Benelli SBE2 Pattern Testing and Results

.695 HS Undertaker Hevi-shot (Ported)
3" Remington Wingmaster HD T
40 yards
Notes: Little tighter, but still gappy.
469967101_N2p96-M.jpg



.695 HS Undertaker Hevi-shot (Ported)
3" Remington Wingmaster HD BB
40 yards
Notes: Tighter, more strikes with BB but some gaps.
469970239_cS4jc-M.jpg






.695 Cabela's Choke Tubes for Hevi-shot Full (Non Ported)
3.5" Dead Coyote T
40 yards
Notes: Fair cluster high and left, a lot of the pattern lost very high
469968041_YDzE3-M.jpg



.695 Cabela's Choke Tubes for Hevi-shot Full (Non Ported)
3.5" Remington Wingmaster HD T
40 yards
Notes: Too distributed and too many gaps.
469970606_VMZav-M.jpg



.695 Cabela's Choke Tubes for Hevi-shot Full (Non Ported)
3.5" Remington Wingmaster HD BB
40 yards
Notes: Not bad high and a smidge left but pretty distributed.
469969252_yEgjD-M.jpg



.695 Cabela's Choke Tubes for Hevi-shot Full (Non Ported)
3" Dead Coyote T
40 yards
Notes: Left, tight vertical distribution for core pattern and some big gaps.
469968793_zzXFw-M.jpg



.695 Cabela's Choke Tubes for Hevi-shot Full (Non Ported)
3" Remington Wingmaster HD T
40 yards
Notes: Big gaps, little clusters all over.
469969165_ZNdB8-M.jpg



.695 Cabela's Choke Tubes for Hevi-shot Full (Non Ported)
3" Remington Wingmaster HD BB
40 yards
Notes: Left heavy, but good vertical distribution above and below POA...but some noticeable gaps in the center of the pattern.
469969430_tPWH8-M.jpg




.695 Kicks Ind Buck Kicker Light-Full (Ported)
3.5" Dead Coyote T
40 yards
Notes: Pretty solid core pattern high and left. Some gaps, but not too bad at all.
469966849_uFo7J-M.jpg



.695 Kicks Ind Buck Kicker Light-Full (Ported)
3.5" Remington Wingmaster HD T
40 yards
Notes: Also high and left but more noticeable gaps than the 3.5" DC T
469970699_dmBVs-M.jpg
 
.695 Kicks Ind Buck Kicker Light-Full (Ported)
3.5" Remington Wingmaster HD BB
40 yards
Notes: Too distributed, too many gaps
469967536_YAKKu-M.jpg



.695 Kicks Ind Buck Kicker Light-Full (Ported)
3" Dead Coyote T
40 yards
Notes: Not a bad cluster just high, but a lot of the pattern is too distributed and would be missing POA.
469970895_yhrYh-M.jpg



.695 Kicks Ind Buck Kicker Light-Full (Ported)
3" Remington Wingmaster HD T
40 yards
Notes: All over and ugly.
469969794_5ZL6c-M.jpg



.695 Kicks Ind Buck Kicker Light-Full (Ported)
3" Remington Wingmaster HD BB
40 yards
Notes: Too distributed with too many gaps.
469970986_4tPHH-M.jpg





.??? Carlson CRIO PLUS Dead Coyote Choke (Non Ported)
3.5" Dead Coyote T
40 yards
Notes: All high, all over.
469967246_ug8xs-M.jpg



.??? Carlson CRIO PLUS Dead Coyote Choke (Non Ported)
3.5" Remington Wingmaster HD T
40 yards
Notes: High left, fair clustering but nothing great.
469967178_oPJNg-M.jpg



.??? Carlson CRIO PLUS Dead Coyote Choke (Non Ported)
3.5" Remington Wingmaster HD BB
40 yards
Notes: High and left, more vertical distribution.
469967617_TmDZ8-M.jpg



.??? Carlson CRIO PLUS Dead Coyote Choke (Non Ported)
3" Dead Coyote T
40 yards
Notes: High and quite gappy.
469969879_FKFFV-M.jpg



.??? Carlson CRIO PLUS Dead Coyote Choke (Non Ported)
3" Remington Wingmaster HD T
40 yards
Notes: Pretty distributed but with some clusters, just too much gap between them.
469969704_gpBdP-M.jpg



.??? Carlson CRIO PLUS Dead Coyote Choke (Non Ported)
3" Remington Wingmaster HD BB
40 yards
Notes: Very distributed, no good.
469967390_dnLod-M.jpg






Predator Shot Conclusions:
--------------------------
Well, I think we're seeing some better patterns out of this session.

A friend told me about the HS Undertaker choke one of his friends uses out of his SBE2 and has excellent patterns (although I'm not sure what with).
I think the .685 HS Undertaker showed some really good patterns, the best I've seen thus far and offers a few options.

