mudhen

I might try Win HV copper coated lead #6's. Win XX's might be good as well. I'd like to say try Fed HW #7's, but they have a flite-control wad and are not recommended in ported chokes. I'd go with 6's over 5's as larger shot tends to like more open constrictions. I'd test some 3" shells first. I've heard that some folks have good luck with 3" shells in tighter chokes.

Big issue for some. More so when Benelli went to a higher vent rib. My older flat rib 1991 SBE with the D shim was perfect for me. Still is. For my high-shooting 2005 SBE II, I took the A shim, ground it down, and used it with the C shim to get a poor man's D shim effect. It works fine. I don't use the bead for waterfowl, so changing the shims works fine for me.

Kick's website says not for Hevi Shot. It doesn't mention XR's. Other websites like www.midwestturkeycall.com says that Kicks are ideal for XR's. I'm thinking that XR's are not quite the same as HS. Similar, just not the same. I'd say you are fine with Kicks and XR's. You may not like the pattern from the Kicks though, I have not liked any Kicks pattern with XR's. BUT, the best patterning gun I have ever owned was a SBE with a Kick's .660 and lead #6's. Don't even get me started on why I sold that gun

I carry 3-4 inflatable Sceerys on every hunt. Some days I use none, some days I use all. I've got some deadly decoy lay-outs that have produced amazing results. I used four dekes on a few hunts in Kansas last year, and the images of some of the hunts will be burned in my brain forever. Yes, the Sceerys can get leaks, but I don't care, I just buy new ones. I do have an older Feather Flex Deluxe hen and jake that I really like. They are thick and have a neat green sheen that our hybrids out here really like as do Rios and Rio hybrids that I pursue all over the place. I've lost way too many two year old birds to any decoy with a fan, so I gave that up years ago. Fans are bad muju for me

Yep, the SBE II and M2 both use the newer Benelli Crio Choke system. They are longer than the Benelli Standard Choke system found in the SBE and M1 series. I've tested almost every choke out there for SBE II's. So far, .660 (Rhino & Jellyhead) has been the most effective with the #6's that I shoot. Any time I stray away from .660, up or down, I get poor results. .665 could be just fine. I'd lean towards #5's. I prefer a .665 over a .655. Seems like the tighter chokes lead to more blown patterns. I'll be testing a SSX .643 this weekend. Photos Monday.

I had a 1991 SBE barrel ring crack in 2002 after maybe 20,000 rounds. Benelli fixed, re-blued, upgraded a few parts, all in 27 days total time and at no charge. Must have been an oddball problem because you don't hear much about it.

Factory stock SBE II with whatever choke is working the best at that time

The SSX Beretta Mobil Choke/Benelli Standard choke (pre-Crio Choke for the most part) Tru-Glo part # is TG155X, .643. The SSX Beretta Optima Plus/Benelli Crio (Plus) choke Tru-Glo part # is TG154X, .643. This is for the SBE II/M2.

XR's are a somewhat different HD shot. They are much more uniform and true to size. I have been able to stay pretty close to copper coated lead when it comes to constrictions. My SBE II likes XR #5's through a Rhino 2" .660. It also shoots them fine through the .660 Jellyhead. .655 mights still be a bit too tight even for the regular shaped XR. Maybe try #6's too? Regular slag Hevi-Shot certainly likes more open chokes because the shot is so far from regular shaped. You have snowman shot, oblong shot, and all sorts of shapes and sizes. Over on the NWTF website, lots of guys cut open HS shells. #6 HS can be size #2-#9.

I have found that in my guns, 3.5" patterns much better than 3". I've tried maybe a dozen different comparison tests. Yes, there is a JH for the M2/SBE II, .660. I have had decent results with this choke and 3.5" Win XR #6's. The Tru-Glo SSX also is available for the M2/SBE II, .643. I have heard the .643 SSX is the bomb w/XR #6's, and I have one on the way. I won't be able to shoot for a few days, so I can't post photos until around the 23rd/24th. Patterning Benellis for turks has not been a simple task for me....

I tried a Kick's .660 with lead and Win XR #6's. I was less than impressed with the results. HS likes a more open choke, so you may need a .665 or .670? I have a Rhino .660 which was my primary choke until I tested a Primos Jellyhead in .660. The both work well, but the JH is maybe a tad tighter. I'd call both companies to see what they recommend for HS.

A box call from Albert Paul If raining, a Primos A-Frame triple bat cut mouth call.

Trulock makes these chokes. If they are anything like the other Trulock chokes I have purchased over the years, they are probably outstanding. I know maybe 40-50 people that shoot 5,000-10,000 shells a year, so I think maybe there are just a few more folks than Tom knapp that might benefit from improved extended choke features.

