The new batch of interia operated autos typified by the Benelli are a big improvement in that they will eat any ammo you can feed them without complaint, and they seem to be reasonably accurate, better than some off the rack bolt guns.
There are a couple of .30/06 Benellis up here and the guys seem to like them. While I haven't seen any fired targets, the one fellow is an accuracy nut, and would not suffer an inaccurate rifle. My own impression from handling them (not firing them) is negative, but I'm pretty conservative when it comes to stock design, so unless you are stuck in the 1950's with respect to your preference for stock design, don't pay any attention to me. Of the two rifles here, one is finished in wood and the other synthetic. The fellow with the synthetic version has fired both and claims his synthetic soaks up recoil better.
I am unable to think in mechanical terms well enough to understand why, but it seems that no one will ever design a trigger for a self-loading rifle that has a trigger as good as a good bolt gun trigger. Some aren't bad, but most tend to be squishy, and any attempt to improve them results in a trigger that is light and squishy instead of just squishy. My impression was that the Benelli is no different.