The 3" Wingmaster HD BB pattern isn't bad at all...definitely worthwhile to hunt with and probably worth seeing how 50 and 60 yard patterns hold, as well as respective penetration.
The 3.5" Wingmaster HD BB pattern also isn't bad but has some more gaps than the 3", but is also worth firing another shot or two maybe to see how the shell variation is.

Both the 3.5" DC T and 3.5" Wingmaster HD T show some promise. Not too many flyers in either, and pretty cored clustering.
I'm leaning towards these as what I'd consider the best overall patterns thus far out of the gun for Predator shot.

The Kicks Light Full certainly wasn't bad for the 3.5" DC but I still feel like the above are better.
 
Random Buckshot Results:
------------------------

.660 Primos Jelly Head (Ported)
3.5" Remington Express 1235B 00 12 3 1/2" 1125 00 18
40 yards
Notes: Not bad, centered and even...looks 60/40ish high/low.
469968688_iLko8-M.jpg



.660 Primos Jelly Head (Ported)
3.5" Federal Vital-Shok 00
40 yards
Notes: Pretty wide pattern, the Remington is much better.
469968984_qPUCV-M.jpg




.660 Rhino 2" Extended (Ported)
3.5" Remington Express 1235B 00 12 3 1/2" 1125 00 18
40 yards
Notes: Good patterning in the center but some flyers. Solid 60-70% in the kill zone and pretty tight.
469969352_4FR8m-M.jpg



.660 Rhino 2" Extended (Ported)
3.5" Federal Vital-Shok 00
40 yards
Notes: Horizontal distribution, but not good.
469969081_hvHpv-M.jpg




Buckshot Conclusions:
---------------------
The .660 Rhino with 3.5" Remington 00 is my current combo that I use out of this gun for buckshot (deer).
Pretty nice pattern at 40 yards, nothing phenomenal, but an overall solid pattern. I'd like to test this at 50 yards to see how much it opens.

I also plan on doing more buckshot testing eventually, but given I usually use my slug gun, it's not as high of a priority as finding a good predator pattern out of this gun.




Follow-up Plan:
---------------
Nothing planned as of right now, but open to suggestions /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Choke wise, I'm feeling out of options without putting $100s+ more into testing.

As I think about the chokes and hevi-shot and HD loads, I'm wondering if I should try out some "steel-oriented" choke tubes.
I've observed noticeable contact and scarring in some of the chokes, even in the .685 and .695 range, indicating obviously contact and possibly leading to collisions/deflections.
I don't think you can avoid that though really without going very big constriction wise.

But perhaps that's what it takes? Yet I cannot understand how the 3.5" Remington 00 and Rhino 4x5x7 both pattern tight and well with the .660 Rhino. The buckshot has some clear flyers probably from deflection but the core pattern is still hitting very well centered.

So that makes me curious as to whether going even tighter would improve patterns...something in the .655 or .650 range even. But I think as I go that tight, I increase the risk of possibly damaging the barrel and/or choke.

Overall, I've found some better patterns for the predator loads, still nothing mind blowing at 40 yards, but some I'd be comfortable hunting with at least to 40 yards.
I will likely do some more testing at 50+ to see what the limitations of the combo(s) are.

The majority of choke/load combos definitely pattern way off from POA. I'm not sure if this is considered normal, but very very few seem to pattern centered.
Further the majority of patterns don't have a respective core of shot clustering to even allow for a POA shift...which I consider normal, but the variation in POI seems pretty significant between shells even with similar constriction chokes.

I noticed something very similar for turkey shot, where the majority of loads POI would be way off POA...but was lucky to find Nitro and the Winchester Elite Xtended Range (both pricey shells) centered well without shifting POA.
Likewise in the buckshot realm...where that Remington 3.5" seems to pattern in the center where POI and POA are very close.

I'm not sure what can be done about that, or if the above Predator patterns (now working on nearly 85+ unique patterns in this thread) are evidence enough that the gun is either just subpar or has an inherent issue?
Or perhaps I'm looking for too much and should just accept this gun as a good turkey gun, a solid buckshot gun, but a subpar predator gun at distances greater than 40 yards?
Or maybe there is some magic load out there (trying to avoid Nitro custom, although at this point the cost would have been much less) that will be centered, tight and evenly distributed.


Thoughts?
 
the patterns with the jelly head or the rhino would plaster a deer at 40 yds, you couldn't ask for better patterns. The remington 3-1/2 00 is where its at for buckshot in the sbe or sbe2. If you really want to try some tight shot try the dixie triball 3 in your gun (4-5" patterns @ 40 yds). Three .63 caliber pellets to smoke a whitetail.
 
Yep, absolutely richards!

I've taken deer with the Rhino and Remington 3.5" 00 combo before...close shooting though, all sub 40 yards. But either one will do the deed for sure! Curious to see how they hold at 50+ though, so I'll check that out some day.

