Posted: 9/19/2011 8:59:57 AM EDT
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I'm looking at getting a section 1 shotgun to do the 4 islands shoots next year and similar comps.
What sort of shotguns do people have & recommend ? |
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I,ve had Benelli M2,s and M3,s. Despite my best efforts i simply cannot get on with the guns. I have a bad habit of holding shotguns too loosely, much like a rifle. That doesn,t work with a benelli. You have to strangle them for the recoil operated system to work. I simply got fed up of Jams, and bought a winchester SX 3 last week.These things work faultlessy, regardless of how you hold them, providing you use 70mm cartridges in them. They are also reasonably priced.
Thats my choice for an out and out practical shotgun, that works for ME. I also have a fully tricked out saiga, which is another awesome shotgun, but with its red dot sight onboard, its more suited to target shotgun than practical, as target aquisition takes slightly more time, and you find yourself "aiming" rather than "pointing". Difficult to explain, easy to spot, as several friends commented on , on saturday. 
The remmy 11/87 is not a bad gun, but can get heavy with a full length tube onboard. |
I looked at Benelli's and SX3's as well, and recently bought this, had it chopped 24 & 1/8", and re-choked..very pleased with it  Just trying to sort out some suitable ammunition now. Baldie is right, it doesn't like cartridges shorter than 70mm. I put some 67mm through it and got some FTF. 70mm slug went through no problem.
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, learn to hold a gun properly and buy a Benelli M2.....
Daddy is right, if you can master the technique required, then i dont think there is a finer semi auto shotgun made than the M2. I loved mine, but simply could not tolerate a jam in a comp. It wasn,t the gun's fault, it was me. The build quality of the benelli is far superior to the winchester, but the winnie works for me personally. Best thing you can do is to try a few before you make up your mind....section 2 versions of course......
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You can't go wrong with an M2 or an SX3.
I use both but prefer the SX3 for competition. Both need 70mm shells. Both work with quality brands of 28gm and above. Both suffer from Dremelitus and fiddle-withit-till- itsfucked-itus. Both can work fine with an extension tube and charge handle mod And with exception to the Benellii lifting finger, leave well alone imho. Cheers Darren. |
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I was in a similar position a short while ago. I was using a S2 auto and yes, the 3rd capacity does severly screw with your scores.
Luckily I was able to get a [cough] close inspection [/cough] of Rem 11-87, Benelli M2 and Win SX3. My thoughts: 11-87 heavy, relatively slow to load, points well, slow soft recoil impulse M2 very light, points & transitions quick, makes me want to shoot faster than the 11-87, quick to load, packs a fair wallop though. SX3 has probably 90% of the Benelli performance, with reduced recoil due to being gas operated. Thanks WinSX3 - top man!! After inspecting these I walked straight into shop at Shield and ordered me an SX3
I shot the DPOA on Saturday with a loaned SX3 (section 2 officer, of course) and it confirmed to me that I made the correct choice. Get an SX3 |
| One thing I was impressed with on the SX3, although I dare say many modern shotguns have something similar, was the ability to shim the stock for drop and cast. When I read it in the manual I thought ok, gimmick, and how much difference can those shims really make. Quite a lot as it turns out........ |
| I've owned both the Remy 1100 and an 11/87 and had nothng but grief. 3 years ago I acquired an M2 and it's been faultless. Interestingly enough the US and UK Militay have moved to Benelli's too. I've got to be honest and say that US quality seems to have taken a nose dive in recent years. |
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A useful site for SX3 owners.....
Springs.... I know of several that have gone... 
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Carrier pins I read recently..  , whatever they are...
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I've gone against convention and have a Beretta Extrema 2. I've got the longer barreled version as I use it for clay and rough shooting as well as PSG
It shoots anything - from 21g 67mm cartridges all the way up to the heavier magnum loads. Never jams and isn't picky about how you hold it. I don't clean it much either (which probably helps) Not everyone's cup of tea; but it suits me |
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And no where has anyone mentioned a pump...