Yep, and I know the score of the Superbowl. Giants win 17-14

Those ports might reduce muzzle flip a bit. The jags are pure cosmetic. I want one

I'm going to guess wood pigeons. I would certainly break out the shim kit and work on the drop and/or cast of that M2. Use a big sheet of cardboard or paper and bring the tools to change the shim. It make take some time, but you should be able to figure out how to move the POI around. As long as you don't use the sights I agree though, all of my Brownings fit me better right from the box than all but one of my Benellis. My original low-rib SBE is still a champ. Nice old low vent rib girl

Wad Wizard and Terror chokes can be tough to figure out in Benellis. There is some connection between Terror and WW. I would contact Jeff Hajjar at Terror and ask him your specific questions. Have some time when you call, he has much to say! Or contact WW directly.

That is great to hear I'm betting someone a bit higher up at Benelli read this post on their laptop at the SHOT Show or when they got back. Good job on posting the positive (so far) results!

Interesting reply I've read all your posts, and you seem like a pretty decent guy. A decent guy that is used to getting your way. Probably military or ex-military. You write like many of my mil-friends. I had one DS vet friend stomp off a turkey field because he could not control the toms. You are probably the ring-leader of your group of friends and are the life of many parties. But a coupla things come to mind with this particular post: This is a free website provided to us by Benelli USA. They let us do whatever we want. There are no fees and few rules. They make it clear up fron that this is not a conduit (I thought conduit was metal pipe for wires) to Benelli CS. Anyone can be a member. This post was pretty much 100% CS and should have stayed with Benelli CS. The SHOT Show is not even over yet. They will probably help you out, you might just have to find the right CS person. I've had dealings with just about every manu in the business. Some have gone well, some not so well. I think you are dead wrong about Tucksmedicatedpads being a fight picker. Dead wrong. His value comes from his work as a whole, not an isolated post rife with confusion, edits, old post re-hashes, etc. You put up your story for review, and it got picked by some, panned by others. You posted up, now deal with the replies. Good luck with the repair

The whole choke and load thing is certainly unnecessary to some. If I had my own turkey property and could hunt every day, I would most likely use the factory full or maybe just a cheapy turkey choke and 2.75" lead #6's. But the sad fact is that I don't own my own property and cannot hunt every day. I spend thousands of dollars and much precious vacation time chasing these awesome game birds. I've had hunts were the birds worked in the last few minutes of the last day. I had a hunt in Kansas two years ago where it rained almost the entire time I was there. I called in and shot two toms in the only few minutes of partial sun during the whole hunt. These hunts are of my choosing. I choose to bring the most effective equipment I can afford, hence my selection of what I think is effective. To try to answer your question, I'm pretty sure the factory full would throw a very decent pattern with copper coated or just plain lead #5's or #6's. I bet it might be deadly out to 30-35 yards, maybe further? FF, being a more open choke should tend to prefer larger shot, so maybe even #4's? At 18 yards, rock salt through a IC would probably work. Good luck with whatever you choose

Interesting reply. I never claim to know everything. I gain much knowledge from others. I learn something new every day. .643 is new territory for SBE II's. I've tried so many .650/.655's, that I think questioning a Tru-Glo Pro-Staffer about one of the company's products is reasonable. I can live with an answer if someone gives it. You did not answer my question. You only told me that you were discussing a different gun. Another said "it's my party and mudhen wasn't invited". Funny, but not helpful. If you use this free website for personal gain, I think it reasonable to at least try to field questions from the website's members. A simple "I don't know, let me check" or "Please contact Tru-Glo's CS" would have sufficed.

Some guys need to relax There is nothing to 'sweat', not 'sweat', stir, don't stir, etc. This is a free website with only a few rules set by the owners of the website. Anyone can chip in anytime here for any reason. Those that don't agree can apply for a refund of the dues they paid to be here

Yep, you missed something. Chad is a Tru-Glo Pro-Staffer. He has posted here from day one as a Pro-Staffer for several brands and plugs them here on this free website with little hesitation. He provides much good info though, so I say it's all good. When you are a Pro-Staffer, questions about your products come with the territory. It's your job. He has not replied to my question about his product, so I had to go to someone else. I found the info I needed and did, in fact, order a SSX today. I hope it works as well as everyone says, but I have my doubts. We'll see what the paper says. I just asked a question of the exact person I should have. Sorry that you don't like it I think you are the pot-stirrer

Best patterning Benelli I ever owned was a 2001 SBE with a .660 Kicks GT. Shot in the 220's with Win SHV #6's. Bought the SBE as a slug gun and found a spare regular barrel on the Net. Sold the gun for some now unknown reason I think the GT is a great tube for SBE's and maybe Nova. I bought a GT .660 for my SBE II and it sucked.

The choke tube threads are identical. You can use some Crio Plus choke in a Mobil choke gun if the choke maker intended this use. A few tubes out there even market themselves specifically for this purpose (Wrights). A Crio Plus choke looks ugly in a Mobil gun, but it works fine if designed for that purpose. It 99.9999999% doesn't matter. The Crio is likely a gimmick. 99.99 (maybe 100%) of the guys out there don't clean their barrels well enough to take advantage of any Crio benefit. Don't worry about the card shooting question, I'll ask someone else who knows more about chokes