shotgun ( or two ) for granddaughter

speak now if anyone has anymore thoughts as I am headed toward, "recording" the Syren 20gauge double and placing an order for the Benelli 12 gauge semi-auto

I want to thank everyone who responded, it is appreciated, as everyone who responded offered food for thought and it was appreciated

Mark, your sons are very fortunate to have the parents they have, well done! My granddaughter and two grandsons are adults ( my granddaughter being he youngest of the three ) and my oldest grandson and his wife has already made me a great, grandmother--twice. Love them all.

Gil, Mike, thank you
 
mjcmichigan":26lgbhry said:
Interia vs gas, I can’t feel any appreciable difference. Cleaning the Benelli is a dream. The gas ones (beretta) get dirty and are messy to clean.... I’d buy the Benelli every day given a choice.

Anyone else as nutty as me?
Click to expand...

I am!

I really like the inertia operating system. I'll add, not only does it stay clean when shooting high volumes- it also works in the marsh. Since I'm a hunter and rarely shoot a shotgun at targets- that gun is very forgiving of typically nasty water fowling conditions. Ice, mud, grunge seem to have little effect..I dunked mine in the swamp three times this year and once barrel down in the muck. It was pretty simple to sluice it out, shake it off and keep on shooting.
 
Mike, that would be a cool commercial! So they eat grunge too!

April, make it so!


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I’m a little late coming to this thread but have been following it with many thoughts that I think would be of value to the topic. I read Europe’s last post and agree with her latest decision.
I married a woman 15 years ago that came from a male centric family that excluded her from the “man” activities that she wanted to participate in. When we got married, she wanted to have a pointing dog and hunt birds. She was starting from scratch with firearms, although she had shot. At the time, we lived just a mile from a pheasant preserve where I had a connection and were 5 minutes from a trap club with 5-stand. I am primarily a rifleman but really like hunting birds over pointing dogs. I knew enough about shotguns to know that the only way to buy one is to shoulder it and see how it falls in. So we went to Cabela’s and she handled a bunch of guns. We ended up walking out with Benelli Supersport 20 gauge. She liked the bling and the shotgun is still with us and remains one of her go to shotguns. It began a series of Benelli acquisitions that was interspersed with a Connecticut Shotgun 20 ga Launch edition, a Fausti 16 ga O/U, a Beretta 20 ga Onyx, and on and on. It got to the point that I couldn’t take her into a gun store and leave her alone with the checkbook.
She also has a Benelli Super Black Eagle with a second rifled slug barrel and a 12 ga Cordoba. One of her rifles is a Benelli R1 300 Win Mag. I have an 12 ga M2 Tactical, a 12 ga Cordoba and a 20 ga M2. I am a staunch Benelli advocate. I have had gas operated semi’s in the past and serviced some others that family and friends have. The recoil operated Benelli system is the most reliable and durable semi-operated shotgun system available. Gas guns require a lot more maintenance and are not as reliable. At one point, I had a Beretta 1201FP which was essentially the Benelli system.
I am also a believer in the cryogenic barrels and chokes. They clean easier and what patterning that I did, indicated a better pattern density. The longer choke tube systems seem to help the shot column not deform as much. We shot the Cordobas in a trap league so we have some sense for the reliability and effectiveness of the choke system.
Another advantage of many of the Benelli’s is the ability to change the length of pull and comb height easily. The stocks are also adjustable for pitch and cast by changing the supplied shims. These features ended up being the reason that we got the R1 for my wife. I learned the hard way that women don’t hold rifles and shotguns the same way that a man does. It took me several attempts to find out how to mount a riflescope for my wife. I think Weatherby and Savage are thinking ahead and looking to the changing demographics of our shooter population today by offering rifle stocks better suited to women. Guerini’s Syren also recognizes that women “are not the same as us”.
I love Italian shotguns, and not just the Benelli’s. We have a Fausti, I had Guerini Woodlander, and we still have a Beretta. Over the years, I have had several Browning Citori’s, which are not bad shotguns but don’t have the same fine feel of the Italian guns.
As far as gauge goes, I agree that one gun is not optimum. A 12 gauge is kind of a given for waterfowl class birds. For upland I would go with the 20 gauge. I like the 28 gauge a lot and currently have a Browning 525 in 28 that fits me well. The cost and availability of 20 gauge ammo versus 28 gauge is one factor to consider. I load the 28 and the 16 ga just for economy. I witnessed my wife make some pretty long shots on South Dakota prairie pheasants with her Supersport 20 ga shooting #5’s. The 28 works for pen raised preserve pheasants and chukars over a pointer but I kind of like my 28 better for ruffed grouse. We have found that prairie roosters mandate a stout load of 5’s out of a 12 gauge.
So to end this post, most of what I would recommend has already been said. The best scenario is for her to try the gun first. Sounds like that was done with the Syren. Again, I agree with Europe’s final decision. I just wish that I would not have stumbled on to this shotgun category and read about the Benelli 28 gauge Ultralight. It caused me to go pick one up and now I am conflicted about selling my Citori 525 28 to get one. Wish I could have both. I am waiting for Benelli to bring out a 16 gauge M2 or Ultralight that I could not resist.
 
Great post walkinhorseman!
Love to hear from those who have experienced these things first hand...very valuable insight.
The experience of the difference in the various firearms and the learnings from getting the wife into the sport and learning what works/doesn't work for her.

Didn't mean to cause confliction between your Citori 525 28 ga and a Benelli Ultralight 28!!...but does add confidence and affirmation in my own decision to go this route (seconded by another who is babysitting one in AK!). I have come close to purchasing other used 28 gauge shotguns this winter (other older Benellis, Brownings, etc.) but keep thinking, get the one I want...buy once, buy right!
Seriously considered the Ethos, but as mentioned above, will mostly be used for grouse. And I have never seen any of the Fiocchi 3" shells anywhere in western Canada. Can order, but would only be used incidentally for prairie pheasant, while hunting antelope in southeastern Alberta (about 15 hours from where I live). I have been lucky in acquiring flats of 28 ga ammo at reasonable prices ($10-$11/box, as compared to buying singles from $18-$30/box found in most stores) and have a good supply on hand. Have found a used MEC for loading the 28 and am considering gettin it.
 
walking horseman I appreciate your thoughts thank you. You certainly have a nice stable of shotguns, congratulations
 
Get the MEC 28. You’ll be happy. Have quite a few friends loading 28. I haven’t bought one yet...but I am a young 59 and have time... lol.

My daughter in law loves my Benelli SuperSport in 20 gauge. It’s from the performance Benelli performance shop. We love all the mods. Granted pricey, it’s a wonderful gun.


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