Any Benelli rifled barrel owners have an answer?

[yorgi]

So a FOAF (friend of a friend) claims that through extensive scientific testing (shooting at an old propane tank...) has determined that his
Benelli SBEII shoots sabot slugs with much more authority and momentum than his buddy's "old" SBEI. As the story goes, he asked a
local gunsmith about the twist-rate in the newer SBEII rifled barrels and was told that they are 1:18, different than the generally accepted
1:28 twist-rate that the newer barrels are purported to have. The FOAF (as the story goes) did look down the barrel and determined that
indeed, the rifling does complete a full turn within the barrel, lending credence to the gunsmith's remark.

I personally don't own a Benelli but by Googling I see that most people agree on the 1:28 twist. Oddly enough, I can't find anything in
the official Benelli documentation (catalog or website) listing their twist rates, just going on what owners say on boards. It is generally
mentioned that most modern (10 years or less) rifled barrels conform to this 1:28 twist rate to accommodate the newer, faster sabots.
Older, 80's barrels were shooting slower sabots and were constructed with longer twist rates, something in the order of 1:34. Again,
just retyping what I Googled, not speaking from personal experience.

Does anyone own one of these SBE's and if so do you know what twist rate your barrel is? A Tim's Dark Roast XL is hinging on your answer!

 

[Maxkeg]

I read that you are seeking Benelli owners input, but I thought I should share my experience with you.

I have the Savage 212 with 1 in 35 twist. It's extremely accurate to 200Y with those Hornady SST's (2000ft/s), field tested. The 100Y and 150Y shots are in the same hole, the 200Y groups at to 2". I have installed a quality Magnum proof scope on the SG, and the zero has not moved at all.

The accu-trigger makes a big difference in shot consistency, I adjusted mine down to a 1.5Lb for a super smooth release, gloves off before the shot. Regular SG's trigger break at 5-7Lb which is too heavy for distance shots. So, 1 in 28 or 1 in 35 twist both work excellent, but I think 35 twist is more accurate. As a rule thumb, the heavier the bullet, the slower the twist for accuracy.

 

[yorgi]

I read that you are seeking Benelli owners input, but I thought I should share my experience with you.

I have the Savage 212 with 1 in 35 twist. It's extremely accurate to 200Y with those Hornady SST's (2000ft/s), field tested. The 100Y and 150Y shots are in the same hole, the 200Y groups at to 2". I have installed a quality Magnum proof scope on the SG, and the zero has not moved at all.

The accu-trigger makes a big difference in shot consistency, I adjusted mine down to a 1.5Lb for a super smooth release, gloves off before the shot. Regular SG's trigger break at 5-7Lb which is too heavy for distance shots. So, 1 in 28 or 1 in 35 twist both work excellent, but I think 35 twist is more accurate. As a rule thumb, the heavier the bullet, the slower the twist for accuracy.

Glad you took the time to respond Maxkeg, appreciate it! I have plans to maybe buy a 212 in the future, only thing that's keeping me back is my curse of lefthandedness... Impressive performance you're getting from your tweaked Savage, that's better than most of my rifles. Thanks for posting and explaining the twist rate nuances.