Shot Gun for 3-Gun

[GlennRasch]

I would like to start shooting some 3 gun matches. I have the pistols and the ARs. Looking to get a shot gun , would like to know what would be the best to start off with ? What acc. do I need ?

[B_Ayers]

Well most people are going to tell you, if you have the money, Buy once, cry once then go shoot! LOL!.

Seems most people are running Benelli M2's or M4's Field. Depends on if you want a pistol grip. 21 - 24" barell.

They are running about $1200-$1600. They are not gas driven. Might want to look @ ableammo.com - they have good prices on the Benelli's/

Extras: a hiviz fiber optic front sight, might want a to put a 10-22 ring sight on rear, nordic components mag tube, oversize mag release button and barrel clamp.

Now if you want the bolt lightened, loading plate reworked, loading area enlarged, then i would call Benny Hill @ triangle shooting sports in corpus christi, tx. to do the gunsmithing on it. He knows Benelli's insided and out and is a fellow 3 gunner. His shop is also a sponsor on the forums. he does execellent work, just got back a new .308 upper from him and it is very sweet!

Edited August 14, 2010 by B_Ayers

[DocMcG]

Lone Star,

The two most popular shotguns for 3Gun are the Benelli, which you have already heard about, and the FN SLP. Conduct a search on this sub forum and you will find tons of information and experience that will assist you in making a decision. I asked similar questions on this forum and others and this was the advice I received and it is spot on. Finally, the last bit of advice I received, and would pass on to you, is to visit some matches and ask to shoulder, fire and run some of the guns you are considering. (This was the best advice I received with regard to making my decision.)

Good Luck!

Kyle

[Charles Bond]

Now if you want the bolt lightened, loading plate reworked, loading area enlarged, then i would call Benny Hill @ triangle shooting sports in corpus christi, tx. to do the gunsmithing on it. He knows Benelli's insided and out and is a fellow 3 gunner. His shop is also a sponsor on the forums. he does execellent work, just got back a new .308 upper from him and it is very sweet!

There were a couple of shooters at the Pan Am match that would disagree with you on that. The manner in which the bolt was lightened on these guns was causing firing pin problems and hence function difficulity. It was pretty clear to some with more knowledge than I on these shotguns that the manner in which he lightened the bolt was the problem.

[mike_pinto]

Just ro'd a 35 round shotgun stage at rocky mountain and this is what we found.

We had 22 shotguns have problems. The majority were remingtons, a close second were the FN and Winchester, then the "it never has a problem at home" Saiga's. We had one benelli that had a problem, a split winchester shell caused a squid like condition.

Proof enough for me, personally to stick with the benelli.

M

[Merlin Orr]

Now if you want the bolt lightened, loading plate reworked, loading area enlarged, then i would call Benny Hill @ triangle shooting sports in corpus christi, tx. to do the gunsmithing on it. He knows Benelli's insided and out and is a fellow 3 gunner. His shop is also a sponsor on the forums. he does execellent work, just got back a new .308 upper from him and it is very sweet!

There were a couple of shooters at the Pan Am match that would disagree with you on that. The manner in which the bolt was lightened on these guns was causing firing pin problems and hence function difficulity. It was pretty clear to some with more knowledge than I on these shotguns that the manner in which he lightened the bolt was the problem.

Kinda vague there, aren't you Charles? And...you are just flat wrong - wrong for repeating this garbage as well as wrong for believing it. G.I.G.O.....

A bunch of the best shotgun shooters in our sport use Benny's guns and I dare say that the reason they do is not because "The manner in which the bolt was lightened on these guns was causing firing pin problems and hence function difficulty." ....

Just who was the shotgun wizards who enlightened you with these "facts?"

You can always find somebody who has a problem - Usually caused by their failing to listen to what the gunsmith tells them - who want to spout off and demonstrate their "superior knowledge" on whatever subject. Triangle has built the Benelli shotgun for years on a well proven pattern and plan to make them the ones that others hope to emulate.

