New Benelli M4 range report

[SubSolar]

Took the new M4 to an outdoor range today. I'm pleased to report it cycled a variety of shells without a hiccup. Probably went through about 70 rounds. With Federal Tactical 00 with FLITECONTROL, I could easily hit 8" metal silhouettes offhand at 50 yards and sometimes 75 yards. Seemed like it spread out too much or lost too much oomph at 100 yards, I couldn't hear it hitting at that range and could see the pellets hitting the dirt around it. The Federal 00's are known for having the tightest groupings but they are slightly longer than other 2.75" shells. I can only fit 4 in the magazine tube. I will try some Hornady's as they are shorter and reportedly fit 5 in the tube for 5+1+1. Oh yeah, I also tried some 3" 00 and could noticeably feel the difference in recoil.

I bench rested it for 100 yards with some Winchester Super X Hollow Point Rifled Slugs and could hit the metal silhouette almost every time. Not bad for no optics and the first time for me shooting slugs. I'll try it with some Federal Tactical slugs when I get my hands on some.

The gun is very easy to break down and clean for a semiauto shottie. Much easier than my Dad's Remington 1100. Overall I'm very pleased even though I spent a fortune for this thing. I figured it being semiauto and having a pistol grip would make it a future target for the Obammunists. It's my new go-to-gun for home defense. Here's some pics:

 

[Rubber_Duck]

Nice shotgun!

Mind if I ask how much you paid for this scattergun? A local shop has one of these (exactly like yours) for $850, used. Seems really high but I don't know what these are worth.

 

[SubSolar]

$850 is probably a good price used. I paid $1599 for mine. They seem to go up every month, they used to be $1400 something not too long ago. I had to order it from a shop in Florida. Called about two dozen places here in California and no one had any in stock and didn't know when they would get new ones. I think there is a run on semiauto shotties just like semiauto rifles since the election.

 

[rundm]

If that gun is 850 used or from someone having a fire sale, you had better buy it because there arn't any m4's for sale for that price anywhere's. I would sure like to get my hands on one for less then 1400.00.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Nice shotgun, and it's happy I am that someone is actually going out and shooting their shotgun.

But, 70 rounds is merely an appetizer. A warmup to the main event.

I wouldn't trust my family's welfare to a gun that new. Run 200 rounds through it glitchless and then you can trust it to work when needed. That applies to all defensive arms.

And repeat frequently. Expertise comes only with use, and cannot be replaced by technology.

 

[david_the_greek]

drooooool. Father used to have an M3 Super90. Benelli makes amazing shotguns (tactical and sporting). $850? BUY IT ASAP!!!! Even if you don't want it, you could sell it pretty quickly for a few hundred more... or just send it to me for disposal.

 

[SubSolar]

Dave, true, I will put more through it in a couple weeks. I plan on taking a tactical shotgun course too. Fortunately the range I go to has metal targets that we can use shotguns at. Otherwise, I'd probably be one of those guys that just buys a tactical shottie and then just has it sit in their safe unused forever. I mean, you can only shoot at paper and see the pattern so many times before it gets boring, haha.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Good. And that's on the course also.

Some of us with shotguns we use do plink with them.

One exercise we did was roll an old tire downhill with a piece of cardboard in it. Slugs were shot and the loser bought the beer for after.

A sportman's club down in St Mary's county had a great 3D archery course, including a running deer target that traveled down a wire about 30 yards. At times, I understand, the target was replaced by a 12" steel gong and it was shot at with both rifles and slug shotguns.

Clay pigeons set on berms and shootoffs with folks needing to shoot one, load one are good also.

And while some folks do not shoot their tactical shotguns, some of us do shoot sporting guns of the same model like 870s. Practice with one morphs into practice with t'other.

Same controls, moves and "Chops".

HTH....