Benelli Super Black Eagle II
No. 10016 12 Gauge, $1515
Reviewed: January 2007
The laws of physics have always defined shooting comfort. There seemed to be no way around it—if you wanted less recoil, use a lighter shot charge or a heavier gun. Unfortunately, one limited terminal effectiveness of the load and the other dampened the speed and liveliness of the shotgun. In the Benelli, a space-age butt pad is ingeniously designed with a longitudinal peak in the middle that makes it comfortable for both left- and right-handed shooters. Weighing in right at 7 pounds, the SBEII is about a pound lighter than the average autoloader. It’s a lightweight shooter.
Gas-operated autoloaders usually reduce recoil by prolonging the curve of the recoil event, even when using heavy loads. Despite that still-troubling weight thing—since the gas piston technology was heavy they invariably shot softer than recoil-operated semis. Benelli seems to have leveled that playing field, however, largely through the reliable physics of its short-recoil (they call it Inertia-Driven) system surrounded by the ergonomics and energy-absorbing flex of the ComforTech approach.
According to Benelli, the space-age ComforTech stock and attendant big, soft, ergonomic butt pad reduce felt recoil by as much as 48 percent. ComforTech features a deep, soft gel-foam buttpad, a similarly cushioned comb and stock sidewall cuts fitted with chevrons of the same foam that serve to make turn the entire stock into a recoil pad.
The barrel is cryogenically treated (cold tempered to -300 degrees), which changes steel at the molecular level, making it harder. The result is reduced harmonics, meaning consistency shot-to-shot, and far easier cleaning. Recoil spring and guide are easily removed from the recoil tube in the stock cleaning.
This gun is a hunter. The length of pull was listed at 14.4 inches in the catalog but measured 14.125-inch on the test gun with the smallest recoil pad. We found that length to be ideal for the hunter wearing a coat, and the trigger guard is enlarged to accommodate gloved fingers. Another concession to the hunter was sling swivel studs molded into the buttstock and the magazine cap. There is no evaluation of walnut grain or wood-to-metal fit on this gun since it is synthetic-stocked, as are all but one version of the gun. We tested a black and matte version, although camo synthetics are also available. The comb is comfortably narrow, which makes it fit most shooters readily. Shims were included to adjust drop and cast, and two recoil pads allowed adjustments in length of pull.
Stippling replaces cut checkering in the grip and forend (Benelli calls it AirTouch) and gives good hand purchase, wet or dry.
It was difficult—no make that impossible—to make one system work for loads of all three 12-gauge chamber dimensions. Hunters were burdened by adjustable gas valves, o-rings and complex mechanisms that were difficult to understand and even harder to keep clean.
The SBEII came the closest to pulling off the trifecta any autoloader we’ve ever encountered. It handled 2.75-inch, 1 1/8-ounce trap loads just as easily as 3.5-inch waterfowl and turkey loads. Only when we dipped into subsonic 1-ounce target loads did the remarkable shooter occasionally fail to cycle, and that was probably an unfair test, as we were lowering charge size to the point of failure.
Benelli designers found that the answer was alleviating the gas system (and thus saving weight and bulk) and simplifying the short-recoil system instead of making it more elaborate. The entire bolt and cycling mechanism in the receiver can be removed in one jointed piece.
The barrel and top half of the receiver are a single piece, ala the AR-15/M-16 rifle (or the SBE’s cousin, the Beretta Pintail), adding rigidity to the simplicity. Don’t try to drill and tap the upper receiver/barrel for aftermarket sights, however, since the cold-tempering makes the steel virtually impenetrable.
The trigger broke consistently at nearly 7 pounds, which sounds heavy but was actually preferable for high-volume shooting in hunting fields.
Remington SPS-Turkey Camo
Thumbhole No. 25189, $799
Reviewed: June 2007
With more than 9 million Model 870 pump guns in circulation, one must assume that Remington has gotten the bugs out of this particular design.
The SPS (Special Purpose) series represents the high-end (along with Wingmaster) of the venerable dual-rail pump model line, which originated in 1950. While the Cheapened-to-sell-at-Marts Express version of the 870 is second only to Mossberg in annual worldwide sales, it appeals to the price-point conscious rather than the serious hunter or shooter. The SPS line offers higher quality albeit matte-finished, specialized versions for turkey, waterfowl and deer hunters.
