Recoil Question: Benelli SBE vs Beretta Extrema

BohunterNY

BohunterNY

New member
I was recently looking at Benelli SBE with all its bells and whistles and was wondering if there's any perceived or real reduction in recoil over a say 11-87.Also how does Beretta compete? Is there any difference or one should just keep the $ difference and go with good 'ol Rem. Super Mag?

The question pertains to mag loads 3" and 3" 1/2

God Bless,

D.
 
I have a Benelli SBE, the old kind. I think the recoil is similar to maybe just a tad more than an 11-87. I traded from the 11-87 to the Benelli. Remember the 1100/11-87 is a gas operated gun whereas the Benelli is recoil operated. The first 500 rounds of the Benelli were stiff and took some adjustment. But for me there is no going back.

As to the new Benelli with the chevrons, there is some reduction in recoil to the shooter from my style gun. Most of the reduction is theoretical and looks swell in advertisements.

Best regards,
chalmitch
 
I think any steel frame gas gun will recoil less than an alloy frame inertia driven design. If you are shooting high round counts such as one of the clays games, high volume dove hunting in South America, or some situation where cases of shells will be expended, then the heavy gas gun would be a good choice. However, if you are lugging the gun over hill and dale in rough country for miles for a few shots, then the lightweight and nimble handling alloy inertia gun would be a perfect choice. Gun choice depends upon the situation at hand.
 
Chalmitch,

Thanks for your clarification. I had my 11-87 Super mag since 2002. I love the [beeep] thing. I use it for skeet, waterfowl, coyotes and crows. Luv it.
However, every couple of years or so I run across Benelli fans who attempt to convince me of the superiority of the 'Italian job'. Granted they're reliable but so is my 11-87. I clean it, grease it and it goes bang every time i pull the trigger.

That being said, I still get walloped when I shoot 3 1/2 goose loads. Recoil reduction would be the ONLY reason I'd consider another shotgun. If it's not kicking less than what I have now, I've no reason to switch...
Thanks again for saving me $1,600

God bless,

D.
 
GC,

Thanks for your input. Weight is not really an issue, just getting pummelled with big goose loads and 'dead coyote' type shells.
I know what you're saying, though. Everybody loves a nice reliable shotgun. I was trying to convince my wife to save up for a nice Christmas gift. But if it's not kicking less than my 11-87 I'd probably pass...

Thanks again for your feedback
 
I'm not real sure I am qualified to answer your question but I have experience with all three, well I just sold the 11-87 last month. The 11-87 was a police model with ghost ring sights so it was not used any longer since I retired and just taking up space in the safe.

I should state that the inertia recoil 12 gauge I have is of the Benelli M1 design, it is a Stoeger M2000 auto loader but I have shot both the SBEII and the Stoeger side by side and really couldn't tell much of a difference. They both seemed to whack me pretty hard with 3" #4 lead loads and the SBEII recoil was a bit disturbing with the 3.5" stuff.

I just purchased the Beretta Extrema II last week and I've only put a couple hundred rounds thru it so far. It isn't as hard on me as the SBEII or the Stoeger, recoil seems less but I wasn't shooting at anything just poking holes in the air with 3.5" stuff. So far it cycles everything I have put thru it. 1oz #8's to 3.5" BBB it just zips them things right thru no problem. I feel I can shoot the Extrema all day on the trap range and never complain of recoil, it is very smooth. Beretta does have the Extrema II with the Kick Off system, the price jumps about 200 bucks but it is supposed to significantly reduce the felt recoil and it still puts you in the SBEII price range.

Is it worth the money? Well, I certainly think so. I have had minor problems with other guns and when the geese come in and things don't work, it get's real frustrating real fast. My neighbor uses an Extrema and that thing never fails, one of the other guys I hunt with uses a SX2, it never fails and the third guy I hunt with uses a SBEII and it never fails.

I do know this, a gas auto guns felt recoil is way less than that of a pump. I had a Benelli Super Nova and fired 3.5" stuff in that. I might as well been trampeled by a herd of horses. Geez, I was sore for 3 days after shooting that thing.

Last but not least is the 11-87, that thing was one of the smoothest softest shooters I had and I would have kept it but the rear ghost ring sight base was milled and soldered onto the reciever and could not have been removed, so I sold it instead. I fired only 2-3/4" 00 Buck and slugs in that thing and it was a sweetheart to shoot. When I fired some 3" magnum stuff in it, it broke the extractor, so I question the reliability of the Remington with heavy loads.
 
Thanks FALFire,

Thanks man. So do you suppose that the Extrema II with the kickoff hookup pounds less than the 11-87, in your experience with 2 3/4? If so, then it'd be expected to kick less with magnum loads too, right?

God bless,

D.
 
