Benelli Legacy fit question

[bikemutt]

I'm looking around at auto loading 20 gauge shotguns and came across the Benelli Legacy. My cousin hunts with a Legacy 28 gauge, as do half a dozen of his hunting buddies. They all rave about the gun.

My only hesitation is I owned a Benelli Ethos in 12 gauge for a brief period and ended up selling it because it simply did not fit me. I couldn't hit the side of barn with it.

Because I have no way to actually see if the Legacy might be a good fit (my cousin lives in FL), I have to ask a speculative question of the good folks here at THR. Is there a good chance that if one Benelli shotgun fit me poorly, they all might?

 

[Mercury]

Your question is very insightful. I suggest that you go around to the various gun shops local to you and shoulder as many different brands and models that you can. A knowledgeable sales rep can guide you on proper fit. When I look to see if a particular SG fits me, I close my eyes and shoulder it. When its shouldered, I open my eyes to see if I'm looking down the rib or not and how well the beads align for me. I also get a feel for weight, balance (fore and aft) and how well it swings.
If nothing fits you off of the shelf, a professional fitter can make adjustments so that it fits you well.
Good luck. You'll get so much more enjoyment from it if it fits you properly.

 

[CraigC]

Exactly what about the fit of the Ethos was an issue? I bought my wife (5'5") a Legacy 28ga last month and it fits me (6'1") wonderfully. It's just really light and doesn't swing like one with a little more mass. I don't find all the Benelli's to be the same but I'm not sure if I can actually help you make the right decision. I'd strongly recommend handling one first.

 

[bikemutt]

CraigC, it's really hard to know what part of the fit didn't fit with the Ethos. I felt it was a combination of LOP, where I had to grip the forearm, and what my trigger hand had to do to comfortably squeeze the trigger. I was always fighting to get the gun to shoulder without it hanging on clothing, my support hand felt like it was in the wrong place, and the trigger squeeze was all wrong.

For perspective, I'm no shotgun expert shooter by any stretch. I consider a bad round of trap 17 broken, a good round 22 broken. I never broke more than 5 with the Ethos, it was that bad.

 

[CraigC]

I have issues with some shotguns just having a too long LOP for me to shoulder without the rubber recoil pad snagging on clothing. Don't have that problem with the Legacy. Do you not have any local dealers that carry them? I found them at Gander Mountain, Cabela's and BassPro while out on the road but ordered online when I got home.

 

[bikemutt]

CraigC, I do have a Cabelas and a BassPro on the way home from the Christmas holiday, I'll check them out to see if I can shoulder one. Thanks for the suggestion. My other choice is to pick up a Browning Silver Hunter 20 gauge NOS online. I was able to handle one in 12 gauge, and, I've yet to find a Browning shotgun that didn't fit me. The Browning would be half the cost of the Benelli. But, it's not all about the money, after buying a used Silver Pigeon II in 20 gauge recently, I appreciate Italian scatter guns.

 

[Sniper66]

Shouldering a few at local gun stores would be my first recommendation too. If you are not in a hurry, some gun shows might be in order. I have a Benelli Legacy 20 and it fits me very well. But, I also have a restored Remington Model 17 20 ga and it fits me even better and a Remington 870 Wingmaster that fits like a glove. The point is that many shotguns can be said to "fit", but the real proof is in the shooting. I've shot sporting clays and killed lots of doves with the Benelli, but it's really not my favorite. I had an Ugartechea 20 gauge SxS that seemed to fit me very well and I loved the look and feel, but I couldn't hit crap with it...so, I sold it. Good luck in your search. Tom

 

[rbernie]

Both the Ethos and Legacy are adjustable via shim for drop and cast. I do not believe that either are adjustable for LOP.

The synthetic Comfortech stocked versions (M2 Field) of the Benelli action are adjustable for cast and drop, as well as allowing adjustable LOP and replaceable combs.

 

[bikemutt]

The more I think about the issues I had with the Ethos I'm recalling what I think was the deal killer. The way the grip oriented my trigger hand with respect to the trigger caused me to "fight" the trigger. The only way out of it was to re-orient my entire shooting arm up and outward which of course, led to huge problems of shootability.

I studied the shape of various shotgun grips at the time and noticed those with a more "straight" grip suited me better than those with more of a "circle" grip. The Ethos grip is almost a semi-circle when viewed from the side; Browning grips tend to come straight off the frame before they head downwards. My Beretta Silver Pigeon is more like the Browning.

I can't really explain why the Ethos grip caused me so much distress but, it became clear to me the more I shot the gun, there was no way out of the predicament. It was like walking around all day with a pebble in my shoe.