[Colodrew]

After reading the advice on here and talking to Benny I had him do his thing on my 24" Benelli w/comfortech stock last spring. After a seasons worth of three gun matches and practice it has been flawless.

I actually had a problem with the gun that had nothing to do with the modifications that Benny did but was a Benelli issue. I called Benny and he walked me through the fix on the phone and in a few minutes I was running again. The moral of the story is develop a relationship with a good gun smith (like Benny) and life will be easier. He also is a three gun shooter as the previous post mentioned which means ha also has helpful advice on shooting slugs, maintenance programs, useful accessories etc.......

When people see my M2 they ask is that a Benny Gun? ......and then a tiny bit of drool leaks from their mouth. LOL

[kurtm]

Gee Charles, been listening to the"experts" again?

First off lightening the bolt has NOTHING to do with "Firing Pin Problems" the gun in question was failing to lock into battery consistently BECAUSE someone added a welded up lifter and didn't know how to tune it propperly...AFTER Benny had done his work...get it? Someone else had been in the gun, AFTER Benny did his work!

Light strikes with a Benelli are always caused by the bolt not being fully closed either due to a dry cam pin, dirty chamber locking recesses, bolt hesitating due to an improperly tuned welded lifter, or a worn out carrier bouncing out of battery

Edited August 15, 2010 by kurtm

[JRW]

I would like to start shooting some 3 gun matches. I have the pistols and the ARs. Looking to get a shot gun , would like to know what would be the best to start off with ? What acc. do I need ?

I have a Benelli M1S90 I am very happy with. It has the Dave's Metal Works bolt release and extension tube. Definitely go with a ribbed field model. Briley extended chokes in Light Modified seem to be popular although I still shoot IC.

I have made three additional modifications to mine:

1. I used a file and sand paper to open up the loading area. Do a search and you can photos showing what to do. You can also send it out to have it done.

2. I did have Benny Hill at Triangle lighten my bolt

3. I also had him modify the bolt to permit the carrier load.

I have only had one issue with my shotgun (Knock on wood, loudly) which was a low primer on a Federal slug. Hence an ammo problem and not the gun.

What ever you decide to get, make sure to buy 8+ dummy rounds and start practicing your loading. If you don't know better, start learning to load weak handed. Get some shell caddies (I prefer Mountain Man Engineering 4 Shell caddies) and practice. There are some great videos done by the AMU and I think the Noveske team did some as well. Again quick search should find them.

Feel free to ask any other questions!

[Charles Bond]

Gee Charles, been listening to the"experts" again?

First off lightening the bolt has NOTHING to do with "Firing Pin Problems" the gun in question was failing to lock into battery consistently BECAUSE someone added a welded up lifter and didn't know how to tune it propperly...AFTER Benny had done his work...get it? Someone else had been in the gun, AFTER Benny did his work!

Light strikes with a Benelli are always caused by the bolt not being fully closed either due to a dry cam pin, dirty chamber locking recesses, bolt hesitating due to an improperly tuned welded lifter, or a worn out carrier bouncing out of battery

Kurt I know you saw one of the guns I am talking about and you might have seen both. I did not hear anything about the welded up lifer on either gun. And what I saw and heard was not from Team Noveske. It was my understanding that it was all Benny's work. If that is untrue I was misled.

[sbmd]

I can not speak for a Benelli because the one I had years ago, I would cause it to choke....may have been the way I hold the gun. On the other hand I can speak for the FN SLP and Winchester, since both have a similar design.

First let me throw this out and most will agree, you must run quality ammunition. It would be like owning a top fuel dragster and running 87 octane gas. I run Winchester AA 7.5 shot 1 1/8 oz shot 3 dram. I also run the light gas piston (red ring). My SLP is not stock, considering I hung the XRAIL on the end of it. With a gas piston system (SLP or SX2) the tube in which the piston rides on must be clean and free of build up. The gas ports from the barrel to the piston must also be clean and clear. Usually a small drill bit using your fingers to turn the bit will clean these holes. Other than the XRAIL and the external mods I have done to put my shotgun into Open Division, the internals are stock.