The SBE is the kickingest semi auto I have ever owned.

I have the 11-87 and the Beretta 390, also. The 390 kicks less than the 11-87 and the SBE is well known for kicking your teeth out...no exageration.

The [beeep] cat on the recoil end is the 390, kicks less than any semi auto shotgun I have ever fired.

Inertia recoil means that YOU absorb the recoil. That little plunger on the back of the bolt of a SBE does not do squat for recoil reduction.
 
Quote:
Thanks FALFire,

Thanks man. So do you suppose that the Extrema II with the kickoff hookup pounds less than the 11-87, in your experience with 2 3/4? If so, then it'd be expected to kick less with magnum loads too, right?

God bless,

D.



Well, I have no experience with the Kick Off system, but it is there for a reason and looking at it the other day at Cabela's it appeared to be like a shock absorber on a car. It will actually press in when you push on the recoil pad so the give is very obvious. I would have to yes, that it will have less felt recoil by far.
 
I went from pumps and o/u to an SBE and didn't think the recoil was an issue. After shooting a Beretta gas gun, I realized there is a difference but unless I was shooting a hundred shots (like at 10 dove /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif), it was negligible.
 
Recoil is subjective. Recoil is never reduced, it is just felt differently.

Equal weight guns firing with equal loads all recoil the same AMOUNT, that is physics. How the recoil is FELT varies by many factors.

If the recoil is spread out making the amount the same but the peak lower, the felt recoil is deemed lower. That is what a gas operated gun does. As does a good recoil pad.

The lower the drop in comb the more force will be put into the cheek.

The Comfortech system works because it has a effective recoil pad and a soft comb. The chevrons do nothing because the stock can't compress: a good bit of marketing.

The SBE kicks hard because it is a light gun and the action doesn't change the peak recoil like a gas gun.

Aaron
 
Take a look at the Winchester SuperX 3.
I have put about 200 rounds thru mine and like it so far.
It shoots 2 3/4 light dove loads as well as 3" Rem HD BB's
Kelly
 
Benelli makes a heck of a shotgun, and it comes with a gurantee. It will kick!! Benelli knew this was an issue and decided to attempt a fix. The new stock design does help a bit but it is just the nature of the beast. Recoil is how this gun works. I have had a couple students that shot them, and they shot them well, for a little while. Eventually the recoil got to them and they started to lift there head in anticipation of the recoil. The Benelli would make a great field gun or tactical type shotgun. Beretta Is my semi auto shotgun of choice. I have a couple but i dont shoot them much, so i am not pushing Beretta just because that's what i have. The gas system on the Beretta is a work of art. Those things just keep shooting. You can feed those things light 7/8oz loads all the way up to a magnum shell, it doesn't matter. I am also very impressed with the feel and balance of a Beretta shotgun. They move so smooooth! Winchester and browning also has a decent shotgun, although I have seen first hand experience with stove piping. Seems more prominent in cold weather or extremely light shells. Remington is the softest shooting semi auto on the market hands down, but you better have a few spare parts close by. I like to shoot the Remington 1100 shotguns. I think they feel good and they fit more shooters on average better than any other semi auto shotgun made. Stick with a name brand shotgun and take care of it and you will be good to go!! Lee
 
I find recoil questions to be kind of funny. I always say, if you have a flock of ducks come in and you shoot 3 times you aint gonna notice any recoil. The differences between the said guns is null in a hunting situation.
 
Quote:
I find recoil questions to be kind of funny. I always say, if you have a flock of ducks come in and you shoot 3 times you aint gonna notice any recoil. The differences between the said guns is null in a hunting situation.



I totally disagree, you are assuming everyone is like you.

After years of motorcycle racing and crashing dirt bilkes and road racers, my right clavical being broken twice, right shoulder being separated once, you guessed it, I have a bad shoulder. If I use my 870 and shoot a round of trap or hunt birds, and get enough shooting in, I feel it for several days. If I shoot my gas auto guns, I'm in no where near the discomfort after a day of shooting. When I was 20 years old the 870 didn't bother me in the least, but now in my 50's I want a smooth shooter. When I come up out of a layout blind those 3.5" BBB'S can indeed be felt as can the 3" #4 lead I use for pheasant and the gas guns make a huge difference by the end of the day.
 
I have an SBE, and yes it kicks. It will never be as "soft" as a gas gun.

It also won't get as gummed up as a gas gun. I shoot literally hundreds of geese per year. No I'm not exagerrating. I do a ton of hunting. For me, I'd never hunt with out my SBE. I trust it, because I've hunted that gun so many times under horrible conditions.

That's one man's opinion.
 
I shot doves with my SBE and could not shoot 10 boxes of Remington dove loads without it jamming, it turned my left and right shoulders green from recoil in two days.
 


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