Benelli's staggering line-up

[joffe]

Benelli has too many models, and they're all alike! Seemingly.

Can someone help me out? What is the reasoning behind the Super Black Eagle, SBE II, Cordoba or Vinci or any of the other ones as opposed to an M2?

I'm just looking for a gun that's okay to hunt with, but also for fun and games (clay and cardboard). I've pretty much made my mind up and settled on the M2, but Benelli's expansive catalog makes me curious. They can't be coming up with all these guns just to give their designers new logos and receivers to draw, right?

 

[rcmodel]

Other then the Vinci, they are pretty much all the same action with different levels of finish, wood, synthetic, or cammo finish stocks, and selling price points.

The SBE is chambered for 3" shells.
The SBEII is chambered for 3 1/2" shells.

From a practical hunting standpoint, I doubt the more expensive models will kill any more game then the less expensive M2 Field.

rc

 

[Virginian]

They are out to sell guns, and hope to cover every taste I guess. But, the styling, light weight, and inertia action do not appeal to all in spite of their efforts.
The SBE was superseded by the SBE2, and it was also chambered for 3-1/2" shells. That was the gun that turned me off to Benelli.

 

[benellimax4]

I think you can do everything you need to with the M2. The other guns are nice. But, I can hunt anything I want with 3" shells.

 

[joffe]

M2 it is. Thanks guys. I tried reading through the Benelli site and all I got was the SBE II could take the longer shells, and the Vinci and Super Vinci have the 'inline' inertia system. Whatever that means.

 

[benellimax4]

Here is another reason to go with the M2, the SBE II chokes on standard 7.5 birdshot a lot. One M2 can do duck and dove.

 

[oneounceload]

Or you could go with the Montefeltro, a nice Benelli if there ever was one

 

[benellimax4]

I have a Montefeltro too. It is a great gun. The only thing I don't like is that you can't clean the magazine tube. Why did they do that?

 

[41]

The SBE is 3.5 inch chamber also

 

[Dave McCracken]

I took a few shots at wobble last week with a buddy's Elite. Never heard of the model before.

Handled nicely, was quite light, trigger a bit mushy but workable. I liked it.

 

[usmarine0352_2005]

.


My brother and I have 2 Benelli SBE II's, and my bro had an SBE. All great guns.




4 of our friends have SBE II's and all love them.





Great guns, nothing to complain about, bought all of them and never had a problem with any of them. Super light, point-able, take a beating and even after shooting muddy and dirty they work flawlessly.


.

 

[joffe]

Or you could go with the Montefeltro, a nice Benelli if there ever was one

I suppose, but I don't particularly want a 'nice' gun, with blued metal, wooden stocks and engravings. I prefer something with a hardy finish and composite furniture that won't be bothered by a bit of rough treatment.

The 'Elite' looks like the same kind of gun. I'll stick to the matte black, plastic hardware M2.

 

[sjcslk]

Benelli's

Good question, I've wondered why they have so many models, too. I noticed, however, no one mentioned the BUL. I've played around with the idea of getting a ultra light. Any reason why no one mentioned it?

 

[Justin]

After throwing a Nordic Components catalog at my Benelli M2, I'd say I'm pretty happy with it.

 

[Canazes9]

The Vinci is truly different and has some interesting features:

http://randywakeman.com/VinciInDepth.htm

The M2's, SBEII, BUL and Montefeltro have a classic style receiver w/ a slip fit barrel. The M2, BUL and Montefeltro are 23/4" and 3" - the SBEII is 3.5". The Montefeltro has a low rib design that some folks don't care for, the BUL is obviously quite light and is NOT a gun for waterfowl or dove hunting, makes a good upland gun though.

The Super Sport, Sport II, Cordoba, Legacy and Legacy Sport are all desgined where the upper receiver is integrated into the barrel design. It is a stronger design, easier to clean and dissasemble. It is similar to the Vinci, but the action spring still resides in the buttstock like the full receiver M2 style guns - the Vinci action spring is in the upper receiver.

All of the integrated barrel upper receiver designs have the classic high Benelli rib and ported barrels except the Legacy which has the low rib/no ports. These guns are higher end than the full receiver guns and come w/ a extended chokes. The Cordoba is the intended hunting variant for waterfowl/doves, the Super Sport, Sport II and Legacy Sport are clays guns. The Legacy is intended as an upland style gun (they now have a 28 gauge model in addition to the 20 and the 12.

The Vinci and Super Vinci have the high ribs, no ports. The Vinci is a 3" gun the Super Vinci is a 3.5" gun. New this year are Vinci super sports which are clays variants w/ the carbon fiber finish and ported barrels.

Hope that helps break the model line up down a little more for you.

David

 

[joffe]

I'm an aspiring hunter, not an actual hunter, so please forgive me the lack of vocabulary. I'm planning to shoot grouse (ptarmigans), I guess that's 'upland'. I also want to use the gun to shoot slugs, so that I can use it in the future for deer and boar, but that's less important right now. (no boar nor deer around my area!! :banghead

Thanks for that. Interesting to see that the Vinci is a redesign. If I buy anything else I'll probably feel obsolete within five years as they update their entire lineup. Oh well, I can live with that.