I have had issues with my SLP but usually they revolve around springs since I have modified the tube springs, so I have learned the round count to change the springs on now and springs are cheap in reality.

No matter what gun you choose, keep it clean and run good ammo, you shouldn't have any problems.

Larry

Team FNH USA

[mike_pinto]

+100 Larry. All of them need proper care and feeding. Benelli's just don't need as much!

Hahahahaha.

See you in a couple weeks buddy.

M

[Chris]

I drove my Benny Hill tuned benelli to 3rd overall in Standard at the PanAm. Kurt and several others on our squad can attest that I had no issues.

Now if you want the bolt lightened, loading plate reworked, loading area enlarged, then i would call Benny Hill @ triangle shooting sports in corpus christi, tx. to do the gunsmithing on it. He knows Benelli's insided and out and is a fellow 3 gunner. His shop is also a sponsor on the forums. he does execellent work, just got back a new .308 upper from him and it is very sweet!

There were a couple of shooters at the Pan Am match that would disagree with you on that. The manner in which the bolt was lightened on these guns was causing firing pin problems and hence function difficulity. It was pretty clear to some with more knowledge than I on these shotguns that the manner in which he lightened the bolt was the problem.

[StealthyBlagga]

I would like to start shooting some 3 gun matches. I have the pistols and the ARs. Looking to get a shot gun , would like to know what would be the best to start off with ? What acc. do I need ?

Nobody so far has asked you how much you want to spend. Unless you want to pay out the thick end of $2K, a highly tuned and customized spaghetti gun may be outside your budget. There are excellent options at all price points. I have been running the same Remington 11-87 for 15 years and it rarely lets me down - certainly it is more reliable than the two Benellis I saw choke at our local 3-gun match yesterday. You can get started with a match winning shotgun for well under $500 if you are willing to work under the hood a bit yourself. However, if you are a "black box" kind of guy (someone who does not want to do any gun work themselves) then the FN SLP/Winchester SX2 or Benelli are a pricier but better option out of the box.

As for accessories, that depends on what division you want to shoot... Tactical divisions have very different needs from Open.

Edited August 15, 2010 by StealthyBlagga

[TimMTP]

Lone Star,

The two most popular shotguns for 3Gun are the Benelli, which you have already heard about, and the FN SLP. Conduct a search on this sub forum and you will find tons of information and experience that will assist you in making a decision. I asked similar questions on this forum and others and this was the advice I received and it is spot on. Finally, the last bit of advice I received, and would pass on to you, is to visit some matches and ask to shoulder, fire and run some of the guns you are considering. (This was the best advice I received with regard to making my decision.)

Good Luck!

Kyle

I think Kyle nailed it with this response. Along with shouldering and firing, I wouild suggest doing a couple of practice loads on each gun just to ssee if one fits you better that way as well. I think there is more time saved on loading than the splits between shots.

[kellyn]

I don't think there is any such thing as a truly reliable shotgun. The FN SLP is a good deal as is it ready to go right out of the box, negating the need to deal with surly gunsmiths. But speaking of surly gunsmiths, I do prefer my Triangle Shooting Sports Benelli (with lightened bolt) quite a bit over my SLP.

Daniel Horner was having a heck of a time with his SLP at Rocky Mtn. but that still did not save the competition. But he is too small to handle the awesome recoil of the manly Benelli so I think he will probably stick with the FN.

Jeff Cramblit has a a very nice new Benelli Vinci which may be the wave of the future.

[pjb45]

I just shot my first 3 Gun match. I use a Benelli with DMW tube. It worked fine except when I failed to keep the tube extension clean and oiled after the major rain. It slowed down two times and failed to fully load a round. This was my fault. Otherwise Benelli was great. I also shot with the FN team and their guns ran well also.

i am personally pretty inept and the low maintenance of the Benelli is very attractive to me. Cleaning is sooo simple, unscrew the extension, catch the spring, slide of the foreman and barrel, slide out the bolt, clean and oil as needed.

BTW: Nanotech 386 is an awesome lube. Makes cleaning soooo simple.

[Mike P]

"Jeff Cramblit has a a very nice new Benelli Vinci which may be the wave of the future."

