best semi auto waterfowl?
- Thread starter Kryogen
- Start date
Yes, the 391 is an older model and out of production. A400 Xtreme Unico is synthetic. A400 Xplor Unico is wood.
xtremacanuck
CGN Regular
- Location
- Glengarry ON
I think it was replaced last year by the A400.
Happens every damned time I buy something, they roll out the new model shortly after.
New models don't mean better. I own a couple of 391s and while the A400 is an improvement in some ways it isn't in others. My experience with the A400 particularly the 20 gauge model has not prompted me to replace my 391s.
If you intend to shoot a SBE2, then plan on living with the felt recoil, and the inertia operated Benelli produces significantly more felt recoil than the gas operated guns. The A-400 Xtreme that I owned, was the softest shooting semi auto that I have fired. The Maxus and SX-3 are significantly softer shooting than the SBE2, but not quite as soft as the A-400. That being said, the A-400 didn't fit me as good as the other shotguns, so I kept the SX-3 for my goose gun.
xtremacanuck
CGN Regular
- Location
- Glengarry ON
For the Beretta A391 Xtrema2, you may want to try Dante Sports in Montreal. They were advertising some earlier in the spring on their website. I would be worth a call.
CreamySmooth
CGN frequent flyer
I just shot 300ish clay pigeons yesterday.... With my SBE2 and my buddies A400. We were swapping back and forth. Either gun will shoot just fun, and we noticed the A400 kicked a little less. Not enough that it mattered. But we also noticed the considerable less weight and better pointability of the SBE2. And then we opened them up to clean them. Har! I was the clear winner there! Really though, you have to shoulder both and take the one that feels better.
Re: comments on "buy what fits you best" I'll add a reminder that high end guns lie SBEII and xtrema have shim kits to adjust fit.
I have a seven year old xtrema ( no kickoff). It's been hunted HARD in bay of Fundy salt marshes. The camo finish is worn off around the receiver where I hold it, just to give you an idea how much it's been used. The list of "pros" is long, most notable being reliability ( any shell, any conditions) and durability ( Fundy salt marsh mud EATS guns, and this one has stood up to my shameless abuse of it beautifully). Yes, it's also incredibly soft recoil and smooth shooting. On the "cons" side I will only offer my opinion that it is very bulky to handle and shoot. I'd much prefer to handle/ shoot an SBEII or a camo Cynergy, but I just don't trust them to stand up to the rigours of my hunting style/ location. Good news if you decide to go that way is that since the A400 came out the price of the Xtremas on EE and evn retail seems to have gone down! Good luck.
Dave
I have a seven year old xtrema ( no kickoff). It's been hunted HARD in bay of Fundy salt marshes. The camo finish is worn off around the receiver where I hold it, just to give you an idea how much it's been used. The list of "pros" is long, most notable being reliability ( any shell, any conditions) and durability ( Fundy salt marsh mud EATS guns, and this one has stood up to my shameless abuse of it beautifully). Yes, it's also incredibly soft recoil and smooth shooting. On the "cons" side I will only offer my opinion that it is very bulky to handle and shoot. I'd much prefer to handle/ shoot an SBEII or a camo Cynergy, but I just don't trust them to stand up to the rigours of my hunting style/ location. Good news if you decide to go that way is that since the A400 came out the price of the Xtremas on EE and evn retail seems to have gone down! Good luck.
Dave
arcticcathonda
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
Pick what fits you. Leave the gimmicks at the sales counter.
arcticcathonda
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
I have never really noticed recoil when shooting waterfowl.....maybe its just me!
CreamySmooth
CGN frequent flyer
I have to concede that point to a degree. I didn't notice a difference with 3 inch loads, there was with 3.5 loads, but I didn't think it warranted much concern as shooting 3.5 inch seems to be a rare thing anyway. In my shooting of Canada's I've shot with a lot of people, and sometimes a few guys would load a 3.5 then two 3inch. Rarely did the 3.5 get shot though. That's what I did with my Nova, and that hit like a sunovagun when you pulled the trigger on the 3.5! Maybe that's why I think any of the semis are a major step up.... But yes, there is some difference, and this may matter more depending on your frame, age and weight.
TheCoachZed
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
The more money they cost, the better they are. Pick the most expensive one and you'll have the best, simple.
I have hunted with guys with Benellis and Stoegers (which I think use the same inertia system?) and have seen the famous "Benelli click." No matter what you get, if you don't learn to use it properly, it is useless.
I went through a lot of soulsearching when I wanted a new shotgun last winter. Really wanted a 10 gauge Browning Gold but couldn't justify the expensive shells. Really wanted a Mossberg 935 but heard too many stories about bum bolt buffers. So I bought a Baikal MP-153. My reasoning? It has a satisfaction rate that's at least as good as the more expensive B guns, from what I can find, but costs a half or a third. It also fires all shells flawlessly, from 2 3/4 to 3 1/2. That means I can take the hundreds of bucks I saved and put it into practice, and become a much better shot, which is what I've done this year.
The insides of the gun are made from stainless steel. It's super simple to take apart. It's not a flashy gun (the checkering looks like they did it with a butter knife), but I don't tend to notice the checkering on my gun when it's 6:30 a.m. on a coastal creek with wet flurries blowing down my neck, the sun in my eyes, a leak in my waders and wings whistling overhead. Or when I'm falling off a cliff because I slipped on some rockweed while stalking black ducks in twenty below zero. However, I realize flashy guns are very important to some people, particularly if you don't hunt often enough or hard enough to beat a gun up.
The only two downsides I have found are
1) Extra-full steel chokes combined with T shot are a bad idea, as the Truchoke system isn't up to it. Not a huge issue, but I'd hoped to get some T and try it on sea ducks this year.
2) The barrel finish sucks, and the stock isn't great either (I have the wood stock). The wood stock is super easy to refinish; I expect I will send the barrel and reciever away to get duracoated or something. That's an added expense, but I still have come out wayyyyy ahead in the savings.
It's your money, so make your own choice. Expensive guns are nice, and maybe my Baikal will prove to be a lemon in the long run. But in general, I think most guys would kill way more ducks if they asked themselves "How do I make myself a better shot?" instead of "What's the best semi?" If you sink a few hundred bucks into the range, you'll ultimately become a lot happier with whatever gun you pick, I suspect ...
Maybe you know all this already and I'm preaching to the choire
.
arcticcathonda
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
If he is bruised using an inertia with target loads, no shotgun is going to help him with waterfowl loads...
Maybe a 20Ga in a semi is more suited to his needs for low recoil.