The test model sported a 23-inch barrel with adjustable fiber-optic (TruGlo) rifle sights and an extra full Remchoke Turkey choke tube. The thumbhole stock was a wood laminate built by Boyd’s. It was the only tested gun that came with a sling, which in our view is essential for a turkey gun.
The trigger averaged a crisp, effective 5.2 pounds for 10 pulls with the Lyman digital trigger gauge. The 8-pound-plus heft, the ergonomics of the thumbhole stock’s rollover comb, and the peerless Sims R3 recoil pad made the mule-like kick of heavy turkey loads tolerable. The comb was just the right height to place the shooter’s eye in line with the raised rifle-style fiber optic sights—resulting in a solid cheekweld that also helps suppress perceived recoil. The gun was covered muzzle-to-heel with Mossy Oak’s Obsession pattern and featured an external choke tube.
While the receiver was not drilled and tapped for a scope rail, several mount manufacturers offer a saddle-style receiver mount that is affixed with pins that also hold the fire control system in the receiver.
We may have been a bit partial to 870 SPS in that we’ve made two of the most impressive shots of our turkey hunting lives with this particular gun. Suffice to say that, loaded with 3- or 3.5-inch Remington Wingmaster HD or Federal Heavyweight tungsten-alloy loads, the gun is absolutely lethal out to 60 yards and beyond.
We feel strongly that no turkey gun is worth $799. But other than that, the Remington 870 SPS-Turkey Camo Thumbhole was solid performer and probably could be amoritized as a lifetime investment. The trigger on the test gun was excellent for heavy ordnance, and the model’s fire-control system is easily adjusted by a knowledgeable hand with a hone—although not nearly as much as when milled steel trigger guards were the norm. The adjustable TruGlo fiber optic sight system was far superior to the primitive Benelli sights or the cheaper Mossberg version.
Despite the price and the shortest warranty period among the guns tested, we see the Remington SPS-Turkey Camo Thumbhole as an ideal turkey gun.
No. 10016 12 Gauge, $1515
Reviewed: January 2007
The laws of physics have always defined shooting comfort. There seemed to be no way around it—if you wanted less recoil, use a lighter shot charge or a heavier gun. Unfortunately, one limited terminal effectiveness of the load and the other dampened the speed and liveliness of the shotgun. In the Benelli, a space-age butt pad is ingeniously designed with a longitudinal peak in the middle that makes it comfortable for both left- and right-handed shooters. Weighing in right at 7 pounds, the SBEII is about a pound lighter than the average autoloader. It’s a lightweight shooter.
Gas-operated autoloaders usually reduce recoil by prolonging the curve of the recoil event, even when using heavy loads. Despite that still-troubling weight thing—since the gas piston technology was heavy they invariably shot softer than recoil-operated semis. Benelli seems to have leveled that playing field, however, largely through the reliable physics of its short-recoil (they call it Inertia-Driven) system surrounded by the ergonomics and energy-absorbing flex of the ComforTech approach.
According to Benelli, the space-age ComforTech stock and attendant big, soft, ergonomic butt pad reduce felt recoil by as much as 48 percent. ComforTech features a deep, soft gel-foam buttpad, a similarly cushioned comb and stock sidewall cuts fitted with chevrons of the same foam that serve to make turn the entire stock into a recoil pad.
The barrel is cryogenically treated (cold tempered to -300 degrees), which changes steel at the molecular level, making it harder. The result is reduced harmonics, meaning consistency shot-to-shot, and far easier cleaning. Recoil spring and guide are easily removed from the recoil tube in the stock cleaning.
This gun is a hunter. The length of pull was listed at 14.4 inches in the catalog but measured 14.125-inch on the test gun with the smallest recoil pad. We found that length to be ideal for the hunter wearing a coat, and the trigger guard is enlarged to accommodate gloved fingers. Another concession to the hunter was sling swivel studs molded into the buttstock and the magazine cap. There is no evaluation of walnut grain or wood-to-metal fit on this gun since it is synthetic-stocked, as are all but one version of the gun. We tested a black and matte version, although camo synthetics are also available. The comb is comfortably narrow, which makes it fit most shooters readily. Shims were included to adjust drop and cast, and two recoil pads allowed adjustments in length of pull.
