked into the Vinci since you are not worried about 3.5s but there is one on SnipersHide.com for $950.

hoped this helped some.
 
There are several good shotguns available and I have owned most brands and liked all of them
for one reason or another but they all had some flaws that I had to deal with.

I started hunting with a shotgun in the early 60s and tried every style and brand that I could
and ended up preferring over and unders.

When the feds forced us to go to steel shot the rules changed and I went to a 3 1/2 10gauge
side by side for geese and larger but it was two cumbersome for ducks and went hunting most
of the time with a 3" o/u .

There were times that I wished I had my 10 gauge but didn't have it, so I started looking for
a lighter shotgun for all round use and found that all of the 3 1/2" autos were 3" guns that
had been modified to take 3 1/2 " shells.

And then I found an Extrema 1 and right off saw that it was purpose built for the 3 1/2" shells
(It had a much larger reciever).

I had to try it especially after I was told that it would shoot anything from a 2 3/4" 1oz trap
load to a 2 1/4oz 3 1/2" turkey load without any changes in the shotgun.

To say I was skeptical would be an under statement, so I set out to find out if it was BS or not.

I loaded everything from a 7/8oz trap load all the way to the Max 2 1/4 oz 3 1/2" turkey in
the mag in no particular order and shot some clays with my son throwing them and the
Extrema 1 functioned perfectly every time, no matter what shell I fed it.

So now I finally have a shot gun that truly is an all round weapon and can be used for every
thing that I want to hunt with it.

For upland birds I still use my 2 3/4 " o/u because I like carrying it open.

But for Extreme (Hence the name) hunting I always grab the Extrema and lots of different
ammo just in case I run into a bad/mad pig or just some little snipes I know I am prepared
for anything.

The only downside that some may feel the Extrema has is the size (It is large).

I hope I have not bored anyone but a long explanation was necessary to point out the reason
that it would be my first choice over a lot of fine shotguns.

So I guess you know what my recommendation will be.

J E CUSTOM
 
Last edited:
I have shot a SBE 3 1/2 inch for 15 years...NO PROBLEM. Don't like the position of the safety on the Extrema but a nice gun. The Vinchi is now being made in 3 1/2 inch. You don't need a 3 1/2 inch gun to shoot ducks but it's nice on geese plus if you ever want to see it it's mord marketable. By the Benelli you'll love it.
 
I am going to be honest. I own a brand new Super Black Eagle 2. My buddy let me shoot his Browning Maxus. All I can say is I WISH I would have gotten the Maxus. It is so sturdy and light, with modest recoil, even with the 3.5" shells.
 
Good choice. I just bought one (Maxus 3.5" in bottomland camo) for my grandson and he loves it. He has only used it to shoot clay targets so far. But with waterfowl season just around the corner, he'll get a chance to put some heavier loads through it.

My grandson is only fourteen so this gun works well for his length-of-pull...it's shorter than any of the other waterfowl guns I own (Citori's and Xtrema2's). The gun came with a spacer so I can lengthen the stock when the time comes.

And just for the record, SBE II's aren't as indestructable as others might lead you to believe. I have family and friends who shoot them and they ALL have problems with them. They all shoot over a hundred ducks/geese a year, so their guns get exercised. However when they use a guide to hunt geese, they carry a backup gun in case their SBE II malfunctions.

My nephew (who owns a SBE II) hunts with me often and experiences problems with his gun quite a bit. Now I grant you that he is hard on equipment, but a person should not have the problems he does out of a $1,500+ gun.

Just my $0.02. I think you made a good choice...happy hunting.
 
I would stay with a pump. dont know when you are going fall in the mud. Not bragging here but I got 2 win 1200 & 1300 I beat the **** out of thies guns and still keep going no bull here I have loaded rounds and seen weeds catails go in and go out after shooting.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 6 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.
Top