For someone just starting out (i assume you havent been doing any PSG yet?) a pump is a good option. Cheaper than a semi by quite a margin which leaves room for other accessories you might want when starting out, and most importantly, if you decide you arent really in to the shotgunning thing after all then you wont lose so much. Pumping is a major difference to shooting semi though. The main benefit of a pump is that it will pretty much cycle anything- as long as you pump it properly! I think its a bit like driving a manual and driving an automatic car. When you first start out you have a lot to learn all at once- safety rules, comp rules, postions, jargon, reloading under pressure etc. Add on to that, the action of pumping (and keeping on target while you do so etc). With practice pumping will come second nature, just like changing gear in a car, remember (i'm assuming you drive?!). Alternatively, why learn this bit when you could go automatic?? Well you will have to pay more and have a gun that is more complex (more to go wrong- see springs bit already mentioned for example) and it can be cartridge fussy and will fail to cycle (usually when you *really* dont want it to....). I have a Benelli Supernova with a Nordic mag extension. I got it secondhand (although it was like new) for five hundred quid. I wanted an M2 but couldnt afford it at the time- i still plan to get one but the flawless and dependable reliability i have had from the SN mean i wont be getting rid of it anytime soon. I was lucky enough to try all the main shotguns (SX3, 11-87, 870, Benellis M2 and Supernova, Hatsans) prior to purchase. I had pretty much decided on an SX3 after reading around, but after trying them all, i was a Benelli convert. I've heard good things about the new Berettas but i have try one (remember Benelli are owned by Beretta)... and they are more expensive than all the other options here - starting around 1500. hth |
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I started off with an 11/87 years ago, but when I decided to get a new blunderbuss to dabble with it again decided after taking advice to get a M2.
It was either that or the SX3, but I've made my choice and am happy with it. I don't suffer from misfeeds or short stroking, unlike the Barnsley gay boy, because I hold it properly It also seems to feed almost everything I give it. |
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Quoted: And no where has anyone mentioned a pump... For someone just starting out (i assume you havent been doing any PSG yet?) a pump is a good option. Cheaper than a semi by quite a margin which leaves room for other accessories you might want when starting out, and most importantly, if you decide you arent really in to the shotgunning thing after all then you wont lose so much. Pumping is a major difference to shooting semi though. The main benefit of a pump is that it will pretty much cycle anything- as long as you pump it properly! I think its a bit like driving a manual and driving an automatic car. When you first start out you have a lot to learn all at once- safety rules, comp rules, postions, jargon, reloading under pressure etc. Add on to that, the action of pumping (and keeping on target while you do so etc). With practice pumping will come second nature, just like changing gear in a car, remember (i'm assuming you drive?!). Alternatively, why learn this bit when you could go automatic?? Well you will have to pay more and have a gun that is more complex (more to go wrong- see springs bit already mentioned for example) and it can be cartridge fussy and will fail to cycle (usually when you *really* dont want it to....). I have a Benelli Supernova with a Nordic mag extension. I got it secondhand (although it was like new) for five hundred quid. I wanted an M2 but couldnt afford it at the time- i still plan to get one but the flawless and dependable reliability i have had from the SN mean i wont be getting rid of it anytime soon. I was lucky enough to try all the main shotguns (SX3, 11-87, 870, Benellis M2 and Supernova, Hatsans) prior to purchase. I had pretty much decided on an SX3 after reading around, but after trying them all, i was a Benelli convert. I've heard good things about the new Berettas but i have try one (remember Benelli are owned by Beretta)... and they are more expensive than all the other options here - starting around 1500. hth I've tried pumps and I use them at work. I just don't like them. Shotguns are bad enough shooting tools as it is without having to work the damn things, although I accept your arguments of economy and simplicity..I'm a semi-auto kind of guy  |
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Quoted:
I've tried pumps and I use them at work. I just don't like them. Shotguns are bad enough shooting tools as it is without having to work the damn things, although I accept your arguments of economy and simplicity..I'm a semi-auto kind of guy I think the loading of more cartridges under pressure is probably more of a complexity- at least I find it is. I'm probably a semi auto guy too, but I started cheap! Now I know I like the sport, an M2 is on my list.... but need a variation and more importantly, cash, first! |
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I just got an FAC M2 a couple of weeks ago. I don't feel I've had it long enough to give a full report but I can say that it didn't have any issues eating 100 x 28g, 67mm rounds; and my thumb! I didn't find this out until I got it but apparently they love the taste of thumb nail/blood.
