The new Benelli 828U

gitrdun

gitrdun

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Hello fellow shotgunners. I am ready to pull the trigger on a new shotgun intended strictly for trap and sporting clays. The new Benelli 828U has caught my attention. I've read up the articles and reviews within various publications. It seems to incorporate innovative ideas. What do you folks think of it?

git
 
It is a field gun meant to be carried lots and shot little .at 61/2 lb it will be way to light to be a comfortable target gun . look for a gun in the plus 8lb range . weight helps to absorb recoil with the many rounds you will shoot on the trap field or sporting clays course . I can't imagine shooting a 100 shells from 6 .5 lb gun as the recoil is going to punishing to your body . and eventually cause bad shooting habits . there are much better target guns available for the same price or less than the 828u .
 
With only 26 and 28" barrels, an auto safety, aluminum receiver and weighing 6.5 lbs. it's not really a target gun and not one I'd recommend for strictly trap and sporting clays. Both games favour heavier guns with longer barrels and the auto safety is a pain in the shorts while shooting clays. It sounds like a great gun for hunting though.

I'd recommend the Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon Sporting with 30" or even 32" barrels or if you were willing to spend more a Beretta 692.
 
I think the 828 U are over priced, not to mention their non-traditional look. Did they took the Ethos design and modified it for a break barrel. I would look into the Beretta 692 or even a 686 silver pigeon.
 
I ended up buying a Browning Cynergy. 30" ported barrels, comes with 3 triggers that are LOP adjustable. A dream to shoot.
 
the spank said:
Good, glad to hear you stayed clear of that Benelli and stuck to a proven platform. That internal moving breech face on the Benelli has some proving to do to convince me!!
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Yes sir, that is also one of the reasons that I stayed clear. As well, I think that it's a bit light to be a trap, sporting clay gun. I'm very happy with the Browning so far.
 
gitrdun said:
Yes sir, that is also one of the reasons that I stayed clear. As well, I think that it's a bit light to be a trap, sporting clay gun. I'm very happy with the Browning so far.
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It is way too light for a target gun thats for sure and they are promoting the locking "steel" breech face like steel is some new found space age material? That is the only steel part on the gun aside from the barrels and it locks into place against the barrel lugs inside an alloy receiver? To me its an upland gun plain and simple. Light to carry all day. I think for grouse, quail, pheasants it's fine but I would not want it for skeet, trap, sporting at all or especially waterfowl. I think it has a very limited market.
 
The 828U where the U stands for upland, is strictly a hunting gun. It has some technological advances that no other shotgun on the market has.
The big idea here is that they took the semi and made into an O/U shotgun. By doing so, you now have the option of using shims to adjust the stock.
Conventional double barrel shotguns have contoured lines at the back of the receiver, therefore you cant install shims. Also to make it light, they used
an aluminium receiver and to protect the receiver they invented and patented a breech block that keeps all the forces contained in the monoblock( The Chambers ).
IE no stress on the receiver. If you don't like technology and innovation then it's not your gun. I personally have 2 Cynergies, but will not own
a Citori, that is one 2X4 looking shotgun to me :)
 
An old thread revisited I bought an 828U after reading all the bad and good about it but wanted a light HUNTING gun that points quick and does not way a ton.First tests on the skeet range gun down it is all that I had hoped for comes up quick points well maybe would have liked 30" barrels but extremely satisfied with it all the way around.Trap different story at 6,5' I can take a pretty good beating but after 25 pair of doubles was not going to get inline again right away.My usual doubles gun is a beretta 682 gold E and have run 250 pair in a day without to much problems.So it is not a target gun and that's why I bought it, had a cynergy for 2 weeks got rid of that leg iron and several browning citoris but think this has many merits,of course for the price it should, will see how I feel at the end of the season ...
 
reddog said:
An old thread revisited I bought an 828U after reading all the bad and good about it but wanted a light HUNTING gun that points quick and does not way a ton.First tests on the skeet range gun down it is all that I had hoped for comes up quick points well maybe would have liked 30" barrels but extremely satisfied with it all the way around.Trap different story at 6,5' I can take a pretty good beating but after 25 pair of doubles was not going to get inline again right away.My usual doubles gun is a beretta 682 gold E and have run 250 pair in a day without to much problems.So it is not a target gun and that's why I bought it, had a cynergy for 2 weeks got rid of that leg iron and several browning citoris but think this has many merits,of course for the price it should, will see how I feel at the end of the season ...
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Please keep us updated as to how you are getting along with it. I'm tempted myself. The stock adjustability to me is a game changer and I only do limited sporting clays so it would be a hunting gun. I hunt over pointingdogs so a lightweight gun has tremendous value to me. I couldn't care less what it looks like, if it fits then that's all that matters.
 
Revisiting the old thread again, so first week of upland (pheasant) season in BC (2) and have 6 cocks in the bag with the new 828.First carrying it all day is without a doubt the best feature,light and does not seem to be a burden after 3 hours.Second comes up great,have shimmed the stock a bit higher and works perfect for me have used the 2nd shot twice and that was trying to kill a bird already on the way down .So was it worth the price? up there but for me as a pure hunting gun it has been worth it.Older I get the more I like lighter guns so it fills the bill.Oh and I also hunt over a GSP..:)
 
Wading in on this very late but here's my take on the 838U. fantastic gun -- I have over 7000 rounds thru mine and not a hick up The recoil is below my 725 Browning Sporting the new recoil reducing system works. I converted mine away from auto safe by simply removing a clip ( directions supplied by Benelli. At 6.5 lbs it's about perfect for low gun clay games -- very responsive, balances between the hands right on the hinge pin. As for the negative posts, I can recall when there was a great outcry about those god forsaken o/u's that would never be accepted by shooters because of the different look and concept from side by sides. Anyway I really like the 828 but more importantly it likes me. Don't quite understand folks that post negative thoughts on a gun that they obviously have not shot. I traded a no good for nothing new Browning A5 Ultimate on it -- the A5 was not reliable on anything under 3 dram loads even after 5 break in cases of 1350 fps fodder and 3 trips to Browning for repair -- junk!!! $2600 gun that wouldn't work as supposed to and a $900 ATA Venza that works with everything down to 7/8 loads at 1150fps
 
I recently picked up a mint 828U... and while I have yet to fire it, the adjustability of the stock makes it a dream for a LH shooter like myself. Shoulders very well, and is light as a feather. Taking it to Texas for my dove hunt in December so will be able to comment more on the recoil and ease of use.

The only thing I don't realllly like yet is the Carbon fibre rib... I tend to wrap my thumb over the top when closing the action, and it feels like the flexing of the rib will be problematic over time. We shall see.
 
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