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please help me choose a shotgun


dghboy315

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from my research, it seems like the SX2, Benelli, and JP are the 3 best choices for 3gun tactical. but which one do i choose?

my price range is around 1K. I"m an average C class, moving to B shooting in uspsa. i love 3gun but my std 870 is holding me back. i know i could trick out my 870, but i really want a 3gun dedicated shotgun. the 870 has been relegated to HD duty (18"bbl and surefire).

at first the SX2 was the front runner, but then i read stuff on it not handling light loads well. i heard locking the bolt back for a few weeks helps or sending it for a little work, but for the price of the SX2, i don't think it should need work. then i saw the JP limited shotgun and it looked great, perfectly customized for 3gun. but a friend said the 1100 are so-so on reliability b/c of the crappy internals. the same friend then suggested a benelli customized by triangle shooting sports. so now i don't know what to choose.

all input would be appreciated. thanks in advance.

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I have an SX2 with the Sure cycle system in it and they adjusted the gas so I can shoot pretty light loads. I can't shoot the very lightest but I can shoot fiochi's 1 1/8 oz shells at 1150 fps and their reduced recoil slugs-1150 fps. I kicks them out fine and I have never had a malfunction with them. Sometimes I'll shoot 4 or 5 matches and never clean my gun and I have never had a problem. Try that with your 1100's!! :D Anyway, you can pick up a SX2 practical on the net for about $700 and the guys at SRM performance charged me about $200 for the sure cycle and helping with the gas.

I've heard that you can not shoot light loads out of the 1100 CM. But I don't know what the custom wizards like Benny can do for the guns but for the price I don't think you can beat the Winchester. Just my opinion.

Bob

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glockster96 and kellyn,

may i ask how much your benellis from benny were? did you have to supply your own benelli? how long did it take to get your gun?

minnesota1,

you bring up a good point about cleaning. i almost never need to clean my 870. how often do the other shotguns need to be cleaned? i hate cleaning.

finally,

is there anything to the criticism about the heavier recoil of the benellis? my dad will also be shooting this gun. he is a new shooter just getting into 3gun and he is still a little recoil sensitive.

thanks for the replies

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Recoil? Less than a pump, but more than an 1100 or other gas guns. Maybe about half way in between IMO. For a soft ride get an 1100.

I like the Benelli best of all that I have used. My Benelli is just better than my old long gone 1100.

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I'm sure I'll get pummelled for this, but the 1100, (in the near term) has to be the fastest to reload if you can do it a la Shawn Carlock. Front Sight is supposed to publish an article about the technique, but I guess it's good it hasn't been since I can get a second or two on everyone else every time I have to stuff 4 in.

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In my experience the 1100 is the softest shooting of the three given the same loads on the same day. I am NOT recoil sensitive (now that my shoulder has healed from a partial separation) but I just don't like the way the Benelli recoils.

I'm with EricW...1100 all day long. Yep...you have to clean them and replace the damn o-rings (but buy a bunch of EricW's rings and that isn't painful at all!) but so what? I can clean my 1100 from stem to stern in less than 15 minutes while I watch TV (longer if the cats decide to "help").

If I couldn't have a 1100 or 11-87 I would get a Browning and work it over before I would get either an SX2 or a Benelli. But that is just my opinion.

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Who says Remmies won’t run long without cleaning?

I just went 800+ on my 11-87 recently and it looked to be ready for 800 more when I took it apart to check it. I use a high temp detergent motor oil and keep it sloppy wet in the gas system and action, It just runs and runs and runs like that. One of these days I am going to see how long I can go without a cleaning, but I don’t want match malfs, so I haven’t pushed it beyond 1000 rounds. I will usually clean it every 5-600 just to be sure.

Barrel cleaning, who cares about the barrel? ;-)

--

Regards

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BTW EricW, have you seen KurtM load his Benelli 4 at a time? Blink and you won’t. Flat out awesome. If Shawn is anywhere near as fast, then he is a limited shotgun loading god too.

I have seen open division GM’s take a whole lot longer to put a speedloader stick in than KurtM takes to handload 4 shotshells.

--

Regards,

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Dghboy315, you will have to contact Bennie for that info. He is at Triangleshootingsports.com.

Yes, the Benelli does kick more but the reduced weight bolt (i.e. Bennie carving away at it) helps. I still like shooting a Remington better (due to the recoil) but I don't like the fragility and the fact that Remmys appear to be made from recycled coke cans.

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EricW, don't want to bust your bubble, but there is no way ANYONE can reload 4 shell's 2 or even 1 seconds faster than myself, kurt miller, jeff crambitt or a long list of others. Come on down this year to our shotgun match or jeff's & show us how it's done.

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EricW, don't want to bust your bubble, but there is no way ANYONE can reload 4 shell's 2 or even 1 seconds faster than myself, kurt miller, jeff crambitt or a long list of others. Come on down this year to our shotgun match or jeff's & show us how it's done.

I'm talking up here in the bush leagues Benny. A rookie like me stuffing 4 at a time pulling shells out of "shell shuffler" is light years faster than some yahoo picking stuffing shells one or two at a time.

I won't even pretend to be even close in speed to the long gun masters of the southern hemisphere. I forget the split times, but after I spent the summer last year learning how to load my SG, I at least would not have had my doors blown off on reloads at a major match, and that's after having my SG only 3 months. I bought technology and it closed the gap between me and the big dogs. That's huge for me.

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I think AH6IP is being a little humble here - I know the poll is SX2 but it should include the Gold, a very understated but effective toy ! I have both guns and the Gold beats the SX hands down.....

I have gone head to head with the Kurt Meister and the Gold action has me head to head with him on shoot 1 load 4 shoot 1 drill. Now I dont claim to be at the same standard as KM or BH or any other US 3 gun shotgun badass people, but I do think gun type can push up your game, and that is where the Gold comes in....

IMHO Benellis are at the top of the game and a Triangle Benelli is the best Benelli you can buy, I have shot one and it was fantastic, (and I hate Benellis !!) but if you are not an Italian fan ...... consider a Gold and take the lead ! ;)

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