Stippling replaces cut checkering in the grip and forend (Benelli calls it AirTouch) and gives good hand purchase, wet or dry.
It was difficult—no make that impossible—to make one system work for loads of all three 12-gauge chamber dimensions. Hunters were burdened by adjustable gas valves, o-rings and complex mechanisms that were difficult to understand and even harder to keep clean.
The SBEII came the closest to pulling off the trifecta any autoloader we’ve ever encountered. It handled 2.75-inch, 1 1/8-ounce trap loads just as easily as 3.5-inch waterfowl and turkey loads. Only when we dipped into subsonic 1-ounce target loads did the remarkable shooter occasionally fail to cycle, and that was probably an unfair test, as we were lowering charge size to the point of failure.
Benelli designers found that the answer was alleviating the gas system (and thus saving weight and bulk) and simplifying the short-recoil system instead of making it more elaborate. The entire bolt and cycling mechanism in the receiver can be removed in one jointed piece.
The barrel and top half of the receiver are a single piece, ala the AR-15/M-16 rifle (or the SBE’s cousin, the Beretta Pintail), adding rigidity to the simplicity. Don’t try to drill and tap the upper receiver/barrel for aftermarket sights, however, since the cold-tempering makes the steel virtually impenetrable.
The trigger broke consistently at nearly 7 pounds, which sounds heavy but was actually preferable for high-volume shooting in hunting fields.
Remington SPS-Turkey Camo
Thumbhole No. 25189, $799
Reviewed: June 2007
With more than 9 million Model 870 pump guns in circulation, one must assume that Remington has gotten the bugs out of this particular design.
The SPS (Special Purpose) series represents the high-end (along with Wingmaster) of the venerable dual-rail pump model line, which originated in 1950. While the Cheapened-to-sell-at-Marts Express version of the 870 is second only to Mossberg in annual worldwide sales, it appeals to the price-point conscious rather than the serious hunter or shooter. The SPS line offers higher quality albeit matte-finished, specialized versions for turkey, waterfowl and deer hunters.
The test model sported a 23-inch barrel with adjustable fiber-optic (TruGlo) rifle sights and an extra full Remchoke Turkey choke tube. The thumbhole stock was a wood laminate built by Boyd’s. It was the only tested gun that came with a sling, which in our view is essential for a turkey gun.
The trigger averaged a crisp, effective 5.2 pounds for 10 pulls with the Lyman digital trigger gauge. The 8-pound-plus heft, the ergonomics of the thumbhole stock’s rollover comb, and the peerless Sims R3 recoil pad made the mule-like kick of heavy turkey loads tolerable. The comb was just the right height to place the shooter’s eye in line with the raised rifle-style fiber optic sights—resulting in a solid cheekweld that also helps suppress perceived recoil. The gun was covered muzzle-to-heel with Mossy Oak’s Obsession pattern and featured an external choke tube.
While the receiver was not drilled and tapped for a scope rail, several mount manufacturers offer a saddle-style receiver mount that is affixed with pins that also hold the fire control system in the receiver.
We may have been a bit partial to 870 SPS in that we’ve made two of the most impressive shots of our turkey hunting lives with this particular gun. Suffice to say that, loaded with 3- or 3.5-inch Remington Wingmaster HD or Federal Heavyweight tungsten-alloy loads, the gun is absolutely lethal out to 60 yards and beyond.
We feel strongly that no turkey gun is worth $799. But other than that, the Remington 870 SPS-Turkey Camo Thumbhole was solid performer and probably could be amoritized as a lifetime investment. The trigger on the test gun was excellent for heavy ordnance, and the model’s fire-control system is easily adjusted by a knowledgeable hand with a hone—although not nearly as much as when milled steel trigger guards were the norm. The adjustable TruGlo fiber optic sight system was far superior to the primitive Benelli sights or the cheaper Mossberg version.
Despite the price and the shortest warranty period among the guns tested, we see the Remington SPS-Turkey Camo Thumbhole as an ideal turkey gun.
