Beretta Retrospective....

[Dave McCracken]

It's been roughly a year since my family gifted me with a White Onyx Sporter, for which I am grateful as all heck. Beretta's varied 680 series O/Us are used worldwide by lots of happy owners.

Here's my take, developed over the last year and 7K+ shells....

Initially, it opened stiffly. Now it swings down smoothly and easily. I do not let the front end BOUNCE at the end of its travel.Bouncing accelerates wear, I'm told.

The 32" barrels are not ponderous. I hit High 8 with them enough to feel they can be used anywhere,anytime and like the smoothness they contribute to my swing.

In fact, they swing like the 30" barrel on Number 6. Both guns handle very much the same, a good thing. That may explain my effectiveness with either.

The triggers are clean, but at over 5 lbs are a bit heavier than I prefer. I've added a trigger shoe and may have a smith take them down to 4 lbs or so.

Minor beef#1...

If I do, I'll also have the smith tweak the inertia blocks. With my creampuff 7/8 oz loads, they occasionally fail to set for the second shot. With more standard ammo, no probs.

I've heroically resisted the urge to get a set of extended chokes.The standard flush tubes from Beretta work for me. Most of the time the MOD (.016") and Improved MOD (.023") stay in, with the Cyl, Skt and IC tubes on call. This combo works for trap and wobble, SC sees a IC/Mod switch and Skeet sees Cyl/Skt. The one not so good dove shoot I did with this saw the tight chokes in and about a 1-3 bird/shots fired ratio.

Sometime I may pick up a second Mod tube to double them up and also a Light Full(.030"). I see little need for a choke tighter than that with modern ammo except for turkey.

Minor Beef#2....

The markings on the tubes are faint and hard for old eyes to read. There is a notch system but it's not that visible either.

The Limbsaver pad that works where the standard pads didn't brings the LOP to 15" and works well for me.Some call Beretta's clays stocks "Clubby" but to me they're generously proportioned and comfortable.

Like other barrels here, this wears a Hi Viz F/O bead. As usual, it's a 3mm Green Worm smaller than most and less distracting in my peripheral vision.

All in all, I like this shotgun a lot. IMO, it's a top line competition O/U for less than $2K.

Questions, comments?....

 

[PJR]

Dave, is this a Mobile or Optima bore gun?

Paul

 

[Dave McCracken]

Optima. I understand the barrels are a bit lighter.

 

[mswestfall]

Dave,

I can't say that I've shot the 680 series enough to critique the gun. But I do have these observations.

Baretta makes a very clean gun, O/U or semi-auto.
They all seem to work well out of the box and for years to come.
They tend to be a relatively low profile and less chunky than competitive American Brands.
The longer barreled versions tend to swing better for me.

I've noticed that some fit me much better than others; even within the same model.

I see little need for a choke tighter than that with modern ammo except for turkey.

An interesting comment... You should come to Charlotte and play Annie Oakley with us.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Thanks, ms. .030" constriction with my loads gives me about 3" more usable spread at 35 yards than .039" does in two different 870 barrels.

Why 35 yards? That's where I break a lot of trap and wobble targets.

FWIW, I can almost duplicate that spread with a LM choke at 28-30 yards. The fringe isn't quite as full.

We have better chokes than ever and need them less than ever. Ammo has become that good.

 

[PJR]

The Optima bores are much lighter in an o/u. I shot a 32" Mobile choke and the front ended weighed a ton.

I've owned two 680 series guns and one was a very high mileage gun that I bought from a friend as a favor. Nothing went ever went wrong with either of them.

My 682 Sporting also had the same occasional glitch on lighter loads. It's a very easy fix. Sometimes all that it needed is some smoothing of the parts. At worst, possibly a different sized intertia block.

Paul

 

[throdgrain]

Dunno how popular they are in the U.S but over here every 3rd clay shooter has got a 6** series. I dont have one for that very reason lol.

They are acknowledged as the best clay gun under £2500 you can buy. I'm sure you'll have many years of shooting with it

 

[Dave McCracken]

Paul, Bruce Buck said the same thing when I asked him about these before getting this.

I'll get the glitch fixed sometime.It's a minor annoyance.

Throdgrain, at 61 I doubt I can wear it out, though I intend to try.

 

[throdgrain]

Throdgrain, at 61 I doubt I can wear it out, though I intend to try.
__________________

Have fun trying

 

[ArmedBear]

I pick up a White Onyx on the 26th. Thanks for this post. I feel better and better about spending the money (and unloading my Browning, which really IS a club).

 

[Dave McCracken]

Don't worry, Throdgrain, I will.

AB,enjoy. Did you get the 32" barrels?

 

[Will Fennell]

In the neighborhood.....

Dave,
Glad the White Onyx is working out for you! I have one that I keep as a loaner/teaching/hunting gun, and it has been trouble free......and handles better than many guns costing much more$$$$$$.

One of my favorite things about extended chokes is they can be had with color coded constriction ID bands to help those of us that can see thier fingerprints anymore

Also, setting the inertria block to reset on lighter cream puff loads is no great task, and with your locale, just contact BUSA, and have the guys in the gunsmithing dept do it......these days, their turn around time is very quick. A student recently sent in a DT10 for an ejector timing fix, and it was 9 days door to door with shipping. I'm pretty sure you can drop off and pick up if you are local.

Merry XMAS!

 

[waterhouse]

Glad you are happy with it Dave. You mention one dove hunt . . . has it gone after any other game or do you tend to bring one of the 870s out for that? I'm curious how the 32" barrels handle in the field.

About the time you got yours I broke down and picked up a 686 in 20 ga., but it has 28" barrels. It has become my favorite for upland birds, almost (but not quite) replacing my much loved Ithaca 37 when it comes to chasing dogs.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Glad you could stop by, Will. Happy Holiday back to you and yours.

Extended chokes will clear up the confusion, but ....

These are paid for.

Extended chokes will add some weight at the muzzles. I like the way it swings now.

And, I've no problem getting the right gun from the rack because EVERYONE else has extended chokes.

Beretta may get this soon for the inertia block. I just hate to part with it, even temporarily.

No other game, Waterhouse. I do not hunt much these days. I took the B Gun dovin' because I hadn't made meat with it. The long barrels worked, but it's no quail gun.