Anything in the predator patterns you see that you consider good? My eyes are fuzzy from looking at them LOL
 
BTW, here is my Rhino .660 and Nitro 4x5x7 pattern pic from a couple years ago.

266 pellets in a 10" circle.

Also, this wasn't out of a LeadSled, but was from a table with bags I believe.

143325449_3q6Qo-M.jpg
 
I don't think I would complain about that load either, you are like myself and really over think something that could really work. Keep up the good work.
 
02/17/2009 Update:

Shot the .675 Cabela's 3.5" DC T last night on a hunt.
Chose it over the .685 Undertaker because the UT said it was for "lead only".

Well, great first set...called 4 foxes in and a yote. Got shots at 3 of the foxes...missed one in brush at oh...35 yards. Missed another in the wide open at...wow...35-40 yards. And hit one at 30-35 yards in an open pocket of brush (i.e. a hole in the brush)...tracked it for 250-300 yards with no increasing blood...and never found it.

It's pretty sad, I feel like I'm shooting blanks out of this gun. In nearly 20 years of hunting, aside from predator hunting, I don't think I've missed that many animals combined with bow, shotgun, or rifle. And wounding one and not finding it is completely unacceptable.

Part of the problem could be using T for foxes...but with the chance of yotes in these areas, I'd prefer to use the T. The bigger problem is the patterns...the gaps and voids concerned me during patterning...and last night confirmed my concerns.

So...this gun is getting shipped back to Benelli for their review. It won't be taken back into the field again until it is shooting patterns I deem acceptable...if that happens.
 
For foxes, lead 2's, and BB's in the case of coyotes showing up, would probably be a better choice than T's. When using the larger pellets, you have two choices, you can either choke the pattern down and set yourself up for a miss, or you can leave it a bit wider, and make the patterns too thin for the smaller animals. A foxes body is not a lot bigger than a large cat. Lead 2's will put it down at 40 yards. BB's will break it's legs.
 
CDR, yeah HD BBs (like GC uses with the WM HD) might be the best middle ground to tackle yotes and foxes.

I'd definitely prefer shooting a choked down tight T pattern and either hammer them or miss them...but I can't seem to get that tight pattern down (or even an evenly but reasonably tight distributed pattern down). Fox size game with T shot and I'm lucky to hit it with a few pellets...maybe. BB I'd probably have better luck.

Either way, the NJ season ended last night...so I'm done here in NJ until next year.

Buddy and I are planning on heading to NY, where we'll use rifles and his shotgun for close range.

Off season plan is to get this SBE2 figured out and have my 11-87 fitted/restocked and patterned as a backup.

I like the increased number of pellets in the BB loads, but want to see first how the downrange (50 and 60 yards) penetration is. If it's good, then I'll look into patterning it more. I think it should be given the comparison of HD vs lead and what a HD BB equivalent is in lead...should be around a T+...penetration wise.

We'll see, the SBE2 is definitely frustrating me, and depending on Benelli's response, I will have to make a decision as to whether I want to invest any more time and money into the gun, keep it just for turkey/buckshot, or wrap it around a tree and call it a day! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Avid, this is the third time I am telling you put a burris speedbead on it, and your poi problems will go away. I too have had the same problems before. There is nothing wrong with those patterns. It just doesn't fit the man behind it. Change the shims or try the speedbead best $200 bucks i have spent on a gun. And its in a light weight package with no mounting issues.
 
Quote:
Avid, this is the third time I am telling you put a burris speedbead on it, and your poi problems will go away. I too have had the same problems before. There is nothing wrong with those patterns. It just doesn't fit the man behind it. Change the shims or try the speedbead best $200 bucks i have spent on a gun. And its in a light weight package with no mounting issues.



richards,

Which predator shot and choke do you see being your top pick and suitable (disregard POA vs POI).
 
the rhino .660 with the nitro's 4x5x7 would paint any predator, turkey, or home intruder. If it was any of the 00 buckshot patterns with the rhino it would be suitable for deer, wild dogs, feral hogs. That benelli is a killing machine, if you don't miss you are not shooting enough. It patterns just like any benelli sbe I have ever had, [beeep] tight!
 
richards,

I agree the 4x5x7 is deadly for turkey...but you think that's a downrange killer for yotes? With max shot size being 4 and only a handful of them?

I'm satisfied with the turkey (4x5x7) and buckshot (00) patterns and it took me some time to find them! But I've put far more time into getting T or BB to pattern to no avail, and while I think that 4x5x7 will crush a turkey or fox or home intruder (at least injure em pretty good if it doesn't kill em)...I'd be worried it's just not enough for yotes.

Out of the BB and T patterns, do you see any that are worth adjusting POA to match POI? None really standout like the 4x5x7 or Remington 00 does in the predator specific shots (T and BB).
 
yeah, my fault on the 4x5x7, i shot some wild dogs chasing cows @ 40 yds with the remington 00 buck and it rolled them up like loaf bread! It should work and is a lot cheaper!
 


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