AKA the guppy.

Edited August 15, 2010 by Mike P

[Charles Bond]

Daniel Horner was having a heck of a time with his SLP at Rocky Mtn. but that still did not save the competition. But he is too small to handle the awesome recoil of the manly Benelli so I think he will probably stick with the FN.

Is it just me or is the theme from a certain spaghetti western playing in the background??

[kurtm]

Larry has it right...good ammo...good ammo....good ammo! And even then it sometimes won't be enough. There is nothing consistent about shotgun ammo, the high end stuff is much better in general, but even it can have problems, be stored improperly, etc. I had two cases of slugs from the same lot, the first case ran my gun great, the second one wouldn't even function the gun. On inspection all the slugs in the second case had lead oxide on the slugs, they weren't nice and shinny like the other ones...and they wouldn't work the gun...found out in the middle of a match! They wouldn't work in several other shotguns either, but in one it did! So I guess it was stored improperly or got wet.

BTW of the top 10 shooters in standard semi-auto at the Pan-Am there were 3 Benny Hill/Triangle shooting sports shotguns, and two on the winning U.S. Standard team, so I guess that there really is a Spaghetti Western theme here! Italy and Texas

[Jadeslade]

Larry has it right...good ammo...good ammo....good ammo! And even then it sometimes won't be enough. There is nothing consistent about shotgun ammo, the high end stuff is much better in general, but even it can have problems, be stored improperly, etc. I had two cases of slugs from the same lot, the first case ran my gun great, the second one wouldn't even function the gun. On inspection all the slugs in the second case had lead oxide on the slugs, they weren't nice and shinny like the other ones...and they wouldn't work the gun...found out in the middle of a match! They wouldn't work in several other shotguns either, but in one it did! So I guess it was stored improperly or got wet.

BTW of the top 10 shooters in standard semi-auto at the Pan-Am there were 3 Benny Hill/Triangle shooting sports shotguns, and two on the winning U.S. Standard team, so I guess that there really is a Spaghetti Western theme here! Italy and Texas

Yeah. Probably in a warehouse in Nigeria with all your money. Been trying to tell people about those lifters. After seeing Benellis with stock lifters run like a top at PanAm I replaced a tuned lifter in one of my Benellis(my shop gun) with a stock one ands I have not had a malfunction since-approx 500rds. I think that metal has a certain flexibility and tone and if it is bent or heated too much-it gets flat and as you say the"timing is off"-not sure if that is the correct term but it fits. I have f****** up my thumb-so yer d****** if you do and d******** if you don't.

[assaulter]

Two weeks ago I would give accolades to the FN SLP. But since I had to send it back for service I won't. A pin has worked itself out of the bolt and locked it up. It's probably got less than a thousand rounds through it since February, so to say I was dissapointed was an understatement. Adding to the frustration with FN is the fact that I had to send my FNP .45 Tactical back for a trigger problem. So I have two guns less than 6 months old back at the factory. If I don't get the shotgun back before the Ozark match I'll really be pissed.

[Charles Bond]

Kurt: I saw you earlier loading gate "tuning" reference. My non name brand welded up loading gate from a dirt road no web site Georgia gunsmith is tuned to C sharp. What is the correct tune in Texas? In Italy?

Edited August 15, 2010 by Charles Bond

[Charles Bond]

After seeing Benellis with stock lifters run like a top at PanAm I replaced a tuned lifter in one of my Benellis(my shop gun) with a stock one ands I have not had a malfunction since-approx 500rds. I think that metal has a certain flexibility and tone and if it is bent or heated too much-it gets flat and as you say the"timing is off"-not sure if that is the correct term but it fits. I have f****** up my thumb-so yer d****** if you do and d******** if you don't.

It looks to me like the loading gate on the Vinci solves the thumb problem with the addition of a couple of little bumps on the bottom of the lifter what keeps the thumb out of the way. Does anyone know if these will fit the M2?

[mike_pinto]

There will be quite a few of those triangle'd benellis shooting in Vegas on the 13th of September too!