To anyone that hasn't experienced this, the lifter has a cut out at the front that can jam on your thumb when reloading. I've heard C-Rums can will weld this up, or you can stop being a b**ch. I'm getting mine welded! |
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Some early brownings had issues. Never seen an SX3 fail the gas piston assembly though. Indeed some Browning golds have done 50k rounds with no issue in this area. Shit happens, I guess. |
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I generally stick to the kiss principle & simple is also efficient, it also follows that the least number of critical parts needed to complete an action improves reliability, certainly is the case with the machines I work with.
Transferring that theory to shotguns its a safe bet that the inertia driven system used on the Benelli autos will always be more reliable over a complicated gas piston & associated linkages over time. Pete Starley broke a gas piston not long ago in his SX3. In past years Benelli's regularly take up the top places at International level & I can't see that changing unless someone invents a better mouse trap. In PSG & 3gun your priority should always be reliability especially as you get towards the top of the score sheets, as an unreliable gun will lose you more matches than it will ever win. 4I |
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Quoted:
I just got an FAC M2 a couple of weeks ago. I don't feel I've had it long enough to give a full report but I can say that it didn't have any issues eating 100 x 28g, 67mm rounds; and my thumb! I didn't find this out until I got it but apparently they love the taste of thumb nail/blood. To anyone that hasn't experienced this, the lifter has a cut out at the front that can jam on your thumb when reloading. I've heard C-Rums can will weld this up, or you can stop being a b**ch. I'm getting mine welded! I've got a secret for you, anyone with a welder can weld it, I'd have done my own but I gave up welding, so I got a friend to do it. No mystery. They can also weld the bolt at the same time for a ghost load, or you can grind the notch out yourself with a Dremel. Again, no mystery here |
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Made my decision and went for the Benelli Supernova with a Nordic tube. Capacity is 9+1 with 70mm cartridges, and will get 10+1 with 67mm.
The only problem is that it won't fit in the boot of my tiny car, so I'll just be taking the barrel off whenever I move it. Its less than an inch too long to fit in the boot so I may look at a slightly shorter tube at some point. http://i.imgur.com/lhAov.jpg |
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Shot the supernova for the first time today and it ate 5 different types of cartridges of various lengths without a hiccup.
One nice surprise was how little the felt recoil was even with 36g cartridges - So it looks like the comfortec stock does its job well. The stock can be adjusted with shims but I'm not sure whether thats something I do effectively without assistance from someone else looking at how I hold the gun ? |
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Quoted:
Made my decision and went for the Benelli Supernova with a Nordic tube. Capacity is 9+1 with 70mm cartridges, and will get 10+1 with 67mm. The only problem is that it won't fit in the boot of my tiny car, so I'll just be taking the barrel off whenever I move it. Its less than an inch too long to fit in the boot so I may look at a slightly shorter tube at some point. http://i.imgur.com/lhAov.jpg Need a new car.
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Quoted:
The stock can be adjusted with shims but I'm not sure whether thats something I do effectively without assistance from someone else looking at how I hold the gun ? First question is "does it require any stock shims?" When you were shooting earlier, did you notice if it shot high/low left/right? This will determine if shims are required, I assume you have a correct & consistent gun mount? 
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Quoted:
Quoted:
The stock can be adjusted with shims but I'm not sure whether thats something I do effectively without assistance from someone else looking at how I hold the gun ? First question is "does it require any stock shims?" When you were shooting earlier, did you notice if it shot high/low left/right? This will determine if shims are required, I assume you have a correct & consistent gun mount? It will take a lot of shimming to get the correct mount for shooting from the hip..... |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
The stock can be adjusted with shims but I'm not sure whether thats something I do effectively without assistance from someone else looking at how I hold the gun ? First question is "does it require any stock shims?" When you were shooting earlier, did you notice if it shot high/low left/right? This will determine if shims are required, I assume you have a correct & consistent gun mount? It will take a lot of shimming to get the correct mount for shooting from the hip..... Cannot shim it enough to get it shooting in the correct lane
Did a bit lot of that today myself
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