 

[Canazes9]

Joffe,

Upland hunting is basically hunting any game bird that requires you to walk a lot (often through dense cover). Guns are carried a lot and shot a little (as opposed to waterfowl / dove hunting where you shoot a lot but don't walk w/ the shotgun much). I am not an Upland hunter, but generally upland hunters want a light easy to carry shotgun w/ a shorter barrel that swings fast. Shots are fast, the birds are fast, a fast handling shotgun is required. Typically upland hunting doesn't involve a lot of getting wet, so sometimes hunters like to hunt w/ shotguns w/ nice wood and deep bluing simply because they can.

As previously stated, the BUL and the Legacy are Benelli's intended upland shotguns, but they are not the only shotguns that Benelli makes that will work well for your intended use. The Legacy has the upper receiver integrated w/ the barrel - I don't think slug barrels are available in this platform or the Vinci platform.

I would suggest you look at an M2 in 20 gauge w/ a 24" barrel. Benelli's have long receivers so a 24" barrel gives you the same approximate OAL as most manufacturers 26" barrel. This shotgun weighs 5.7 pounds and will provide the lighter weight for all day carry and the fast handling required for an upland gun. The shorter barrel/OAL will make it easier to carry and swing into action in the thick cover.

It has the high Benelli rib - generally makes the shotgun shoot higher like 60/40, considered a plus for flushing upland game style hunting. The barrel isn't ported, another plus as far as I'm concerned. Porting provides almost no benefit in a shotgun, but has some real negatives to your hearing from increased noise. 20 gauge slug barrels are available for the M2 if you decide to pursue that later on.

The 20 gauge will work very well for upland hunting. Really the only time you need a 12 over a 20 is for steel shot use in waterfowl hunting where the cartridge volume is limiting. Many waterfowlers will tell you that even then, it's really only when pass shooting geese, there are many successful duck hunters shooting 20 gauges. There is no practical performance increase in a slug gun for deer and hogs in a 12 gauge over a 20 - either will be devastating if you can hit what you are aiming at!

HTH

David

 

[joffe]

Upland hunting is definitely what that is about. Most people use dogs for the purpose, but it is possible to stalk the critters alone. It just takes longer. I don't have the opportunity to have a dog.. nor do I really want a bird dog. Maybe it's something from my childhood or something, I just dislike the bird dog (gun dog) breeds.

I was gonna go for the 21" 12 gauge M2 Field, not sure why.. I suppose because 12 gauge is what I think of when I hear shotgun. I reached the same conclusion regarding porting - unwanted, not needed.

Besides, I might even get to the point where I out of boredom or necessity decide to put one of those ridiculously large shotgun suppressors on it, in which case porting would defeat the purpose.

Regarding slugs the plan was to shoot Brenneke-type slugs from the standard smoothbore barrel with a cylinder choke. Boar hunting around here is all bait-based, from stands at short ranges (30 to maybe max 50 meters) so I'm not sure if a dedicated slug barrel would be very beneficial.

 

[chas08]

The SBE was superseded by the SBE2, and it was also chambered for 3-1/2" shells. That was the gun that turned me off to Benelli.

I feel exactly the same way. I will never waste money on a benelli again. I just wish I could buy back the 1100 I sold to help finance it. Oh...well... chalk it up to lessons learned.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Except for two things, I've liked every Benelli I've tried.

First, the triggers run heavy and mushy. I like crisp and light.

Second, the price.

Other than that, they're great....

 

[rbernie]

I am quite fond of my Vinci. In fact, I like it so much that I may buy a second one - just to have a spare. It's light for a 12ga gun, and I fully intend to use it afield come dove season. I don't mind dove hunting with a 12ga instead of a 20ga or 28ga, so long as I can stick to 1oz or lighter loads.

I picked mine up for $1100 OTD, and at that price it was cheaper than most any other semiauto save the 11-87 or 1100. I specifically picked the Vinci over the M2 Field because of the Vinci's design and handling - it simply felt better to me.

 

[RugerMcMarlin]

At the time I got my M2, I was trying to get a Cordoba in 20ga. to match the 12 I already had.They weren't available. After I shot it a while I was just as happy and saved about $400 bucks.If I was to recommend a Benelli feature it would be the flex stock. The main advantages to Benelli autos are clean running and reliable. You get all that with the M2.

 

[Virginian]

Quote:
"The SBE was superseded by the SBE2, and it was also chambered for 3-1/2" shells. That was the gun that turned me off to Benelli."
I feel exactly the same way. I will never waste money on a benelli again. I just wish I could buy back the 1100 I sold to help finance it. Oh...well... chalk it up to lessons learned.

Fortunately, I am still killing waterfowl with my 1966 3" 1100. I 'moved' up from my 1963 2-3/4" 1100 with a steel shot barrel and a magnum action sleeve. "Retired" the older gun to clays shooting. Thanks to tungsten I feel 3" is all I need.