Beretta UGB25 XCEL Trap

nscavello

nscavello

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Guelph; Wellington County
Hello everyone,
would like to hear any opinions (good or bad) about Beretta's UGB25 XCEL Trap shotgun, preferably from actual users who have had a chance to shoot this break-open semi-auto.
Do you own one? What did you like the most about it? What did you like the least? What would you change? Any problems or "issues" with the gun? Did you enjoy shooting it, or did you sell the gun?

Thanks in advance for your answers!!

:rockOn:
 
They have their quirks. I bought one recently on a whim and have now (mostly) satisfied my curiosity.
They are fairly heavy (compared with my Browning Broadway Trap gun) at 8.5 to 9.0 pounds. The version that I have has the 28" barrel and the adjustable cheek piece stock. The range of motion on the cheekpiece will suit most people. The recoil pad is also fully adjustable, although not so much as a Morgan adjustable pad. The length of pull is easily adjustable, which is nice. There is also provision for adjusting cast-on/cast-off of the stock at the wrist via the use of special spacers which should be included with the gun. Also, the wood on my gun is pretty nice with some decent figure.
The action itself is quite complicated. I would sincerely recommend that you do not buy the gun unless it comes with the manual. The manual is half an inch thick and I would suggest you read it. There is a lot of specific information on how to disassemble the gun, how to clean it, how to adjust it, etc.
Many people on the web say that the gun is extremely difficult to disassemble. This is actually not true. It is easy and quick, provided that you understand how it works. It takes me 10 seconds to take my Browning apart, and perhaps 20 seconds to take the Beretta down. You just have to do it the right way... and practice it a bit.
I shoot the Beretta fairly well, although it took some time to get used to it (and I am not all the way there yet). I still like my Browning better, but that is just me. I've put close to 40 thousand rounds through the Browning and it feels like it's a part of me.
The only quirks with the Beretta are that the but pad fell off during a registered shoot (only happened once), but of course, it took only about 15 seconds to put it back on as it is held in place with a sliding spring clip. Also, the chokes in my gun tend to work loose after a few hundred rounds.
One more annoying thing is that there is no shell-catcher available yet, and I'd rather just drop my empties in the bin provided (or a vest pocket) instead of scrabbling around on the ground for them. They do, however, eject uniformly a little in front of your feet rather than across at the person next to you.
There is another fellow at the club and he really likes his. I have not shot doubles with mine, but I have watched him shoot doubles and the UGB functions flawlessly in transfering the second round from the side clip into the chamber.
I would strongly recommend that you find one to try first if you can. I had very rarely shot an autoloader before buying the UGB and it was a big change at first. If you shoot an autoloader already, then perhaps it would be easier for you to adapt.
Good luck!
 
I saw one brand new yesterday on a dealers rack for $2650. I think they originally listed for around $4600. Seems to me Beretta answered the question no one bothered to ask.
 
I've put about 500 rounds through a couple of borrowed UGBs and while the concept is interesting it isn't a gun that I'd spend any money on.

The guns that I tried worked 100 per cent of the time. I shoot with a guy who owns one and they do work. It's a heavy gun so recoil wasn't a problem and I liked the bottom eject.

I found the method of opening the action awkward having to reach over with my right hand to open it. While a long forward weighted gun is good for trap for sporting clays it was very slow and sluggish.

Any shooting of the UGB I've done was in good weather. I wonder how it would work in winter due to close tolerances and the amount of the action that is exposed when the gun is open.

But here's the bottom line for me. If you go to the Ellwood Epps website you'll see three new UGB XCEL Golds listed at $4394.50. If you go to the used shotgun section you'll see three UGB XCEL Golds in Excellent condition for $1,499.
 
Ugb25 xcel

thanks claybuster,
what is your opinion on why Beretta has reduced their prices on a number of their higher end shotguns? The UGB25 is only one, I can think of several others, such as the SV10 Prevail, down from $4200 to $3300...anything to do with the overall state of the European economy (and international sales), including Italy?
The guns do not appear to have changed, they are not made in Brazil (as with several American manufacturers) but their pricing has been far more aggressive since the Italian Shotgun Show in Toronto in the fall of 2010. Good for us shooters I suppose, but it begs the question "why"?
 
nscavello said:
thanks claybuster,
what is your opinion on why Beretta has reduced their prices on a number of their higher end shotguns? The UGB25 is only one, I can think of several others, such as the SV10 Prevail, down from $4200 to $3300...anything to do with the overall state of the European economy (and international sales), including Italy?
The guns do not appear to have changed, they are not made in Brazil (as with several American manufacturers) but their pricing has been far more aggressive since the Italian Shotgun Show in Toronto in the fall of 2010. Good for us shooters I suppose, but it begs the question "why"?
Click to expand...
It's not an unusual practice for Beretta if the guns are not selling well. When the DT10 first came out it was in the same ball park as a Perazzi. A few years later the prices came down a couple thousand dollars. I believe this is the same thing that is happening with the UGB 25.
 
The decrease in price may also reflect that the UGB25 also sits in an odd category. Trap shooters can be pretty hesitant to try something new. Remember the Browning Recoilless and the Ljutic Space Gun. Both of them were supposed to be the most marvelous innovation since sliced bread, and both of them failed to deliver.

I have heard that the Beretta may have developed the UGB in response to some of the regulations in other countries, such as Australia, where autoloaders are prohibited. The UGB could be classified as a hinge-break rather than a semi-auto.

As for using the UGB in inclement weather, I shot mine at a cold and rain-soaked white target night shoot and it performed perfectly. Shooting in sub-zero weather might be another story, but then, I have other guns for geese and ducks if necessary...
 
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